Wood versus Metal flute ranks, opinions?

[NYCFarmboy]

I recently read a book on J.S. Bach which stated that he on two occasions specified that pipe organs he was reviewing should replace metal flute ranks with wood ranks for superior flute tone.



That was sort of surprising to me as the "neo-baroque" movement I THOUGHT (?) was all about metal Rohrflutes etc?



Thoughts on metal versus wood for flute ranks?

[Guest]

Re: Wood versus Metal flute ranks, opinions?



I played a "neo-baroque" organ for a few years and it had metal flutes. Most organs of the past had a mixture of wooden and metal flutes. The syopped diapasons on English organs were wood. Harmonic flutes usually are metal.

The "neo-baroque" movement had its own standards of organ sound which may not have been related to actual Bach organs. I am not a fan of "neo-baroque" after experiencing the limitations of actually playing one. My organ has wood flutes changing to metal at the upper ends of the keyboard. This tends to make the upper ends of the spectrum brighter while retaining a full tone at lower pitches.

Allan

[pipecutter]

Re: Wood versus Metal flute ranks, opinions?



From the builder's standpoint there are some practical considerations to this question.Ilike both and they each have their place. Wood pipes are like reeds, the secret to their success depends in great part to their construction details. If you have all the ratios correct, they practically voice themselves! If not, they can be a nightmare.

Metal capped flutes are far more forgiving and generally cheaper to build. Wood flutes almost have to be made in multiple sets to make them econimically feasible. If you are dealing with very high or very low pressures, the wood flute can be the way to go.