Flugel Thread

Kujo20

Thank you. Not only is the workmanship outstanding, I'll bet the price is, as well.

It was not cheap, that much is true. However, for the level of custom work that went into this horn...and the high end components like Zirnbaur valves...you would be surprised at how much less $$$ it cost compared to other flugels.

In fact, I can tell you that it was less expensive than STOCK (non custom) models from Monette, Harrelson, Taylor, Inderbinen, Marcinkiewicz, Schagerl...and probably a few more I’m not thinking of at the moment.

Worth it!

A Former User

@Kujo20 said in Flugel Thread:

it was handmade by George Schlub (Schlub Brass Works).

Your horn reminds me of my Rottweiler. People stop and talk to me just so they can meet my dog. I have a feeling people have come up to you and struck a conversation just to talk about and see your horn.
That's a really neat looking horn!

Bob Pixley

Kujo20

@Dr-Mark said in Flugel Thread:

@Kujo20 said in Flugel Thread:

it was handmade by George Schlub (Schlub Brass Works).

Your horn reminds me of my Rottweiler. People stop and talk to me just so they can meet my dog. I have a feeling people have come up to you and struck a conversation just to talk about and see your horn.
That's a really neat looking horn!

It’s been known to happen! Non musicians tend to ask “what is that?” quickly followed by “what’s a flugelhorn...is that like a dr. Suesse thing?”

Dale Proctor

1969 Olds L12 flugelhorn with GR/Melk leadpipe. Restored by Southeastern Musical Services.

Newell Post

I am always reminded of the time Doc Severinsen called the flugelhorn a trumpet with a thyroid condition.

Dr GO

I am guessing hypo?

administrator

I really love those brushed Adams flugels. They play in tune, as well, which is a real feat for a Flugelhorn.

I once owned a Willson (Conn) flugelhorn. It had a lovely tone but the pitch was monstrous. I ended up gluing (!) a stick with a penny on the end of it and a giant spring to create a trigger for the 3rd valve.

Did I commit a felony gluing a penny to my Flugelhorn?

barliman2001

In 1991, I acquired my Courtois 154 R flugel by rather devious means... a large brass xhop in Munich had invited a number of makers for an in-house trade fair of brass instruments. All the obvious people were there, and a few weirdos. Courtois had come with two truckloads of instruments and were hoping to return with only one truck, so they had hired only one for the return trip. Things did not go quite as planned, and when they were packing up after four days, they could not quite get the unsold instruments into the one truck, and as there was a big trade fair going on in Munich at the time, there were no hire trucks to be had for love or money. Imagine a young guy loitering about their truck while they were discussing what to do... a young guy who had loitered about their stand on every day of the fair, ahd tested the instruments and had stressed that did not have any money for a new instrument at all... Imagine that guy asking whether he could help. And they said, "Oui" rather shortly and pressed an instrument case in my hands - the one case that they could not by any means fit into the truck any more. Content? One 154 R flugelhorn. I've never found one better suited to me, so after a few years of comparing, I just quit and am totally happy with that flugel...

A Former User

@barliman2001
Nice story!
I own a very good Couesnon ( previously posted in this thread) but a few years ago I had the opportunity to play a Courtois flugelhorn. It was better than my Couesnon.
You were/are lucky!

flugelgirl

I love my Adams F2 with gold brass bell - it has been everything I wanted a flugel to be! I started out with a Getzen Capri I got in 7th grade, played it for 17 yrs. it was a great horn, but I could never quite get the sound I hear in my head. Went to a Marcinkiewicz Rembrandt which gave me the sound, but it was a lot of work to play. The F3 gives me that sound without the extra work, and I love it. I also own a Martin Committee flugel, but wouldn’t gig with it unless the F3 was out of commission.

Dr GO

@flugelgirl said in Flugel Thread:

I love my Adams F3 with gold brass bell... I also own a Martin Committee flugel, but wouldn’t gig with it unless the F3 was out of commission.

Very envious flugelgirl. How I would love to try both! Love to hear how easy the Adams F3 plays!

flugelgirl

@Dr-GO oops! That was supposed to say F2! I like the F3 but am still happy with the F2. The Martin is a better player than I thought it would be with the right mpc - I really only wanted one as an oddity but was pleasantly surprised.

Furcifer

Ah, nice to see afficionados of the big Getzen 896S 4-valve square-bow. Got mine new in '86, rather serendipitously. I just wanted a flugel - didn't even care what brand. I was in college, swamped with work, hating the fact that I didn't have a flugel for solos in the two jazz ensembles I felt rather fortunate to have landed a spot in within my first year, and so the folks went and talked to my old teachers back home and somehow got redirected around to getting what was an odd beast for me at the time. Since then, I've come to love and prefer it over the whole 3-valve/smallbore flugel concept in general. They may be better at certain studio things and be quite wonderful instruments for small combos, but the big ol' Getzen is an easier-projecting leader when the whole section is in flugels, holds its own better in a LOUD 12pc cover band doing Tower of Power/Chicago/BST charts, and comes in right handy for French horn parts on Kenton charts, LOL

So I just played the Getzen 3C flugel mouthpiece it came with for years, and didn't think much about it. Then as a comeback player about six years ago, I got to thinking that many things must have improved in all this time, so I searched and researched and came up with the Marcinkiewicz 3FLD. It was like a whole other horn - suddenly all this amazing response! I love Marcinkiewicz rims anyway - my main trumpet mouthpiece is the E14 B. Shew #1. I really like as much contrast as I can get between trumpet and flugel so this deep cup is glorious and the notes just jump out of the horn, within the reasonable range of a flugel, anyway... My test for that is whether the high D still "feels so good" or not, LOL

But we're working up some real chop killers to be able to run 2 or 3 sets in a night, so since Terry Warburton had a huge sale a few weeks ago, I finally ponied up the ching for one of his - a 4FLM. This one is a bit brighter - the "M" denotes his "medium" flugel cup - but it slots a lot easier than the big deep cup for extended solos and/or those rare occasions over high D on a flugel. Taking it up to E and F, etc. above that is just no problem with it - which may well come in handy for a louder band and blown chops in the very near future.

Dr GO

@furcifer interesting as I still play my Getzen with their 3C cup. I did perform a cup safari with my Kanstul and finally settled on The Flip Oakes 3C cup. It has amazing depth that really allows you to play with the air you put into the horn leading to a spectrum of textures. Unfortunately the Flip Oakes has the Bach backbore so this does not fit into my Getzen. So, I am still playing on the Getzen 3C for that horn.

Bb Brass

I'm an opposite style of flugelhorn enthusiast judging from those beautiful, even stunning, editions. I've been studying the PRC imports market because I'm a cheap home hobbyist. Impressive improvements in the last decade and and especially the last six years.

I've owned an ACB Doubler from 14 years ago that was great -- and the new owner also loves it!

I am currently playing an ALLORA rose brass from 15 years ago. Previous one owner is a professional multi instrumentalist. It's built heavy and sturdy. Beautiful sound and good valves (a little clanky).

On the way is a satin finish Thomann JAZZ. Open box.

If they start well and enjoy normal maintenance, good PRC flugelhorn imports hold up perfectly well.

They are routinely owned and played by professional musicians.

The key to success is in the hands of the importer. They do the supplier vetting and any subsequent quality assurance / gear updates.

From my experience and research:

ACB
ALLORA
Thomann
Weisman

Not all of the good PRC importers, just my current list. I'm continuing to test and research.

I have no experience / comment about India imports.

Bb Brass

@Shepherds_Crook
Ironically, MILES AHEAD album is the only time Miles Davis professionally played a flugelhorn!