Figured Big Leaf Maple Native American Flute
This is a NAF made of figured big leaf maple. The bird (covering for the airway to the sounding edge) was carved from bloodwood. The arrowhead was knapped from alabaster. The feather is orange shafted flicker…a good luck symbol. The sound chamber is 18 inches and the still air chamber is 3 inches with a 2″ long, 3/8″ diameter throat. The ID is 1 inch. Interior and exterior were sanded to 1200 grit and sealed with shellac. Exterior was further finished with pumice and rotten stone. The base tone is E ( http://www.flutekey.com/keys/BillHughes_E.wma ). People say the wood doesn’t effect the tone but that’s not true. This hard burl has a crisp tone, my kingwood and paduk flutes are hard and almost metalic while my cherry flutes are soft and mellow. The design is sort of mine with a few modifications from Bill Hughes’ flutes. The piece is now in the collection of Molly Winton.
Comments
Hi Mereditm.
Congratulations for your amazing work.
I´m an amateur flautist and woodturner and you gave me a nice idea of making a NAF. Some day I'll try.
Ricardo
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