Does anyone have any opinions on a 14k gold Sheridan headjoint? I just ordered one for my Powell. It's been about 6 years since I have tried one out, but if memory serves, I really liked it. Also, whats a good tape to use on the tenon. I don't really want to have it sized to fit. I know that most solid gold headjoints are 0.012 of an inch thick (including the one I just ordered). I believe my aurumute powell is 0.014.

some people use scotch tape, but i prefer plumbers tape. its more flexible and you dont have to worry about getting that exact amount of tape on there because it stretches. try it. it works well for me and many others.

you can buy it at the local hardware store for about $.99 last time i checked.

I could never get plumbers tape to work right for me. It always made a mess and wouldn't stay on. I prefer aluminum tape for fits that are quite a bit off. It is silver in color, so you don't see it. It also does not shred or leave leave sticky junk all over.

As far as Dana Sheridan headjoints go, I really like them a lot and they go well with Powell flutes. I used to own one and it was one of the best headjoints I ever played on. I do only like silver though with gold risers. I have never cared for all gold headjoints or flutes. I am always experimenting with headjoints and changing them around. I have went back to a Nagahara three times already, so I seem to favor them. Each one gets better and better.

Thanks for the help guys. I guess I better run out and get some tape before this headjoint arrives. By the way Kara, you're not the only lately that has spoken highly about Nagahara, I'm starting to hear more and more about their headjoints. I'm hoping to try one out at the Atlanta flute fair this weekend. I'm not limiting myself to Sheridan. I'm actually hoping beyong hope that I can run across a used 14k LaFin for less than $6000.

I know that Phil Unger has a 14K Lafin with Alder wings, but it is $9000. It is AMAZING though!!!! It is the only gold head that I have liked on my flute. I have a .016 wall Powell and the last two Nagahara heads I had were also .016, but there was one head that particularly stuck out at the flute fair I visited. I wasn't really looking for a headjoint. Lord knows I din't need another one! I didn't check what cut or what kind of riser it had on it until several headjoints later. It was actually a heavy wall. I knew it was different and I liked it a lot more than the others. Some how it was sized down to fit a .016 wall flute and the other .018 heads didn't fit. I never though about trying a heavy wall head on my flute before. It fits me so well! I particularly like Sheridan, Nagahara, Goosman and Arista on Powell flutes. They seem to be a good match.

One of my friends just bought a gold Lafin, but my Sheridan head that I was selling came in second through out all his trial in which I found to be interesting.

If you have time, I would be most interested in knowing what you were able to try and which one you chose in the end. I am a bit of a headjoint junky. lol! Have fun!!

what makes a headjoint $9,000?? I know how good they are, but are new heads, 14K, going for that much?

BTW, Sheridan heads and flutes are excellent, just depends on what u like

$9000 for a headjoint is pretty crazy if you ask me! Even if I were really rich I am not sure if I could bring myself to spend that much on one. I think it is all about the name. It was an amazing headjoint, but not $9000 amazing.

I got the Sheridan in today, but it is too big for my flute. I have another Sheridan on its way today, plus a Goosman and a Williams. They are all 14k, except the Williams is 10k, with 22k riser, 14k lip, and platinum wings. I'm going to have a tough deicision to make this weekend!

Oh how ever could of I have forgotten to put Williams on my list?!!!! They are wonderful also and go great on Powells. I fell in love with one that had an 18K platinum enhanced riser 18K lip and wings. So many wonderful headjoints that it can be really hard to decide. They keep on getting better and better and that is the problem for me because then I keep on finding one that I like better than my current one and have to have it. lol!!!

Have fun and good luck with your decision. If you have anyway to post samples of yourself playing on each headjoint like on youtube or something, that is always a fun idea and we can give you our input then.

I wonder if I could record some clips with my Mac.... that would be a thought. I'm really psyched about this weekend. I have a friend who accompanies me on piano and we are going to go to Emory University after the flute fair to properly put these headjoints to the test.... I'm thinking the Hanson Serenade, Burton Sonatina, Gates Sonatina, Prokofiev Sonata, maybe even a little Bach and Mozart for good measure. I really want to try a wide range of repertoire as to not leave any stone unturned. I think whats going to win me over more than anything is going to be articulation and resistance.
I've never really had problems with my tone, and as far as my Powell headjoint was concerned, a wide range of colors was always available to me. I've just felt for years that something needed improvement. When I had my flute overhauled in December, my repairmen, Alan Horne, told be that I had an excellent flute, but that I might want to consider a different headjoint. (By the way, go to his website flutedynamics.com. Great prices, superb workmanship)

Anyways, I'm never going to be able to sleep tonight knowing how much gold is about to be knocking on my door ) Carolyn Nussbaum rocks! Super friendly and a great businesswoman. I called today while she was in a meeting, and one of her girls told me that she was shipping a few heads out to me. When I spoke to Carolyn about an hour later, she already had the package ready for UPS. She knew of coarse that I was going to be wanting to try another Sheridan, but how she knew that I was going to ask for a Goosman butterfly and a Williams is beyond me.

remember that some of these headjoints actually started with Powell, I know Williams did, these are extremely personal decisions, so don't cloud your thoughts with too much advice..they are all good, so try them blindfolded..

Too bad you weren't looking for a silver headjoints. I have a Goosman silver butterfly with gold lip and riser that I am having to part with. I am crazy to let it go, I know, but with recent purchases at the flute fair I am going to have to. Articulation is a breeze on it, but it does not have a lot of resistance to it.

So I went to the flute fair today and I ended up leaving with a 14k Mancke. The sound, resonance, and articulation are amazing. Probably the boldest gold headjoint I have tried. A friend of mine told me later that I should try playing it with a tuner, just to see how it worked for me. I will be sending it back on Monday. My accompanist and I spent about 10 minutes with a piano just to get an idea of the pitch. In my opinion, the riser is too high, and the lip plate is too far from the tube. Tuning proved to be completely inconsistent for me. If the riser would have been shorter, I think this headjoint would have been perfection.

Now, I am battling with a decision between the Sheridan and the Williams. I blindfolded myself and tried Sheridan, Williams, Mancke, and Goosman, and had no problems whatsoever distinguishing which was which. The Goosman has the sweetest tone of all of them, but the upper register is a little inaccurate for my embouchure. Keep in mind that the Sheridan is solid 14k and the Williams is 10k with 18k wings and 22k platinum enhanced riser, but they are very similar to me and I am having one heck of a time trying to decide which one is the winner. The Williams has something about it that I just can't seem to place and can not ignore, but the resistance is somewhat strong for my style. I'm almost tempted to send them all back and request a 14k Sheridan with a platinum riser. Out of everything that I have tried today, I would say that the Sheridan has to be the most consistent headjoint. It was what I originally wanted, and after all of my trials, it seems to be the one for me. I'm going to think on it, and maybe request the one with the platinum riser. And for those of you that don't want to go gold, I tried a silver Sheridan with a platinum riser that was very impressive. It reminded me exactly why so many people desire a silver head.

Keep in mind that these are my opinions and I applaud the companies that have worked with me in order for me to find what is just right for my style. I think that these representatives are very knowledgeable and patient. Fortunately, they also realize that we are artists and that it does take a lot of trial and error for us to come to a precise conclusion.