Martin Doyle's thin-walled tuning slides (see images below) are made of sterling silver and do not line the entire length of the head joint. This allows the flute to retain, as much as possible, the tone of the timber. In his own words:

The headjoints of the flutes that I make which include tuning slides are not fully lined with metal. The reason for this is that the more metal you put inside a flute, the more of the warm organic wooden sound you loose. Personally I prefer a completely unlined headjoint without any tuning slide for the sake of tone. If the customer does require a tuning slide, or in the case of my wooden headjoints for concert flutes, as a compromise I will use a short tuning slide made from thin-walled tubing which doesn't fill the headjoint completely. This assures that the warm tones of the wood are retained as much as possible. Flutes with headjoints that are fully lined with metal generally offer a very metallic sound – which defies the point of a wooden headjoint.

All models of flutes that Martin Doyle makes can be fitted with tuning slides including flutes that have been purchased in the past. Additional information about Martin Doyle's thin-walled tuning slides can be viewed here: FAQ: Tuning Slides »

Tuning Slide Prices

• Sterling silver thin-walled tuning slides can be added for € 406.00 (inc VAT)