Laotian Flamewood Gm

1 in stock

This instrument is 19-9/16” in length, with a 1” bore diameter. I will never build another flute from this material again. It is one of the most difficult hardwoods (rosewood) on the planet and this flute alone destroyed two router bits, 40 #11 Exacto blades, and a Japanese pull saw.,,,,,moving on,

Beginning at the mouthpiece, woods used, start with amboyna burl, between two layers of SE Asian thuya burl, and capped with the flamewood. Each side of the compression chamber is inlayed with 19mm disks of amboyna burl and 9.5mm disks of 2x dyed box elder burl, The fetish or bird, was cut from the flamewood, bonded to a base of Oklahoma red cedar for moisture control. The wing overlay to each side, consists of Oregon poplar, Virginia walnut burl, abalone, yew burl, addl. abalone, and mappa burl. ….although it’s a stylized bird, it looks a little like an alligator with wings.

Inlay, again beginning at the mouthpiece, includes a 12x15mm Mexican boulder opal, flanked by 4mm turquoise dots, while forward from the fetish, I’ve set a 17x25mm Mexican crazy lace agate. The finger holes are thereafter, accented with four 5mm abalone dots, and a 6mm dome cut almandine garnet from Sri Lanka. Lastly, the bird has a 6mm turquoise cab set to the crown, and 2.8mm hematite beads set as eyes.

** I added two wraps of 1mm non glue rawhide as well, as it fit nicely with the color scheme of the agate, and is fun to do.

***I also added a degree of wet out protection. This wood is so dense, condensation introduced into the compression chamber has nowhere to go other than up the flue to the sound chamber. (See the enclosed paperwork)

This flute was tuned at a wood temperature of 77.9°F, and an ambient temperature of 72.9°F, with a humidity factor of 53%, at sea level.

1 in stock