- Made in June 1966
- Sterling silver
- Tube thickness: 0.014″
- Soldered tone holes
- Pointed keys
- Open hole
- Inline G
- B-foot
- Cooper embouchure, 14K gold
- Embouchure: 10.38 mm x 11.67 mm
- Embouchure height: 0.200″
- A=441 Hz, retuned by wedge tuning
Made in June 1966, this flute had one owner who was a professional player in the Chicago area. The flute was made initially with a platinum headjoint (unavailable), but the owner had used several headjoints with it, including a Powell headjoint built circa 1975. Around 1990, he had Albert Cooper design a gold embouchure for it. It is this headjoint that is paired with Powell 2654.
While the Powell flute is excellent in its own right, the Cooper embouchure extends its brilliance even further. First, it is straightforward to play. You get an energetic sound with minimal effort, yet you hear many elements of the so-called “classic Powell sound.”
Secondly, the tonal quality is consistent in all registers. Moving from one register to another or from the right hand to the left hand is virtually seamless. The sound is also very flexible, from hollow to dense, from dark to penetrating, allowing you to adapt to other musicians readily.
Thirdly, the dynamic range is one of the most comprehensive we’ve come across. It can handle a lot of air for a booming, operatic sound and can play softly with clarity and lightness.
Gary Lewis upgraded the scale to A=441 Hz (with the head pulled out at approximately 1/4-inch) using a reversible wedge technique. You can play the flute at A=442 Hz or A=440 Hz by pushing the head in or pulling the head out a bit further. The pads are also in excellent condition.
SOLD
