From Stick To Picc: An Interview With Adam Pettry

It has been six years since our last interview with Adam Pettry when he shared with us that he was going to start making piccolos. A lot has happened in the last six years! I’ve had the pleasure of watching Adam undertake this endeavor and even ordered my very own, all kingwood, Pettry piccolo. My piccolo arrived a few weeks ago and I couldn’t be happier to have this lovely new instrument. It is a voice that I have personally been searching for for many years. In the interview, Adam talks about the process of ordering and making a custom piccolo and he has shared some photos below of the process incase you want to get a closer look (btw, that is my piccolo in most of the photos). The interview link is below.

Interview Link “From Stick To Picc.”

WoodStorage 1 — #1: Wood Storage: “Wood is purchased, sorted, labeled and stored by species, size, and age. Pre-cut blanks are seasoned on shelves that allow air circulation while larger pieces like boards of rosewood or logs of cocus are squirrelled away wherever they can fit.”

WoodProcessing — #2: Wood Processing: “ Wood is cut to appropriate lengths, and small cutoffs are saved for crowns. The pieces are turned round, drilled, and then open-reamed before a long resting period.”

WoodTurning — #3: Wood Turning: “As each instrument takes shape, it is mounted in the lathe and turned round between each stage to ensure accuracy and concentricity. While wood is relatively inexpensive, the cost of skilled labor and expertise makes it more costly than gold.”

#4: Tenon Fittings: “Silver fittings are pre-fabricated and fitted to body joints before being epoxied in place. Once the adhesive has cured, the tenon is machined to final dimensions including the tenon cork channel and the tuning reference groove.”

HeadjointStages — #5: Headjoint Stages: “Headjoints go through a similar process of turning, drilling, and then fittings are installed. Profiles are turned on the lathe before being mounted in the mill to shape waves and embouchure holes.”

#6: Toneholes: “Once the body tube is polished, toneholes and rib screw holes are installed. Rib screw holes have stainless steel threads, and some exotic woods receive synthetic reinforced tonehole inserts.”

#7: Keymaking: “Keys are painstakingly fitted, assembled, and soldered. During this process the keys remain a matte white until they are polished. The wood is also temporarily covered with tape to protect the finish.”

#8: Finishing: “During finishing, springs are installed and proprietary pads are fabricated, fitted, and installed.

Finishing copy — #9: Voicing: “At the very end, the instrument is adjusted for final intonation and pitch. Embouchure holes are hand cut to bring out the resonance and personality of each unique piece of wood.”

Adam Pettry is the Founder of Pettry Piccolos, a custom piccolo manufacturing company in Atlanta Georgia. Internationally recognized as an artisanal piccolo and headjoint maker, his instruments can be heard on stages around the world, including multiple Grammy and Tony Award winning albums, artists, and ensembles. Adam pioneered social media advertising and education with his posts about instrument repair, leading to an explosion of new content from manufacturers and repair technicians around the world. His work as a social media influencer continued as a cast member of the iconic podcast ‘A Screw Loose’ which was the first of its kind.

Adam is also internationally recognized as a ‘Technician’s Tech,’ serving as a consultant, subcontractor, educator, and mentor to other manufacturers and repair technicians around the globe. In addition to making instruments, Adam is also an avid reader and writer.

Currently, Adam looks forward to sharing the eventual publication of his upcoming book on piccolo repair entitled ‘Piccolology: The Craft of Exorcising Deathwhistles.’

Pettry Piccolos Homepage

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