Blessing XL v Blessing Scholastic flugelhorn

[daniel76309]

My first post--mostly have been reading and trying to educate myself.

Can someone tell me what specifically are the differences between the Blessing XL and Blessing Scholastic flugelhorns? From what I have read, I believe that the bore and bell size is the same. They also look the same in pictures, except the XL has a first valve trigger that is missing on the Scholastic--which makes me wonder it that (first valve trigger) is the ONLY difference between the two.

[Comeback]

Welcome to posting on TH.

I do not have experience with the two horns you identified in your OP, but I do have experience with an early 1990s Blessing Artist flugel, which was an adequate horn for my purposes at the time. You have quite likely identified the only substantive difference between the two horns. I am guessing that bore size is the same at .460". Do you have a good flugel sound concept in your head? If so, I suggest you go with the horn that gets you "there" most closely. Are you sure the tuning trigger is on the first valve? It is normally on the third.

Jim

[daniel76309]

Thank you for your reply. The reason I asked is that I had read some good things about the XL, and then on a whim bought a "Scholastic", thinking it was an XL (my mistake, made out of ignorance). If the only difference between the two is the tuning trigger (and possibly silver plate v. lacquer, the latter of which I prefer anyway), well then I don't feel so bad about owning a Scholastic. Here is an Ebay listing for an XL, and the description says 1st valve trigger and 3rd slide ring. (Scholastic has just the third slide ring.)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/BLESSING-XL-FLUGELHORN-WITH-CASE-AND-MOUTHPIECE-silver-plated-exelent-used/302657058777?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649