I recently moved to the tropics and everything had been going fine with my flute until last week. At the beginning of my practice session, I noticed some tone issues revolving around the fact that the airstream seeming to be wavering. Thinking it was just an issue because the air conditioning was on, as well as the fan, I turned both off and resumed practicing. The "wavering" didn't stop, however, and I noticed it was mostly in the higher octave, particularly bad around the E-G range.

Assuming it was the cork in the mouthpiece and a possible leak in a key, I took it to the repairman this afternoon. He tightened the cork, fixed the leak, and gave my flute a clean bill of health. Upon getting home, I realized the wavering had just turned to the middle octave, again particularly bad around the E-G range.

I'm at a loss because everything I've assumed it was it has not been. This happened very suddenly, the flute was perfectly normal before the practice where everything changed, and it hasn't taken a fall or a bump. It was on my person during every flight and transfer and it was just serviced this afternoon. In terms of myself, I haven't changed anything related to my practices for months and I have had a professional teacher the past year and a half guiding practically my every move so I haven't been taught incorrectly to have caused this (and it was sudden, not gradual, so I don't see how that would have anything to do with the issue).

My flute is a DC Pro III and I will be contacting it's maker depending on the suggestions I get. I also have access to a conservatory of music and might resort to going there, explaining I am a student just weeks away from my audition into their school, and am having some flute troubles a repairman hasn't been able to help.

I moved from a very cold state to a very warm island and my last theory on why this all could have happened is that the metal has contracted or expanded so severely that it has altered the way it sounds. The flute is a nickel and silver plated with gold leaf on the keys. The mouthpiece seems to be normal, no cuts or scratches on or around the mouthplace or hole.

Any suggestions welcome...

(Some of you might remmeber me from a long time ago, in the forum's "old days." Hi again, Kara, Joe, Patrick, and everyone else!)

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http://www.dcproflutes.com/silvergoldopenhfluteseriesIII.htm

I added a link to my model, if anyone is curious. (And please, no debates on whether the DC Pro brand is "fake" or "great." This has been debated several times on this forum and I'm not looking for that opinion; I'm perfectly happy with the instrument, have been for five years, and would probably replace my current model with another of Dominic's models if worst came to worst).

I'm positive the pads aren't leaking; it was throughly checked out this afternoon by a repairman with 25 years of experience. Manufactuer issue? I know DC Pros are pretty uncommon, but it's not a "junk flute" or suspiciously made.

Hi! Celebrian

Long, long time I did not see you posting here!. Welcome back, though the circumstances may not be the best for your flute playing, I see.

Just wanted to greet you, I cannot help about your flute problem.

But unless you get it fixed quickly and find a clear cause for the problem, I would suggest you start looking for another flute on rental or loan, if you are so close from an important admission audition.

Good luck!

Hi Jose Luis! I've missed you! Thanks for the greeting and I hope you and your flute are doing well!

Looking at a rental is probably a good idea... If I started right now, I could probably get a loan from the maker of my flute for the same exact model until my old one is fixed (it's still under warranty). My audition is still a month and a half off, though, at the end of the summer, so I still have a bit of time to determine my course of action.

Hey there!!! Long time no talk! I have missed you! Glad to see you posting on the forum

The only thing I would suggest you try with your flute is to take it to another repair tech. I am not saying the last one was incompetent in any way as I don't know who did the work, but maybe another tech might catch something that the last one didn't? Other than that, I am at a loss. I wish I could be more help. Maybe Dominic will be able to shed some light on it and help.
Welcome back!

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PS. I remember some time back I had spoken to a friend of mine that teaches flute and a student bought a DC pro flute. She said it wasn't bad at all, but the gold plating wore off within two weeks of the student having it :(

Hi! I really missed you, too! Expect an email or message or something in the next day or two, if that's okay! I hope you've been well!

Thanks for the advice; I'm probably going to talk with Dominic during business hours tomorrow depending on the response I get here on what this all could be. I love my flute, but I want to know what the heck is going on! Taking it to another repairman might be another option, depending on when I can get to a different music store.

Yeah, the gold plating on mine is wearing off as well. I don't think there is a single key where there isn't a silver mark among the gold, but it gives it character, I think... The gold plating isn't very thick.

Sounds good. You may want to send it through the forum message as I think I have changed my email since that last time we spoke.

hey, dumb suggestion, but it happened to my friend, online it looks like you have an open-holed flute, maybe make sure you a covering the holes completely on the first hand????... i live in a tropical-ish area and my flute is fine

That isn't a dumb question I am sure that is not her problem as you has been playing for many years on an open hole flute.

Suz, I wonder why Dominic is going out of business? Hmmm...

Dominic going out of business? Hum... That is a bummer! He's such a nice guy; I should make that phone call soon and see if I can get my hands on another flute or take a look at the piccolos...

Thanks for suggestion about covering all the holes on the flute. Like Kara said, though, I've been playing on an open hole model for about four years, so I don't think it's a problem. I'll double check my hand positioning, though, just in case.

So far, no luck on getting the "wavering" fixed. I'm going in to visit with a flute professor at a local university, seeing as taking it to a second repairman hasn't helped (again, a clean bill of health for the flute...). Thanks for all the suggestions and everything, though!

is Dominic the guy who claims to have worked for Haynes for about 5 days back in the early 80's? What a loss it would be to lose his stellar flutes...

Where in the tropics are you?? i live in Puerto Rico and i study in puerto rico conservatory! maybe we could meet!

Thanks, Micron, for all the suggestions! I'll run through your list of suggestions and report back the results. I'm really appreciative! I do tend to trust the best in people, but, as you say, my repair men could have been overlooking something as simple as how they replaced the cork.

FluteDreams, I AM studying in Puerto Rico! It's a wonderful island and I hope to hear from you!

I've had cork problems in my two flutes. They affected mainly the notes on the E-F range second octave. Replacing the cork seems to be the only sure way to solve it. This is organic material and is sensible to environment changes (weather, altitude)...

celebrian! THAT is so awesome! we will be in at least 3 classes together so... my email is superstartmc@hotmail.com add me!!! and whwere are you from and why didi you came to study in puertorico??