- Made in Indiana and Iowa in 1983
- Silver
- 0.014″ tubing
- Drawn tone holes
- Closed hole
- Pointed keys
- Offset G
- Split E
- Split F#
- C-foot
- Embouchure: 10.16 mm x 11.85 mm x 5.26 mm (0.207″)
- Weight: 440 g
- Wibb (Bennet) scale
- A=442 Hz
Jack Moore (1929-2018) was a flute technician with Powell Flutes before honing his flute-making skills at Armstrong Flutes in Elkhart, IL. While at Armstrong, he pioneered their Heritage line of professional flutes before starting venturing on his own.
During his career as a flute maker, Moore befriended Tip Lamberson. Lamberson was a self-taught flute maker who made 730 flutes. He and Moore became very good friends, and Moore often turned to Lamberson for business advice. Towards the end of Lamberson’s career as a flute maker, Moore’s business started growing, and he had trouble keeping up with orders. He sought Lamberson’s assistance with making flutes. Moore created the headjoint and tubing for the body. Lamberson created the mechanism. Together, they made 11 flutes that bore both of their names.
This flute, #383, is the first of their joint efforts. It has some special features: split E, split F#, and a Brossa key, which is located above the third finger key of the right hand.
The Brossa key was invented by Firmin Brossa (1839-c. 1915). Born in Belgium, he studied with Vincent Louis Dorus at the Paris Conservatory. He moved to England in 1870 to fill a post as principal flutist in an orchestra conducted by Sir Charles Hallé. In 1895, he invented the Brossa key to make the third octave F# more responsive, similar to how a split E mechanism makes the third octave E more responsive. However, the Brossa key can be used to play F# in all three octaves. This invention was predominantly installed on English flutes, notably by Rudall-Carte.
The flute also has a split F#, activated using the second finger of the right hand rather than the third finger. Like the Brossa key, the split F# makes that note more responsive in the upper register. So, you have three ways to play the third octave F#, and each fingering offers a different tonal and intonation benefit.
The original owner was Eva Stewart, former principal piccolo of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. So, it makes sense that this special order flute has covered keys, another feature commonly seen among flutes made in the UK.
Because Moore produced the headjoint and tubing for the flute and Lamberson’s contribution was strictly in the mechanism, this flute sounds like other Jack Moore flutes we’ve encountered. Its tonal quality has modern elements, and the sound is bright and direct, perfect for cutting through a large orchestra.
The current owner purchased the flute from Just Flutes in England. Just Flutes featured this flute in one of their YouTube videos, in which you can hear a sound clip of this flute. (Click here to watch the video.) The flute has recently been serviced, and the pads are new.
Price: $4,000
Sold as is. Sales tax applies to purchases within California. For inquiries on purchasing, please contact Gary Lewis.
