According to Dr. Google, I’m the only flute maker in the world using this SE Asian hardwood. I should probably find out why. It remains one of my top 5 favorite tone woods. It is however, an interior accent wood in the 12 million dollar Rolls Royce Sweptail vehicle.

This instrument is 22” in length, with a 1” bore diameter, so it’s got some volume. Additional woods, beginning at the mouthpiece, include twice dyed box elder burl, between layers of cocobolo, and capped with the paldao. The fetish block is cut from the paldao, and bonded to a base of Oklahoma red cedar, for moisture control. Wing overlay for the stylized bird includes birdseye maple, paua abalone, walnut burl, and cocobolo.

Inlay begins at the mouthpiece to include an 8mm fire opal triplet, flanked by 4.3mm turquoise dots. Each side of the compression chamber is accented by a 22mm twice dyed and slightly hand colorized disk of box elder burl, with pyrographic inlay of turquoise powder from Arizona’s Sleeping Beauty Mine, and followed by a 6mm abalone dot….Forward from the fetish block is a dome cut 14x20mm labradorite oval cab, while the finger holes are accented with four 4mm abalone dots and an additional labradorite cab measuring 7mm. Lastly, the fetish block has a 6mm hematite cab set to the crown and 2.8mm hematite beads, set as eyes.

The flute was tuned at a wood temperature of 74.6°F, an ambient temp. of 72.2°F. and humidity of 55%.