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Manufacturers

There are 58 manufacturers.

Al Cass

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Antoine Courtois

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Armstrong

THE HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG FLUTES

In 1931, William Teasdale Armstrong, a highly respected craftsman, founded his small flute repair shop in Elkhart, Indiana. Word of his skill and uncompromising commitment to quality quickly spread, and it wasn’t long before he was asked to manufacture instruments for professional musicians. The Armstrong legend was born.

The proud Armstrong heritage passed on to son Edward, who apprenticed under his father and shared his father’s concern for quality. But Edward’s concern for quality went well beyond the crafting of professional-level instruments. He recognized a need to provide quality instruments to a rapidly growing number of students and community musicians. As a result, many flutists began their musical journey playing on an Armstrong.

Strong research and development programs are the heart of Armstrong’s continued dedication to innovation. That dedication brought features like the first curved headjoint that has helped scores of very young flutists learn to play.

Today, the Armstrong flute makers continue to use their expertise to make modifications and new designs that improve the musical instruments they create.

Armstrong enjoys a well-deserved worldwide reputation. Although the brand has grown far larger than William T. Armstrong may have envisioned possible, his original guiding principles are still firmly in place: listen, question, design, test, and continue to craft with the skill of true artisans.

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Aulos

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B&H

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Bauhaus-WALSTEIN

Action Improved - The New Saxophones from BAUHAUS
The PD (Phosphor-Deluxe) saxophones are a new range of Saxophones from Bauhaus-WALSTEIN. They feature "AI" Action Improved keywork. Bauhaus have rebuilt the action in this series using a shoulderless point screw and redesigned pillar-rod mechanism. The Deluxe series with "AI" is currently available in bronze for the following saxophones: Soprano, Alto and TenorMost keys articulate with the body of the saxophone via a combination of pillar, rod and screw.

"Pseudo" Point Screws

The majority of modern saxophones are made using pseudo point screws. "Pseudo" point screws are shouldered and fit within the pillar and the key rod in a certain way: the head of the screw sits on a ledge inside the pillar - and can go in no further - the lower half of the screw sits inside the rod.

The Pseudo Screw - Pros and Cons

The advantages of a pseudo point screw are that the saxophone is easier to manufacture - the engineering of the rod and pillar does not need to be as precise, and manufacture is cheaper; less work is involved and fewer different types of parts are needed. Many good modern saxophones are made in this way, with slight variations on the type of screw shown above. The mechanism is fine, so long as everything fits together well. However, a possible problem with this system is "loose" key action through unwanted vertical rod movement. This can occur from the point of manufacture, or more gradually. Over time, especially if a saxophone gets a lot of use, the inside of the rod can become worn, so increasing possible horizontal and vertical movement of the key rod. There are ways of resolving this: hammering in the pillars to take up the slack; or swedging the inside of the pillar (removing the ledge on which the head of the screw sits) so that the screw can go further into the rod. These methods are initially effective, but might cause weakening of the mechanism over time. Back track a few decades and you find the majority of saxophones made with a different type of screw.

Bauhaus-WALSTEIN have changed the type of point screws they use on their bronze "AI" instruments. Instead of using the "pseudo" point screw, they are now using a "shoulderless" one.

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