HASWELL HEADJOINTS


WE MAKE OUR HEADJOINTS ENTIRELY IN OUR WORKSHOP

USING TRADITIONAL METHODS

Our sustainably-sourced Grenadilla has been seasoned for more than 30 years. This is a dense wood that works particularly well on wooden flutes. Recently we have begun experimenting with less dense woods such as Box, Red Lancewood, Cocobolo, and Mopane that bring a deep woody sound particularly to silver flutes.


Fittings are silver. Stoppers are phosphor bronze made at different weights and matched to individual headjoints - the heavier stoppers tend to bring a certain depth to the sound. We cut embouchure holes individually by hand to retain some resistance, which encourages the  development of an individual response and a full range of dynamics and sound. 




SPECIFICATIONS


UNLINED or SILVER-LINED

Most of our headjoints are unlined. We also make headjoints with a full silver lining, following Rudall Carte's practice.

 

SILVER LIP INSERT

We now offer a silver insert under the lip to aid comfort and articulation without sacrificing quality of sound. We also offer a silver insert on the strike edge.


SFUMATO

Our special edition SFUMATO headjoints undergo extensive hand-sculpting; each is unique, sinuous, and elegant, with an extra-thin wall that allows lots of resonance.


PRICES

Unlined Grenadilla headjoint £1675

Sfumato Grenadilla headjoint £1845

Each headjoint is supplied in a wooden case handmade for us by Chris Raven.


All headjoints are thinned with an integral carved lip-plate.

Also available in various woods including cocobolo, red lancewood, etc.


Silver insert under lip or on strike edge add £150

Full silver lining add £150

Collar to cover Carte-style cork tenon £60

Deluxe inlaid box by Chris Raven add £70



Sfumato  headjoints, fashioned

by Tina Haswell, are elegant and sinuous.

The ultra-thin wall brings maximum resonance.








Our latest embouchure cut, developed in collaboration with Richard Craig,

brings evenness and good intonation while retaining enough resistance to encourage exploration.

To read Richard's reviews of our prototypes, see our blog:

Blog reviews


Haswell Headjoints are distributed by 


ALL FLUTES PLUS in the United Kingdom

ADAMS FLUTE CENTRE in the European Union

FLUTE TREE & THE WOODWIND GROUP in Australia



Testimonials

"The headjoint gives the flute a slightly broader presence and a little more evenness throughout its scale. It gives definition - the grainy firmness in the colour, and the uncanny way the instrument blends as a woodwind. Other modern heads might be effective, but Arthur & Tina have made the one that will hold my interest."

Simon Prince (jazz & improvisation)

"The headjoint does just what I was hoping. The lower octave becomes resonant and responsive. The instrument opens up throughout. I'm really happy - absolutely first class in every respect."

Peter Davies  (Medieval Ensemble of London.)