Ash Flute with Cardinal wood, Basswood and Ebony Ferrule Banding.

I have always had concerns about affixing one or more pieces of wood together to create banded flutes. Experts will confirm that gluing pieces of wood, with adverse grain directions, together does not make a very strong bond.

To overcome this I created a form of banding which I call Ferrule banding. This flute has a banding of five pieces of wood which were bonded together and placed into the body of the flute in such a way that it is impossible for them to separate. A flute such as this made in the conventional manner would have six joins but with my 'Ferrule' method, only only one join is incorporated - and that join is strengthened by being placed midway under the banding itself. Sounds complicated? Well, it takes a high level of skill to perfect but the results are worth the extra effort.

One of the major advantages of using Ferrule banding is that the interior of the sound chamber consists of one type of wood only. In this instance it is the Alaskan Yellow Cedar which makes the main body of the instrument.

Ash flutes have a delicious sound quality that matches their wonderfully picturesque grain pattern. They are smooth and warm sounding and respond to a degree that will astound you.

Walnut Inlace Flute.

Walnut has been a long time favorite of mine and is a wood that creates some of the most spectacular instruments.

My wife and I were fortunate (and blessed) to come across a whole tree worth of Walnut that was cut by a local Oregon surveyor in the 1960s. The tree was so huge it was believed to have been at least 200 years old when it was felled.

Since the 1960s the Walnut had been stored in a huge barn where it remained until 2004 when it was brought home to the Waking Spirit Burning Tree Flute Studio to be shared with you all through the wonderful sound of music.

Three pieces from the old Walnut stock.

Although the flute shown in these photographs was not created from the same walnut stock it can be replicated using wood from this wonderful tree.

The inlace is a frosty pink color which blends perfectly with the dark, rich tones of the walnut and enables the flute to look as beautiful as it sounds. Beautiful wood from a beautiful era!