HAYNES

1888/1899- William Sherman and George Haynes worked together as jewelers and then for the first time making a flute at the request of member of the Boston Symphony. He handed them a flute and asked if they would make a copy of the flute. The flute was a wood flute, most likely a Boehm Mendler flute. Initially, all of their flutes were wood flutes. At this time, William and George worked for the JC Haynes Company (no relationship to the Haynes brothers) and were considered the heart and soul of the manufacturing arm. They established the start date for the Wm. S. Haynes Company at 1888. During this time, Haynes and his brother made a solid gold flute with silver keys. (The JC Haynes Company also imported other instruments and sold sheet music.) Later the JC Haynes company was sold to the Oliver Ditson Company.

Today, a carefully selected team of artisans create each flute using the time-honored ideas developed over many years that create a tone in a Wm. S. Haynes flute sought after throughout the world. The greatest flutists still seek a Haynes flute for it's colorful, yet powerful tone; flexible, yet resilient sound; and silky with remarkably clean pearl-like articulation.