Conn to Couesnon experience

[roynj]

Back in the early 70s I enjoyed playing in jazz ensembles of various kinds from big band to quartet, and I got the idea that it would be good to have a flugelhorn. Guys like Blue Mitchell, Clarke Terry, and Art Farmer all sounded cool on their flugels, so by God I needed one too. So I went down to my local music store. For you younger cats out there, there was no internet back in those days. At the music store, I picked out a Conn flugelhorn from their catalog, because who in their right mind would stock a flugelhorn in 1972? I was told that it would take a few weeks to come in. So I waited and waited. About two months later I got a call that it had arrived and to come on down to the shop. When I arrived, the shop owner told me that they got in a flugelhorn but it was not the Conn that I had originally ordered. They instead got in a new Couesnon flugelhorn. I'd never heard of Couesnon (being ignorant of the world), so I was a bit dissappointed. What's a Couesnon for heaven's sake?! I paid them $220 for the new silver plate flugelhorn and took it home. I figured it would be OK for a while. Not having played on other flugels before, except a friends Selmer (which I didn't much like), I was not sure what to expect. So I began my journey on the Couesnon. It seemed pretty well made, and man what a great sound it could produce. In no time, I was all over that horn. But I was still thinking, dang, that store scammed me out of my Conn flugel. What a goof. In any event, I kept the Couesnon and played it regularly for the next 12 years. It was so easy to pick up and play for some reason and always produced this huge buttery tone. After moving from LA to Phoenix, I got more into legit playing and lost interest in the flugel and ended up selling the thing. This was among the dumbest things I've done in my sorted trumpet playing experience. To this day, some 30 years later, I wish I still had that wonderful Couesnon flugel. I've since bought and sold several flugels but none could match my original Couesnon from back in the day. It was a special horn, and it took me until way after it was gone to realize it.

[Jon Arnold]

I completely agree with you on the Couesnon. I played on a Yamaha 631 for about 20 years and bought a Couesnon a few years back. I sold the Yamaha shortly after. Then I bought another Couesnon from a friend of mine that was in time capsule condition and was a great player. It was the sound I had been looking for all my life. Many of my favorite jazz players play on one, and that is a huge part of my sound concept. Bobby Shew and Tom Harrell in particular. All of I had two of them and sold one recently. I think the sound and playability is amazing. Especially for bop. I have never played another flugel like the Couesnon. Many flugels have tried to copy the sound, but have never duplicated it. I will never sell the one I have. It is way too special to me. I think you could find another one if you look. They are around.

If I could buy a new flugel there are a few models I really like

Yamaha 8315
Fred Powell Flugels are really nice as well.

[CDFhorn]

Although my timing is a bit late, I would like to point out that the Conn flugelhorn in the 1972 catalog [model 23A]:

looks pretty much identical to the Couesnon flugelhorns of the day:

although the Conn 24A flugelhorn [made by Willson of Switzerland] seems to only have been imported in 1972 due to their R-prefix serials:


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[farrellstpt1]

I have a Vintage One, but its not the greatest.

[farrellstpt1]

I want to save up for a FLUMPET! LOL
STEVE

[Robert Rowe]