Woods

There are no doubt many woods on the market which are suitable for making headjoints, but the traditional woods used in flutemaking are unsurpassed in their tonal quality, reliability and stability.
The wood for Howel Roberts headjoints and flutes has been carefully chosen and well seasoned over many years, reducing the risk of any movement in later years to a minimum.

African Blackwood (Grenadilla)  Dalbergia melanoxylon

This is the most common wood used for the orchestral woodwinds.
The tonal quality is bright, clear and direct over the flute's full range and projects extremely well. The wood is hard and dense, sometimes with brown or deep violet streaks.

Cocuswood  Brya ebenus

A hard and dense brown wood, Cocus has long been known for it's beautifully smooth and elegant sound. Colourful, rich and pure. It projects well without being as bright in sound as Grenadilla. The wood darkens with age and sometimes has an almost satin-like finish to it's surface.

Cocobolo  Dalbergia retusa

An attractive, colourful wood with an interesting looking grain. This hardwood is less dense than the other types and produces a mellow, woody sound with plenty of warmth. It can be made to sound dark and mysterious. The wood darkens with age. Cocobolo contains natural substances that might cause irritation to some players.

Boxwood  Buxus sempervirens

A hard, yellow wood. It has been used for centuries for making woodwind instruments. It is known to have a bright, sweet quality. Colourful and projecting.