Hey there! I’m back from a wonderful vacation with my family-it’s so good to be able to get out and travel again! We spent a week in beautiful Virginia Beach, where my toddler thoroughly enjoyed her first time in the ocean. Now I’m back in the shop and diving into several exciting projects to bring helpful information to new and experienced players alike!
When customers walk into the Indy Flute Shop, many are immediately drawn to a select number of instruments that feature gold on the lip plate. It is certainly a striking visual difference, and it begs the question–is it solid gold? How much does that cost? Does it really make a difference to the sound? Well, it depends, but usually the answer to the last question is yes! Changing the material on any part of the flute will certainly change the sound, whether you’re looking for more projection, greater warmth, or a darker sound. Any player who has compared a silver-plated student flute to an intermediate or advanced one from the shop, for example, will know that sterling silver will add a huge amount of “oomph” to the sound versus a simply plated instrument. Gold can do the same thing, but it comes with a hefty price tag. A solid gold headjoint starts around $7,000, for example, and a solid gold flute will easily set you back about $28,000!
The good news is, you can spend quite a bit less money for a smaller amount of gold on the instrument that will still make a sizable difference to your sound. Miyazawa Flutes, for example, offer a headjoint series with a 14 karat riser (where the lip plate is soldered to the headjoint tube) for $750–a much more manageable price for many players’ budgets! And Yamaha offers an intermediate flute line with a gold-plated lip plate and headjoint interior. Believe it or not, even gold plating will warm up the sound! I currently have several of these headjoint options available in the shop–make an appointment to come check one out today!
