Combining traditional Boston craftsmanship with original Japanese techniques, Nagahara, a top flute maker, is loved by famous flutists Jonathan Keeble, Andre Griminelli, Bulent Evcil and Doug Miller, and Sir James Galway, known as the "Golden Piper of the World", calls it the flute of the century. Nagahara flutes all use welded soundholes and French pointed mouthpieces, and their Nagasaki thumb keys and gearless mechanism became the standard for flute making. He designed the "Nagahara FC System" and a rodless mechanism to improve tone and resonance, as well as a lockable mouthpiece cap that enhances the resonance of the mouthpiece. Nagahara has extremely high requirements for the quality of flute production, with an annual output of only about 50 flutes and only 6-7 gold flutes, and the current order waiting period is about 3 years. Divided into Standard, Full Concert and Galway models, the flutes are typically hand-made 16K gold flutes with a Nagahara-free mechanism and thumb key design, with a French mouthpiece and Straubinger leather pads, clear and bright treble, mellow bass, and a price tag of $27,900. If you like a solid gold flute and are financially affordable, then Nagahara is the place to be.