Special Features
Due to the unique, novel, and revolutionary ultra-thin design of the J. Novo wooden headjoint, a design that is now imitated (but never duplicated) by other makers worldwide, our Grenadilla headjoint weighs the same as a silver headjoint and therefore will feel perfectly balanced on any metal flute.
Other High-quality Special Features of the Pro Model Include:
- Sterling Silver Tenon Tube
- Nickel-Silver End Bands for Maximum Protection
- Beautiful Mother-of-Pearl Inlay on the Crown
- Newly-designed Cork Assembly
- Custom Hand-cut Embouchure Hole
- Professional Parabolic Bore
The J. Novo wooden headjoint is a one-piece unit. That is, our sterling silver tenon tubes are permanently attached to the wood using a proprietary technique, unique to the industry, that allows the wood to expand and contract with environmental changes thereby reducing the chances of cracking.
There are no removable tenon tubes that may get stuck inside your flute or drop on the floor and get dented. We specifically designed our headjoints this way, keeping your best interest in mind, in order to make your performance experience as trouble-free and enjoyable as possible.
HEADJOINT TUBING: GERMAN SILVER vs STERLING SILVER
The metal tenon tubes on all of our wooden headjoints are made from solid sterling silver. They are NOT German silver tubes or silver plated German silver tubes as commonly found on inferior quality imitation headjoints.
“German silver”, known as “nickel silver” here in the U.S.A., is a hard, inflexible, intractable, and very inexpensive metal alloy that is extremely hard to work with and not easy to modify. It also has “memory”, making it very difficult to straighten if accidentally bent. (All student model flutes are made from nickel silver.) It is therefore not a good idea to use German silver tubing as a tenon tube on a wooden headjoint for two main reasons:
1). if the German silver headjoint tube is too small and wobbles, the wood will most likely crack when trying to expand it to make it fit due to the metal’s hardness/intractability;
2). if the tube does fit properly, the wood will eventually crack anyway (at one point or another in time) when it tries to expand and contract with changes in climate because the hardness/intractability of the German silver tube prevents it from doing so. This is the main reason why most metal-lined wooden headjoints will crack in a couple of years or so after manufacture.
However, unlike the hard and intractable German silver tube, or the equally hard silver plated German silver tube, the solid sterling silver tenon tube on all J. Novo headjoints is much softer and malleable and can easily be modified by a trained professional technician to fit your flute with no adverse reaction to the wood itself.
Even though the sterling silver tube is a lot more expensive than the cheaper German silver tube, it is “standard equipment” on all J. Novo wooden headjoints with your best interest in mind, for we strongly believe that nothing is too good for our customers. Moreover, since sterling silver is a much softer and malleable metal, the sterling silver tenon tube on this headjoint can be resized many times in case you change flutes in the future.
Most importantly, it is of paramount importance that the tenon tube of ANY headjoint be fitted properly to your flute because your flute will not play properly – and will lack considerable power – with a loose and leaking headjoint tube. (Using scotch tape to attempt a seal is no good.) Once the J. Novo headjoint is properly fitted to your flute by us, the fitting will last a lifetime since there is no plating to wear off or come off during the fitting process or even after years of use.
Please keep these important and sobering facts in mind as you consider which wooden headjoint to purchase. A little caution now will save you a lot of headaches – and money – in the long run. As an added bonus, the J. Novo ultra-thin wooden headjoint will fit inside most flute cases which eliminates the need to carry an extra case wherever you go.
WE NOW OFFER A ONE WEEK TRIAL PERIOD (Headjoint can be returned after one week trial if not completely satisfied. See return policy under “Ordering Info”.)
The J. Novo Grenadilla headjoint comes with a two year warranty against cracks.
