Some Thoughts About Flute Overhauls
-This was written by Joshua Adam in 2025 prior to taking and Passing the Muramatsu certification course. Some methods, opinions and ideas have changed since then. For an updated shorter look at flute padding read our next blog "Flute padding 2026"
The goal of an overhaul is to create an instrument that will play great over an extended period of time. Mechanical setup creates a foundation for a great pad seal. The better the pad seal the better the response and articulation will be.
Mechanical Condition
The mechanical condition of an instrument is the difference between a good instrument and a great instrument. On some instruments this can be one of the most important and time consuming parts of an overhaul. If the mechanical fitting is done well once, your flute will not need the same level of attention during your lifetime. Having an instrument in great mechanical condition sets up a foundation for all proceeding work. Any flute to have Muramatsu/Straubinger/Pisioni S2/JS Gold pads installed must be in precise mechanical condition and be made of a material that will maintain that mechanical condition.
Steps in a Mechanical Overhaul
- Straightening the body
- Removing dents
- Making tonehole surfaces flat
- Centering pads over toneholes
- Aligning padcups so that they are parallel to the tonehole surface
- Removing old oil
- Cleaning bearing surfaces
- Replacing oil
- Straightening bent keys and rods
- Removing key play to a tolerance of 0.001"
Stabilizers
Stabilizers are a plastic ring that are installed under the pad in a padcup. Stamped flute pad cups do not have a flat surface for a pad to sit on. This causes the pads to slowly deform over time. Using stabilizers makes a flat surface so that the pad can have a more consistent seal over a long period of time. Using stabilizers also helps orient the pads so that it is parallel to the tonehole so that less shims are needed. Shims are small thin rings made from plastic or paper that orient a pad to seal against a tonehole. Having less shims is more reliable over a longer period of time. Using a stabilizer is required for Straubinger/Pisioni S2/JS Gold pads. By using a stabilizer and having flat toneholes this creates the best potential for a good playing instrument.
Advantages of Stabilizers
- Add a flat surface for consistent padding
- Better, more reliable response
- Better pad longevity
- Easier future repairs
- Required for the use of high-end pads
Pads
Good padding is the difference between an okay flute and an amazing flute. Every small leak an instrument has will have a negative impact on its ability to play. Having a good pad seal is a combination of tonehole quality, pad quality, mechanical alignment and technician skill. High quality pads have a flat surface and will maintain a good seal over time, and help your flute have a more immediate response. The goal of padding is to install a pad that will have an instant seal, that will maintain a great seal over a long period of time. If the work is done well your flute will have an amazing response, articulation and be easy to play.
How We Test Pad Seal
On all professional and handmade flutes, pads are tested individually with a "Magnehelic" leak testing machine to guarantee a perfect pad seal. After padding, the flute will sit for 24 hours and be checked again—adjustments are made to ensure a perfect pad seal. Straubinger/PS2/JSGold/Pressed felt pads are play-tested with springs from the footjoint removed. The flute should be able to play its lowest note using only the weight of the keys.
Pad Types
Any pad when installed by a skilled repair tech can have the potential to be the best pad you have ever used.
Straubinger / Psioni S2
A very consistent flat flute pad. They use a Delrin Cup to guarantee a perfectly flat surface. Ultrasuede keeps the pad quiet. Straubinger pads have the potential to have an immediate seal and to maintain a perfect seal and great response over a long period of time. These pads are not compatible with all flutes. The flute must be made with high mechanical tolerances and materials that will maintain that precision over a long period of time.
Straubinger Phoenix
Phoenix pads use Straubinger pad construction but have an additional layer of ultrasuede overtop of the Delrin cup. This is a soft pad similar to a felt pad but will compress less over time. They have a quieter contact sound than a Straubinger pad.
JS Gold
A very consistent flat flute pad. They use an aluminum ring and synthetic pad skin to guarantee a perfectly flat pad surface. JS Gold pads have the potential to have an immediate seal and maintain a perfect seal and great response over a long period of time. These pads are not compatible with all flutes. These have all the advantages of a Straubinger pad, but are also more resistant to water. If you know that you will be playing outside frequently this may be the pad for you. (Only available for professional flutes.)
Pressed Felt
A flute pad with a firm felt core. A good alternative to a traditional woven flute pad. It has a flatter surface than a woven flute pad, is less reactive to humidity changes and will deform less over time. Pressed felt requires the flute to have higher mechanical precision than a woven pad.
Woven Felt
The traditional flute pad. This pad is very soft, and can be installed on flutes with less precise mechanism. It is more reactive to humidity changes, can slowly deform over time and may need more frequent maintenance. If you are looking for the classic flute sound this may be what you are looking for.
Key Materials
The key material choice of your flute matters. The 3 aspects that are most important are longevity, its ability to be quiet and how well it slides. The traditional choice is felt. My preference is a combination of pad leather and ultrasuede.
| Material | Notes |
|---|---|
| Felt | A natural material that is soft and quiet. |
| Ultrasuede | A synthetic material that mimics natural suede. It is soft, durable and quiet. |
| Synthetic Felt | A synthetic material that mimics natural felt. It is harder than ultrasuede. |
| Pad Leather | Thin, durable and quiet. Useful for silencing adjustment screws. |
| Paper | Thin and quiet, but will degrade when wet. |
| Teflon | Very slippery, not very quiet. Good when used in combination with other materials. |
| Corks | Quiet, but compresses over time, not very slippery. Used for trill keys and foot joint D# key. |
| Synthetic Cork | Hard, very stable over an extended period of time. Not recommended for flutes. |
Response and Tuning
After all the work on the flute is done, some alterations can still be made to suit tone preferences. By adjusting key height notes can be made to have slightly different tuning and tone colour. By default key height will be set to 3mm–3.5mm.
Headjoint Cork
The headjoint cork has a huge impact on how your flute plays. Having it in the correct position affects your intonation, and if it does not have a perfect seal your flute will suffer from response issues. By experimenting with different headjoint cork materials you can notice a difference in tone.