Dominy Clements - Subcontrabass flute The subcontrabass flute is the largest member of the flute family currently available. There are only a few makers of this rare instrument in the world. This one was built by Jelle Hogenhuis in November 2002, and is numbered SBCB 008. The instrument is almost exactly the same as a normal flute, exept that it is four times the size (being around 5 meters long, and standing at around 2 meters), and made almost entirely of PVC drainage pipes. This material has a relatively wide bore for a flute, resulting in a powerfully resonant bass sound. The lowest note is the same pitch as that of a five-string double bass, and, while the 3 octave range is the same as a normal flute, the highest sounding pitch is the same as middle-C on the piano. This makes the instrument exceptionally useful as a bass instrument in various ensembles, and, with almost the same virtuosity as a normal flute, can provide some spectacular effects! previous page