Powell Headjoint 2788

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  • Made in Boston in 1967
  • Platinum tubing, 0.014″
  • 14k gold embouchure and riser
  • Embouchure:
  • 126 g

Powell platinum headjoints are known for their incredibly dense sound, and this one is no exception. We’ve tried this headjoint on various bodies, and the sound is similar on all flutes. The low register has incredible depth. The middle and upper registers are very compact and brilliant, a type of brilliance only platinum can provide.

The headjoint also features the characteristic Powell sound that graced many orchestras throughout the United States during the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Some of the prominent flutists who played either a platinum Powell flute or headjoint are:

• William Kincaid, principal of the Philadelphia Orchestra
• Donald Peck, principal of the Chicago Symphony
• Joseph Mariano, principal of the Rochester Philharmonic
• Thomas Nyfenger, freelance musician and instructor at Yale School of Music
• Julius Baker, principal of the New York Philharmonic
• Sam Baron of the New York Woodwind Quintet and Bach Aria Group
• John Wummer, principal of the New York Philharmonic
• Jacob Berg, principal of the St. Louis Symphony
• Elaine Shaffer
• John Solum
• Murray Graitzer, principal of the San Francisco Symphony
• Albert Tipton, principal of the Detroit Symphony
• Christina Smith, principal of the Atlanta Symphony
• Warren Little, principal of the Atlanta Symphony
• Leonard Posella, Warner Brothers studios and principal of the Los Angeles Philharmonic
• Richard Trombley, principal of the Eugene Symphony and flute professor at the University of Oregon.

The headjoint was made for Powell 2788. Richard Trombley was the most recent owner of that flute, but the body has since been sold with a different headjoint. The headjoint can now be paired with a new flute. For a flute body with a wall thicker than 0.014″, we recommend using copper tape for a proper fit to preserve the uniqueness of this fine headjoint.

Price: $7,500
Sold as is. Sales tax applies to purchases within California. For inquiries on purchasing, please contact Gary Lewis.

While we don’t have a recording of 2788 in action, Thomas Nyfenger played a Powell platinum headjoint on a Powell silver body of a similar time period (1963). You can hear it in this recording of Debussy’s Trio Sonata for flute, viola, and harp. The sound of 2788 is very similar.