New Altus Headjoints

Known as "Speedy" to his friends, Mr. Shuichi Tanaka, the founder of Altus flutes is a man of many talents. In 1977, Mr. Tanaka met British flutist William Bennett. The two men had much in common including their respect and admiration for the vintage flutes of Louis Lot. With Bennentt's influence and the inspiration of the finest vintage flutes, Mr. Tanaka designed an innovative modern flute rich in expressive tone colors, with ample capacity for resonance, accurate intonation, and mechanical strength. This was the first Altus flute, built in 1981. Altus leads the way in providing an unprecedented array of tubing and material choices for the needs of discerning flutists. By combining old world craftsmanship with modern alloys and tubing construction, an incredible range of flutes can be tailored to the specific needs of any flutist. Altus provides the most unique variety of flute tubing and materials in the world today.

Altus Flutes currently offers three different headjoint styles: The "Classic Cut," the "Z-Cut," and the "V-Cut." 

Renowned for producing the trademark Altus sound, the Classic Cut headjoint provides vibrant warmth with excellent projection. Its pure tonal center allows the artist great flexibility with an infinite color palette.

With a more rectangular embouchure hole with minimal over and undercutting, the Z-Cut headjoint produces a quick response without sacrificing flexibility or control. The sound is open and free with a darker tonal color.

Altus has created one of its most powerful headjoints, the V-Cut, capable of producing an exceptional tonal depth without sacrificing flexibility. Featuring a high front wall and steep angled lip plate, this headjoint performs at the cutting edge of modern headjoint design.

Read Resident Flutist Alex Xeros' blog about Altus Headjoint Cuts!