posted 04-06-2012 11:36 AM            

Many musical groups include the word silver in their name. Many lyrics also - "In the light of the silvery moon".

In the novel, Harry Potter, "Albus Dumbledore kept a variety of silver instruments in his office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. ..."

I have seen nickle silver instruments. In college a girlfriend played a solid silver flute.

I don't know nor have we discussed Silver and other precious metals role in music.

Do the special qualities of precious metals make a difference?

posted 04-07-2012 01:22 PM            

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H. N. White Sterling Silver Bells

Without a doubt what makes H. N. White instruments unique is their use of Sterling Silver Bells. Some time between 1925 and 1928, The H. N. White Company introduced the "Silver Tone" Sterling Bells option to Liberty Trumpets, Master Cornets, Clarinets, and the entire Trombone line of instruments. As stated in the 1928 complete catalog, "Sterling Silver Bell produces better tone, being clearer, richer, and more resonant, with a more pleasing quality." The engravings on "Silver Tone" instruments are some of the most elaborate and attractive works of art ever produced by an American manufacturer. A short time after World War Two (1949-1951), "Silversonic" replaced "Silver Tone" and the engraving was not as elaborate (except on Artist level), but the quality of tone remained the same. In addition, Saxophones were give the option of having a Sterling Silver Bell with the introduction of the World Famous "Super 20" and later "Silversonic Super 20", which were some of the most sought after production saxophones ever made.

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posted 04-07-2012 01:44 PM            

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Flute Design Choices

Precious Metal Choices

Landell Flutes are always solid metal, never plated or bonded. Plating is very thin, so it will wear away easily. There are flutes made with a “sandwich” of a thin layer of gold over silver or visa versa. I think that the characteristic quality of the metal is compromised where there are layers of metals of different thicknesses.

I make flutes with either sterling silver, Argentium™ silver and various alloys of gold. Traditional sterling silver is 92.5 % fine silver. Argentium silver is a premium quality sterling silver, because it has a small amount of Germanium in the remaining 7.5 % of the alloy. This metal looks and works like the Traditional Sterling, of course, but it will not tarnish and turn black. Also, I can soften the metal while I form the parts, and then I can harden the parts in an oven. I also have developed a proprietary head joint made with Titanium. These metals can be combined in various ways to give the flute a mix of tonal colors and response to maximize the expressive virtues of any flutist.

For flutists who have always wanted a gold flute, there are several alloys of gold available, such as 9k, 10k, 14k, and 18k. Gold flutes can be made with all gold keys, or more often they are made with a gold body tube and everything else is silver. There are many other combinations to choose from, which are described here later.

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posted 04-08-2012 11:47 AM            

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Which metals are used to build ALTUS flutes and which specific sound qualities do they feature?

For more than two decades, ALTUS has led the field in flute manufacturing with respect to the development of new silver alloys and the introduction of new and unique materials. With an ALTUS flute, every flautist has the chance to find an instrument which best corresponds with his way of playing and his musical perceptions. The increased density of the alloys and their particular composition offer an increased range of tonal colors and optimum possibilities of musical expression. Optional wall thickness is therefore not absolutely necessary in order to achieve projection capacity and response.

Nickel Silver

Nickel silver is a material composed of copper, nickel and zinc. This material has been used for more than 100 years for manufacturing flutes and some of the most renowned flutes were made of this material. Nickel silver has a low density but is a very resilient material and quite resistant to damage. It is relatively inexpensive but nevertheless well suited to the manufacture of flutes. This material is an excellent choice for a musician who has to keep his budget in mind.
Due to the low density of this material, nickel silver instruments feature a light and clear tone and a precise response.

925 Sterling Silver

This alloy consists of 92.5% pure silver with a small portion of copper and other metals in order to harden the material. The specific character of sterling silver makes it an ideal metal for building flutes by both professional craftsmen and the manufacturers of student flutes. The higher density of sterling silver results in greater sound projection, Flutes made from sterling silver have a characteristic silver sound and a great capacity of sound projection.

958 Britannia Silver

This rare material with a silver share of 95.8% is distinguished from sterling silver by the fact that it contains various hardening elements. Because of it’s higher density (similar tot hat of zinc) this material has been used for a long time for manufacturing fine cutlery. In the creation of it’s own 958 silver alloy, ALTUS discovered a precious metal which offers a sound quality referring back to the instruments oft he early French flute makers. This alloy offers a more powerful sound without the need for greater wall thickness. Instruments made of 958 Britannia silver offer a considerable harmonic richness and a strong resonance combined with a light and silvery tone.

ALTUS Metal™

As a result of Shuichi Tanaka’s intensive study of historic French flutes, ALTUS offers an extraordinary innovative material to meet the expectations of musicians who need to play with extraordinary expression and a wide spectrum of tonal differentiation. ALTUS metal™ is an “impure“ silver alloy which, in addition to silver, consists of 20 different components. For a long time, flute makers have tried to discover the secret behind the composition of alloys used in the old French flute maker tradition (Louis Lot a.o.). With the presentation of ALTUS Metal™, Mr. Tanaka has arrived at an exceptionally convincing result. The composition of ALTUS Metal™ remains his personal secret and can be regarded as the peak of his work to date.

Instruments made from ALTUS Metal™ impress with their especially intimate, silvery tone, their very distinct character and the enormous richness in different tonal colours.

ALTUS Silver™

This almost pure silver alloy with a silver content of 99.7% is Shuichi Tanaka’s latest contribution to the art of flute manufacturing. This alloy is the closest to pure silver of all alloys currently found and only used for ALTUS flutes. Pure silver was long seen as being too soft to enable it to be processed into a flute suitable for playing. But ALTUS has developed a new and special process to harden this material, which is now used not only for the manufacture of flute tubes but also for particularly heavily-used mechanical parts of the instrument. The great density of 997 ALTUS Silver™ provides a remarkable capacity of sound projection and an evenly distributed brilliant tone color and a fiery response throughout the flute scale.

14 and 18 Carat Gold

These alloys are standard in the manufacture of gold flutes. Gold is a more precious metal than silver and has a greater density, which gives it projection capacity. Many musicians who perform predominantly in large concert halls prefer these instruments. The brilliance of a silver instrument and its exact response retreat in favor of a warm and full tone.
A flute made of 14 carat gold offers a warm and flexible sound. An instrument made of 18 carat gold offers in addition more darkness and warmth in tonal color.

18 Carat Gold Plating

Gold plating provides added softness and darkness to the tone of a thus ideally complemented silver flute. Also the resilience of gold may help protect a silver instrument. The typical sound of a silver flute acquires a warm elegance when enriched with gold-plating. Gold plating can be an affordable option to buying a golden flute.

Platinum plating

Platinum is the material with the highest density (21,5g/cm³) used for manufacturing instruments and favored by orchestra musicians and contemporary music specialists. The fusion of platinum and silver adds brilliance and force to the characteristic sound projection of a silver flute. The sound qualities of silver offer the basis for such a concept, adding power and assertiveness as characteristics of platinum. The sound quality of a platinum plated silver flute is very direct and clear. A darker brilliance and excellent response characterize platinum-plated flutes.

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