Flugel - Kanstul Custom Class 88

[como]

Hi All,
I'm looking for some advice on my Flugel and would be grateful if anyone can help. I have a Kanstul Custom Class 88 (Serial No 4041). I am trying to match mouthpieces to my Trumpets and Cornet but I am led to believe that this Flugel has a Couesnon (French) taper. Before I go ahead and source a new MP it would be good to know the correct taper. I'm currently using a Parduba large shank MP and that seems to fit but at my level of playing I may not be picking up on any issues. From a physical perspective, the Parduba does seem to fit and does not move around but I'm not sure if that means it is correct for this instrument.
Kind regards,
Colin

[Halflip]

From an old Kanstul brochure I have, the "Custom Class" flugelhorn had model number "CCF 925", which tells me that it maps to the model 925 designation (or 926 if you have the 4-valve version) that Kanstul was using at the time they went out of business. (I'm not sure what the "88" means, however.)

When I access the link for the 925 page (http://www.kanstul.com/instruments/flugelhorns/model-925-bb-flugelhorn/) on the Kanstul website being maintained for historical purposes, I see that the specifications indicate a French taper. The same is true for the model 926.

Out of curiosity, I tried inserting a large Morse taper mouthpiece into my French taper Mahillon flugelhorn. I detected a slight wobble (if I crammed it in really hard, I could probably make it feel like there was no wobble).

If you truly detect no wobble when you insert your Parduba large shank mouthpiece, and you acquired your horn second-hand, it could mean that a previous owner (1) reamed out the receiver to accommodate a large Morse taper mouthpiece, or (2) substituted a large Morse tuning bit. If that is the case, then a French taper mouthpiece will no longer fit correctly.

You might want to take your horn and mouthpiece to a brass tech and have them measure things to be sure.
_________________
"He that plays the King shall be welcome . . . " (Hamlet Act II, Scene 2, Line 1416)

"He had no concept of the instrument. He was blowing into it." -- Virgil Starkwell's cello teacher in "Take the Money and Run"

[Tom LeCompte]

The French taper was standard on the Customs.

[como]

Hi,

Thanks for the replies, really helpful. I have had the Flugel from new, bought back around 1997 I think, so it will be the original receiver/tuning pipe. Everything seems to point to it being a French taper but I'll get an instrument tech to give it a final once over.

Thanks and regards,

Colin

[huntman10]

OK, this may be somewhat off topic, maybe just something of a diversion, but since there is some information in this thread about flugelhorn shank tapers and Parduba flugel mouthpieces, I would like to ask about a Parduba mouthpiece I recently acquired. I saw it on an eBay ad for a cheap Legend brand flugelhorn. Since it had a nice case, I thought I might keep the case and mouthpiece and recover the price selling the flug.

Anyway, when I got the Parduba in hand (*7*) and compared it to stuff in my mouthpiece boxes, it occurred to me it was a near perfect analogue to my Warburton Olds Wide cornet shank. And the deep cup gave my 1949 Recording cornet an almost BBB dark tone, although the orifice was pretty small for a BBB piece.

Is this going to be true of other Parduba flugelhorn shanks? I have also noticed Jet Tone cornet mouthpieces will fit the Olds wide receivers, although not too many Jet Tone cups are very "cornetty". Assuming this is a French taper, I guess I have found new ammo for my Olds stuff.

Thanks and apologies for wandering slightly off the path.[/url]
_________________
huntman10
Collector/Player of Fine (and not so fine) Brass Instruments including
Various Strads, Yammies, Al Hirt Courtois, Schilkes,
Selmer 25, Getzen Eternas, Kanstuls (920 Pic, CG)
Martin Custom Large Bore, Lots Olds!, Conns, etc.

[delano]

i use a Yamaha 14F4 flügel mp for one of my old cornets with the old Olds receiver and it fits quite good.

http://rouses.net/trumpet/cornetmpc/cornetmpc.htm