It ticks all the boxes when it comes to what one would want in a mechanism and best of all, they’ve included it on all their flutes, from their entry level professional quality flute, model 807 all the way up to the venerable model 1807 (AL). The masterfully hand-sculpted headjoints and precision tubings produce the remarkable sound of the Altus flute. It is quick to respond, light, silent and stays in adjustment for an extremely long time. The meticulous design of the Altus flute and its acclaimed Altus/Bennet scales offers excellent intonation, carefully tuned harmonics and balanced registers. They have absolutely perfected their version of a pinned mechanism. Altus never switched to a pinless mechanism because they simply don’t need to. You really need to run your fingers over these keys yourself in order to appreciate it. What is not subjective is how good their mechanism is, and it is one of the best there is. Perception of sound is subjective though so you will need to try them and see if they suit you.
In terms of sound, I find them extremely malleable, colourful, offer great projection and evenness throughout the registers. I’ve had several flutes throughout the course of my career and two of them, including my current one, have been Altus (and they were purchased long before I started working for F&F after trying every brand under the sun!). Each flute comes in a French style leatherette covered wood case with a zippered, fleece lined cover and a shoulder strap. Other standard features include stainless steel springs, French-pointed keys, and a gizmo key. The extruded body tubes maintain a standard thickness and include drawn tone holes and the Altus-Bennett scale.
Through the careful selection of materials and the Altus dedication to handmade craftsmanship, the Artist Series achieves an unparalleled balance between performance, quality and affordability.Īrtist Series flutes feature handmade silver-plated mechanisms well-known for their hardness, strength, and durability without sacrificing exceptional fluidity and feel. The meticulous design of the Altus flute and its acclaimed Altus/Bennet scales offers excellent intonation, carefully tuned harmonics and balanced registers. Created by Master Flute Maker Shuichi Tanaka, each Altus flute reflects his passion to combine the finest playing flutes with the finest materials and artistry. ALTUSįor almost 30 years, Altus has hand-crafted flutes that embody the ideals of vintage inspiration and modern technology. Ever since then, the ALTUS flute manufacturing team has provided flautists all over the world with flutes, that represent technically perfect masterpieces which allow for the maximum possible musical expression.Each Altus flute comes with a hard case, soft carry cover, cleaning rod, inside cleaning cloth and outside cleaning cloth.
Before long, ALTUS flutes have gained enormous international recognition, and the increased demand enabled Tanaka to return to Japan creating his dream of his own workshop in the midst of the Japanese Alps in Azumino, near Matsumoto in 1990.
The first ALTUS flutes were built in Tanaka’s small workshop in Taiwan, which he regularly visited as an adviser to the K.H.S. Tanaka‘s affable collaboration and friendship with the London virtuoso William Bennett led to the invention of the „Bennett-Scale“ giving ALTUS flutes their characteristic precise intonation. His extensive experience as a flute maker and and his enthusiasm for the European flute manufacturing tradition (Böhm, Lot, Hammig etc.) merged in the development of the ALTUS flute. Thoroughly, he investigated all the factors influencing the sound of the instrument, since every cut, file stroke and material combination provoques a change of sound.Īfter having spent five years of training in manufacturing flutes at the Muramatsu company, followed by work in senior positions with Miyazawa and Takumi, he finally created his „own flute“ in 1981, working patiently after hours in focused isolation. As a gifted flautist, Tanaka has developed from early on –during his flute studies with Toshio Takahashi – a genuine interest in the sound qualities and technical aspects of his instrument As a flautist, the construction of the head joint became his first fascination. Shuichi Tanaka, founder of ALTUS, is one of today’s most amazing flute makers emerging from the Japanese flute manufacturing tradition.