Ponderosa Pine Flute — Key of C# Minor, 432 Hz

A deep, full-toned flute made from reclaimed Ponderosa Pine with a surprising voice.

This flute was made from reclaimed Ponderosa Pine barnwood from one of the oldest properties in Midway, Utah. I was able to make four flutes from this particular board, each with its own character.

Ponderosa Pine is a relatively soft wood, similar in hardness to Redwood, but its tighter grain gives it a smoother surface and greater clarity. This flute has a full, deep tone with surprisingly good volume for a softwood instrument. Its projection is similar to my Redwood flutes, while the tighter grain gives the sound a little more clarity and definition.

I used Purple Heart for the mouthpiece and footcap, along with a Canarywood and Purple Heart block accented with Turquoise and finished with buckskin lacing. I often use harder woods for the mouthpieces and footcaps of my softwood flutes. They provide a smoother surface against your lips and add durability to the ends of the flute, which are naturally more vulnerable to bumps and everyday wear.

Tuned to C# minor at 432 Hz, this flute also works beautifully with E major, giving you some nice musical territory to explore.

There is something about this flute that makes me want to close my eyes and play with the crickets in the moonlight.

Key: C# Minor
Tuning: 432 Hz
Body: Reclaimed Ponderosa Pine
Mouthpiece & Footcap: Purple Heart
Block: Purple Heart & Canarywood
Inlay: Turquoise
Origin: Reclaimed barnwood from Midway, Utah

A note about the tuning: I design these flutes so the block can be slid slightly back from the fipple, raising the pitch so the flute can be played at 440 Hz as well. Although this flute is built and voiced around 432 Hz, you have the flexibility to play at either tuning depending on what you're playing with.