For over 25 years, Altus has crafted flutes that embody the ideal marriage of vintage inspiration and modern technology.  Created and handmade by Shuichi Tanaka, each Altus flute reflects his passion to produce the finest playing flutes available, utilizing the finest materials, handwork, and artistry.

The meticulous design of the Altus flute and its uncompromised scale receive great attention from in the flute community.  Based on the work and recommendations of British flutist William Bennett, the Altus/Bennett scale offers excellent intonation, carefully tuned harmonics, and balanced registers.

Masterfully hand-sculpted headjoints, contemporary precision standards and unique tubings produce the remarkable sound of the Altus flute.  Vintage color, pure tonal core, ease of manipulation, excellent intonation properties, response, and projection – flutists worldwide recognize the inspired Altus sound.

Metals

Crafted from a variety of precious metals for the unique preferences of today’s flutists, Altus leads the industry in the use of denser metals. Flutists may choose from gold or four different silver alloys with the highest silver content available.

.925 Sterling Silver – Comprised of 92.5% silver, Sterling has long been a standard for high quality flute making.

.946 Altus Silver™ - This alloy consists of 94.6% silver and 18 precious metals, including small amounts of platinum and gold. Unique to Altus, it possesses many of the rich tonal attributes of the old French master flute maker’s, most notably Louis Lot’s famous flutes.

.958 Britannia Silver - Britannia silver offers a dark, rich color without sacrificing brilliance. This tubing is available in medium-heavy weights on select Altus Professional models.

.997 Silver - Powdered silver is utilized in the ultra-modern metallurgical process of sinterization which creates an extraordinarily hard tubing, excellent projection, clarity and power.

14K Gold - Gold’s tonal color is dark and warm and its response flexible and pure.  Available by special order.

Tubing

From high-tech to classical French influence, Altus is the only major flute company that offers a complete selection of tube options.

Extruded tubing is the modern standard in the flute industry. The metal is pushed through a precise die to form a tube.

Seamed tubing is made from a flat piece of metal that is rolled and seamed, allowing the metal’s molecular structure to remain intact.  The unique response and flexibility of these flutes can only be fully realized through personally test-playing and listening to their complex colors.

Sinterized tubing is made from .997 powdered silver compacted at a high temperature to fuse the particles together into a rigid tube. This produces a dense and brilliant, hard tubing with supreme projecting qualities - a silver made possible only through innovative technology.

Models: