Starting in 1927, Mr. Powell made two kinds of flutes, a Handmade model and a Commercial model. The Commercial model was a handmade Sterling Silver flute with drawn tone holes rather than soldered, which the Handmade model had. The Commercial model was mr. Powell’s vision for the best quality instrument for the best possible price. Today we continue this tradition with the Handmade Sterling Silver Conservatory Flute. The body has drawn tone holes, the Powell modern Scale, and a pinless mechanism. The headjoint is a Handmade Custom Headjoint, the same as our Custom Flutes, and can be upgraded with a variety of lip plates and risers. Today we also offer the flute in standard tube thickness (.016”) and heavy tube thickness (.018”) just as the original Commercial model flutes from years ago.
The Powell Silver Conservatory flute has amazing projection and clarity of sound over the range of the flute, with a large dynamic range. Powell Handmade Conservatory models are lighter and offer less resistance than the comparable Handmade Custom model.
In 1916, Verne Powell joined the Wm. S. Haynes Company to make wooden flutes and piccolos. By 1926, he was the shop foreman and was running much of the business at Haynes; later that year, he left Haynes to make his own flutes and Verne Q. Powell Flutes, Inc. was incorporated.
The instruments were immediately recognized as the very best a flutist could play and endorsements flowed in from flutists around the globe. In 1928, he completed his first all 14K Gold flute; soon piccolos and alto flutes were added. By 1930 the brand had representation in the Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Baltimore, and New York Orchestras. There were flutes which had a life of their own; #365 the “World’s Fair” Platinum flute of William Kincaid, #900 the only flute ever made entirely of 14K White Gold, #1142 the “Signature” Flute.
In 2016 Verne Q. Powell Flutes, Inc. was purchased by Buffet Crampon, joining nine other brands of wind instruments to complete the largest group of wind instrument manufacturers in the world.
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