Hi
I have a Gemeinhardt 5SS (sterling everything, gold springs, closed hole, offset, Cfoot) bought in 1979, with the original headjoint. Hasn't been used much in the last 20 years and is about to get a full overhaul after concert next week. However, I find the tone airy throughout the range, muddy down low and a bit thin and shrill in higher register so am strongly considering upgrading the head joint with a view to using as a back-up flute once I have bought a new instrument (a whole other story....). I get a better sound from my Yamaha 221 with the standard machine cut CY head, and even tried the Yamaha student head on the Gemeinhardt with better results than the with the Gemeinhardt head!! Many years ago I had a Flutemakers Guild custom sterling head on a student Yamaha with excellent results.

1] Any experience or opinions regarding the newer Gemeinhardt heads and would it be worth looking at one of these?

2] If not, any experience (good or bad) with fitting other brands of head on Gemeinhardt flutes? Also interested in general thoughts on a good value mid-range head for a reasonably competent amateur enthusiast?

3] Any thoughts on the value of putting a Yamaha EC hand cut head on the 221?

4] I live in New Zealand where it is hard enough to get to try a decent variety of flutes let alone custom headjoints. Does anybody know who to contact in New Zealand or Australia about trialling and fitting a custom headjoint?

Many thanks

Hi

I bought a Gemeinhardt headjoint on a clearance sale. It is a solid siver J cut headjoint. It was cheap and I am putting it on an old beat up 3. The newer headjoints do sound better than the old Gemeinhardt headjoints. The only problem is that the tenon on the new headjoint is smaller than my old one.

I still think that the Yamaha headjoints sound better.

If you are planning on keeping your flute for a while, I would get a good headjoint for it if at all possible. My Muramatsu blows the Gemeinhardt out of the water.

If you like playing the Gemeinhardt more than the Yamaha, why don't you put the Yamaha headjoint on the Gemeinhardt? I once put my Yamaha headjoint on the Gemeinhardt 3 with plumbers tape. It doesn't hurt the tenon and it is not a permanent modification to the headjoint. In fact, that is what I am using to fit the new headjoint on the flute. The headjoint is worth a lot more than this flute and I might want to sell it at some point so I don't want to have the tenon enlarged to fit the flute.

Good luck. There are a lot of great headjoints out there.

Hi,
Unfortunately, that airiness seems to be a trade mark for Gemeinhardt flutes in general. I am sure that if it needs an over haul then that would not help either. Even though it has all the silver content, I think that you would be better off with you Yamaha. The newer Gemeinhardt headjoints are probably one of the worse headjoints I have tried. A student Yamaha silver plated plays better to me in my opinion. Remember, it is the design and the cut of the headjoint that is going to make the difference, NOT the silver content. If you really want a decent headjoint then I would look more on the path of something like, Nagahara, Goosman, Sheridan, Williams, Miyazawa, Arista, Emanuel and Burkart, just to name a few of the top dogs.

Best of luck to you!

Thanks for the feedback!

I likewise found that the Gemeinhardt is larger than the Yamaha and I couldn't do the experiment I really wanted to which was to put the Gemeinhardt head on the Yamaha because the head diameter was too big.

I'll steer well away from the Gemeinhardt heads - sounds like their flutes in general don't have the greatest reputation. Perhaps I'd be better off putting all my pennies towards a new flute....

If you want to get a new flute. Used flutes are great. You get more bang for your buck. I also think that people tend to take better care of the professional flutes than the lower end models.

If you do decide to go the used route, make sure that you buy a flute from a flute dealer with a good reputation. If you buy from an individual, make sure they have a return policy. I would also make sure that it has only been played by an adult. Parents are buying thier kids high end flutes were I live. There is nothing more tragic than a Powell that has been used as a marching flute.

but there is something more tragic. have you seen what happens on the marching field? there is a difference between using a powell as a marching flute and using a powell as a makeshift flag on the marching field.

::shudders::

but there is something more tragic. have you seen what happens on the marching field? there is a difference between using a powell as a marching flute and using a powell as a makeshift flag on the marching field. ::shudders::

HAHAHAHAHA

I played percussion during marching season. I can only imagine