Review : nose flutes by Max Zycha

Two Noses flutes by Maximilan Zycha, Beiersdorf (Berlin). Max Zycha produces quality nose flutes, using a large diversity of woods, and applying a different design to each of his creations. Thus, each model is truly unique, but all take benefit of the same technical skill.

Both of my flutes give a real impression of quality and precision. The assemblings are perfect, the edges that need to be blunt are blunt, ... very clean work.
I received them mounted with a black leather lace, intended not to offer a hand-free instrument, but to be used as a necklace.

One is made in maple, with a dark cover plate in East-indian rosewood, and the other in cherrywood, plus a thuja duct cover strip. They are incredibly featherlight (one weights 16g and the other 17g).

Each flute is sign-stamped with a « Z » in a triangle.

The labium is a work of art in itself : it is the thinnest and sharpest one I ever seen made in wood. It's a double cut-away blade, flat beveled on the front, but concavely carved in a beautiful parabolic basin at the back.

The technical specifiations and the precision in carving drive to a very comfortable instrument, easy to play, with a beautiful wooden organ sound, quite loud yet.
I had some difficulties to reach the very sharp notes you can get with a metal flute, but got the most beautiful basses, deep and clear, I ever had with a nose flute.

Here is a sound sample :



If you are interested in buying such a flute, just drop a mail to Max Zycha, who will send you in return hi-res pictures of the available flutes. The current price per item, including cord, is 33 Euros. Shipping is 4.80 Euros within Germany (registered letter), and 6.50 Euros to the USA or the U.K. (registered letter).