King Golden Flair

[trumpetart]

Can anyone point me towards information on King Golden Flair serial numbers? I have one with a serial number under 20, is it safe to assume it's some sort of prototype? Opposite the serial number is stamped PC, presumably for "Pete Candoli"
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Daniel Gianola-Norris

[Rod Haney]

Would have been after 68 when HN white King
Was sold. I think it was early 70's. Site called hornucopia may help locate year exactly. I have a 67 silver flair and think the build and play are a bit better on white kings I've heard many say they thought it was a good horn. I think they had some changes on golden from the silver and I seem to remember bore size but I never dug into it too much. Supposedly more of a jazz vs lead type horn????
Rod

[chef8489]

The golden flair did have a smaller bore than the Silver Flair. It was a KMI horn designer for Pete Candoli as he felt the birds 9n the Silver Flair were too large. I think they stopped making those in 1979. Uni released a remake later on.

[iiipopes]

Yes. I agree. The Golden Flair had a .458 bore instead of the Silver Flair .462 bore. It had the reverse slide, lightweight bell, and some other cosmetic differences. It is supposedly a very responsive horn. I had a chance to play one when I was in high school, but I don't really remember anything about it except that it was not different enough from Dad's Super 20 to make me want to switch, which may have been more of an emotional decision than a player's decision.
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King Super 20 Trumpet; Sov 921 Cornet
Bach cornet modded to be a 181L clone
Couesnon Flugelhorn and C trumpet

[jimmysmith76]

I use a Golden Flair as one of my main players. Fantastic horn! I would say you maybe have one of the prototype horns. What is the finish on yours? Where is golden flair engraved on the horn? Mine is silver. These are very rare horns, they were only produced for 4 years.

I copied this from a older post
“The King Golden Flair was quite different than the Silver Flair. It was constructed with different valve block, caps, braces, etc. It was a completely new design from the Silver Flair, and the project was initiated at the request of Pete Candoli. He was playing the Silver Flair (large bore horn) and needed a smaller bore with more compact sound for recording with strings and small ensembles. I am relaying the information exactly the way Pete told it to me.

The Golden Flair is rare because it had a short life. King Musical Instruments ended manufacturing of its complete trumpet line (Silver Flair, Golden Flair, Super-20 Symphony, Liberty, Tempo, and Cleveland Superior) in 1979 and came out with the 2000 Series pro trumpet and cornet line in 1980. This was the beginning of the end for King.”
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Jimmy Smith
Trumpeter, Educator, Composer, Arranger
www.jimmysmithmusic.net

[trumpetom2]

I also have a King Golden Flair and I can approve that it is very responsive and has a pretty compact sound.
It needs less air and also plays very differently in comparison to a Silver Flair.
For BigBand I usually use the Silver Flair for any small group ensembles I prefer the Golden over the Silver Flair.

I'm happy to give you more information if needed.
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HN White King Master Vocal C/Bb/A cornet - 1918
HN White King Silver Flair - 1965
Martin Committe Deluxe #3 - 1957
Couesnon Monopole Conservatoire Star - 1960s

[Goldplate]

You guys are giving me a little King envy. I always wanted to try out a Golden Flair, but haven't ever seen one.

[Grits Burgh]

Rich Ita had one in his shop for sale back in September (Marietta, GA). I don't know if it is still in the shop or not.

Warm regards,
Grits
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Bach Stradivarius 37 (1971)
Schilke HC 1
Getzen 3810 C Cornet
King Master Bb Cornet (1945)
B&S 3145 Challenger I Series Flugelhorn
Life is short; buy every horn you want and die happy.

[trumpetom2]

Unfortunatelly they are quite rare. I guess I've only seen four or five.
_________________
HN White King Master Vocal C/Bb/A cornet - 1918
HN White King Silver Flair - 1965
Martin Committe Deluxe #3 - 1957
Couesnon Monopole Conservatoire Star - 1960s

[brassmusician]

I owned a Golden Flair for a year or so. I found it a tight horn to play. I found it hard to generate a lot of volume. Probably could have made it work better if I opened the throat on a mouthpiece or used a bigger backbore.

[Halflip]

I own two, one in silver plate and one in gold-tinted lacquer. They are the best-playing horns I own (for me, anyway). Very lightweight, intimate and expressive tone, and very responsive. I think I read that King reverse-engineered Pete Candoli's Martin Committee and then made some interesting design tweaks. Charlie Melk (who worked on mine) said they have a very unique leadpipe configuration.

[trumpetom2]

I can confirm that the Golden Flair is indeed very very lightweight and very responsive.
My Handcraft Committee is also such a lightweight trumpet.
It's hard to tell which one feels lighter while holding both but I tend to say it's the HC Committee.

But the HC Committee is very different to the Golden Flair.
The sound on the Golden Flair is much more dense and focused compared to a Committee.
On the other side you have to work really hard and have the right mouthpiece to produce a Chet Baker'ish sound on a Golden Flair.
The Committee does this with so much ease.
I like to play the Golden Flair in classical music.
Especially for small ensembles or solo work with organ the Golden Flair is really reliable.
I wouldn't take my HC Committee for that kind of music.
The Committee likes to play jazz...

Moreover, I can't confirm that the Golden Flair plays thight.
I think it's quite free blowing with good resistance in the high register.
Of course it doesn't feel like a large bore trumpet.

Finally I have to say I wouldn't take any of them to a BigBand gig especially when playing lead.
Then I preferably use my King Silver Flair or the Liberty 3B.
_________________
HN White King Master Vocal C/Bb/A cornet - 1918
HN White King Silver Flair - 1965
Martin Committe Deluxe #3 - 1957
Couesnon Monopole Conservatoire Star - 1960s

[Halflip]

[trumpetom2]

Maybe I didn't use the term lighter correctly.
What I want to explain is that the HC Commitee plays broader or more voluminous and is less focused.
Since the Golden Flair seems to me more focused and more dense in the sound this broad dark feeling that the Committee has gets lost a little bit.

Maybe the terms 'lighter' got also mixed up considering the weight and playing characteristics.
I believe the HC Committee feels lighter concerning its weight.

To me I prefer a more dark, broad, less focuesd sound in a jazz combo.
And to me it's much easier to create an intimate sound on the HC Committee than on the Golden Flair.
That may be the less focused sound again but the HC Committee has a little better response at low volume than the GF.
My experience is that you can play really quiet and 'whisper' on the Committee much easier than on the GF.
I don't want to say that this can't be done on the GF either but to me it's easier and sounds better on the Committe.

Of course the mouthpiece takes also impact of how a trumpet sounds and responds.
_________________
HN White King Master Vocal C/Bb/A cornet - 1918
HN White King Silver Flair - 1965
Martin Committe Deluxe #3 - 1957
Couesnon Monopole Conservatoire Star - 1960s

[Halflip]

Well, trumpetom2, I guess we have different experiences and preferences.