So, finished two days ago, this flute is my final build for 2021. I’m taking a couple of months off, as I have 23 flutes that need sound files, and posting to my website. I also need to refresh my memory and that of any of my neighbors within earshot, as to why I should not play any of my seven steel guitars. Ever. Although this flute is not unusual, it is the last of the 2021 Covid collection, so I’m posting the spec. sheet that is included on the website, and sent to a buyer, rather than a brief paragraph of ingredients and a crank note about Covid. Stay safe and play nice.
01221/Oregon Myrtle Gm.
Another example of one of my favorite woods, this flute is 20-5/16 inches in length, with a 7/8 inch bore diameter.
Woods used in the build beginning at the mouthpiece include twice dyed/stabilized box elder burl, sandwiched between layers of Bethlehem olive, and capped with the myrtle. Each side of the compression chamber includes 19mm disks of the box elder, with addl. 9.5mm disks inset to those disks as well. The fetish sits on a base of flame scorched Oklahoma red cedar, with fairly accurate representations of bobcats found in North American petroglyphs etched to each side. The animal is my loose interpretation of a a bobcat, cut from Oregon myrtle burl, with natural voids filled with powdered turquoise from the Sleeping Beauty mine in Globe AZ.
Inlay, again beginning at the mouthpiece includes a 10x12mm dome cut labradorite cab, flanked by 4mm turquoise dots. Accenting each side of the compression chamber is an additional set of 4mm turquoise dots as well. The sound chamber includes a faceted 12x15mm labradorite cab followed by four 5mm abalone dots and a 6mm turquoise cab accenting the finger holes. Lastly, the fetish has a 6mm turquoise cab set to the animal’s crown, and 2.8mm hematite beads set as eyes.
A permanent wrap to the sound chamber is fashioned from distressed 1mm round domestic rawhide and Romanian hemp because I enjoy doing it.
The flute was tuned at a wood temperature of 73.7° F as measured by non contact laser, and an ambient temp. of 72.3° F at sea level with a humidity factor of 62%.
For drying purposes, it is unnecessary to completely remove the fetish block from the flute body, simply loosening the ties and pulling the block gently to the side is sufficient to dry out the flue area. If you absolutely must take the assembly apart, have plenty of wooden toothpicks on hand to gently coax the ties back through the flute as well as the base of the block.