Mancke Piccolo Headjoints have become wildly popular over the last decade. They solve the issue of not being able to try a variety of headjoint cuts and woods on piccolos. Unlike the flute, the sizing of piccolo headjoint receivers is not standardized. While some piccolo brands have interchangeable headjoints, the list of compatible brands is quite limited.

Tobias Mancke came up with an ingenious system that allows you to try his piccolo headjoints on just about any instrument.

Shop Mancke Piccolo Headjoints

Mancke Offerings

Headjoint Styles

Mancke offers four different styles (sometimes referred to as “cuts”) to choose from:

• Straight – The most traditional style, characterized by a slightly beveled area on the blowing edge for excellent response.

• Medium Wave – A very subtle version of the wave style seen from other makers. It can sometimes be mistaken for the straight cut if you don’t know what to look for. A very slight raised section on each side of the embouchure opening helps create a channel for your airstream. Medium Wave is the most popular style offered.

• Wave Crest – A much more pronounced “high wave” style, similar to what other makers categorize as a wave headjoint.

• Lip Plate Style – A traditional design with the wood carved into a lip plate shape. This makes the headjoint a little thinner and generally more responsive than the straight cut. The lip plate also helps players consistently place the headjoint against their lower lip.

Wood Types

In addition to different styles, Mancke also offers his headjoints in a wide variety of wood types. Each wood has its own unique tone color. Grenadilla and Mopane are the most common, but he also offers the following exotic woods:

• Rosewood

• Kingwood

• Olivewood

• Bocote

• Cocobolo

• Cocuswood

• Pink Ivory
  
  

Mancke also offers piccolo headjoints with the option of a 14k or platinum riser. These can add crispness to articulation since the blowing edge is metal, though they may slightly reduce the “woodiness” of the sound.

At the Flute Center, we do our best to carry a variety of headjoint styles and wood types, as well as options with both gold and platinum risers. See all of our current offerings here!

How do I choose which headjoints to try?

That’s a lot of variations to choose from, isn’t it?! In our opinion, the style of the headjoint makes the biggest difference. While wood type and riser certainly can make a difference in the response and sound, we recommend finding your style first.

Our advice: Try the 4 different styles and decide which works best for you first. 

From there, explore different wood types to see which wood you like best within that style. Lastly, you can experiment with risers to see if they add that extra something you need out of a new piccolo headjoint!

How Do Mancke Piccolo Headjoints Fit on Any Piccolo?

Mancke developed an exchangeable adapter system that allows his piccolo headjoints to fit nearly any piccolo with the right-sized adapter.

The system is comprised of four main components:

1. The Piccolo Headjoint

2. The Silver Tenon

3. The Adapter Sleeve

4. Tuning Rings (if needed for your brand)

The headjoint has a threaded opening at the bottom, which allows you to screw in the correct silver tenon.

• Silver Tenons come in various sizes (stamped small, medium, large, extra large, etc.) and fit into the inner portion of the piccolo receiver.

• Adapter Sleeves, typically made of wood (but also available in metal or plastic), cover the outer portion of the piccolo receiver—the part with the cork. Note: not all piccolos have a receiver like this, so in those cases, an adapter sleeve is not required.

• The adapter sleeve and silver tenon fit together and screw into the piccolo headjoint, creating a complete unit ready to test on your instrument.

• Tuning Rings may be added when needed to ensure the headjoint is the correct length for your piccolo, helping maintain proper intonation. These rings slide onto the silver tenon before the adapter sleeve is attached.

Once you have a silver tenon and adapter sleeve combo that fits well, the easiest way to test multiple headjoints is simply to unscrew the current headjoint and replace it with another.

A Few Things to Note About Fitting

• We typically test the headjoints on piccolos in our shop that match the make and model you own. Even when using Mancke’s sizing chart to select the correct size tenon and adapter, there is natural variation from piccolo to piccolo. The cork from piccolo to piccolo in particular can vary in size or be more compressed on a piccolo that has an older cork so we may not always get it right the first time, but we are happy to send additional adapters if needed.

• Adapter sleeves made of wood will expand and contract with changes in temperature and humidity. This may cause them to fit too tightly or too loosely at times. Unfortunately, there isn’t a perfect solution other than keeping your piccolo in a stable environment. If this is a concern, we recommend using a metal adapter sleeve instead. These will not change with climate conditions, though they are slightly heavier and may feel less comfortable for some players.