A technique for high temperature sound velocity measurement using piezoelectric transducers, that avoids the existence of the usual high temperature bond between the sample and the buffer, was developed. This bond is frequently responsible for a large attenuation and distortion of the sound field, with a consequent inaccuracy in the experimental results. This technique was successfully used by the authors to make good quality measurements of sound velocity in iron–silicon single crystals from room temperature toT≈1000 °C,unlike other authors who report strong attenuation in different regions of this temperature range for similar samples. The furnace, which is only 35 mm wide, allows work under magnetic field and a controlled atmosphere up to 1300 °C. ©1998 American Institute of Physics.