David Wimberly Flutes

Wimberly headjoints and flutes are among the world's finest handcrafted instruments. The Wimberly headjoint is the pinnacle of science and art in flute making, empowering those playing it with unparalleled projection, dynamic contrast, power, and tone colour.


A Message from the Maker

I do my best for every flutist and I do it all myself. I work alone which gives me greater control of quality. I find it puts a certain "magic" into each instrument when it is made by one person spending weeks of time to make an instrument perfect for its intended player by using all the skills and techniques of a master flutemaker with decades of experience. This is as handmade and as customized as one can get.

My ideals are to make the headjoint and flute that will do what YOU want, rather than to force you in a particular direction. I build in flexibility, with a broad range of tone colors to enable you to stand out when you want and to blend in when you need to.

I have worked hard over decades to develop and perfect my headjoints and flutes so that they have the most distinctive and interesting sound possible with the finest acoustical performance. I can give you access to much greater projection, power, response, flexibility and range of tone color than you have ever found possible. I’m told that they are easier to play, more responsive, more expressive, and more secure than others throughout all registers and that they cut down on warm-up time. This adds up to a much more enjoyable experience for both you and also for your audience. You will want to play more and others will want to listen to you more. And that is a very important. I am confident that my design work is extraordinary.

Bringing transformative improvements at a fraction of the cost of an entire flute is something to consider because my headjoints are much more readily available. I can generally supply a headjoint in a matter of days, whereas there is a waiting list for my and-made flutes. Since about half of the improvement comes from the headjoint, a Wimberly headjoint is a very cost-effective way of improving your flute performance. Even if one wants an entire flute, starting with a headjoint allows you to enjoy dramatic, immediate benefits while your flute is being built.

If you’re not in the market for a new flute, you may want to consider my Acoustical Optimization service that can yield substantial improvements to your existing flute quite economically. This increases flexibility, response, tone color, shading and ability to play in tune. I have had excellent results applying these techniques to beginner and even professional quality instruments. You will enjoy playing more as a result of these gains. The optimization works best when combined with one of my headjoints and a clean, oil and adjust or new pads. This can be like getting a whole new flute at a fraction of the cost. All of these acoustical refinements are standard on every flute I hand-make.

Recently I have been using an extraordinary new pad that has proven to bring remarkable benefits of improved response, articulation, resonance and reliability. The Schmidt Gold Plated Pad may well last virtually forever as tests have showed absolutely no wear at three times the lifespan of the best pad with conventional skin covering. Please note that conventional skin covering is used in even the most popular “synthetic” pads on the market. The Schmidt pads take extra skill and patience to install, but are worth the extra effort.

Let’s talk on the telephone to find what you really want and need in a headjoint and/or a flute.

At your service,
David Wimberly
Master Flutemaker