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AwesomeDad
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 Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 3:57 pm Post subject: Honest opinions on a flugel |
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Ok I know this is a loaded question but narrowed my search down to the Conn Vintage one and Adams F5. Please provide honest non-biased feedback for the two...I’d prefer if you were a dealer for one or the other to refrain unless you honestly feel it will contribute to the discussion.
JJ |
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Richard III
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| Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 4:10 pm Post subject: |
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The Conn is average in every way and the Adams is superb in every way.
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King 1130 Flugabone
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bach_again
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TKSop
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| Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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Of the two, the Adams impressed me more... But the Eclipse is the best I've played, for me (even as someone who plays very little flugel, I feel instantly at home every time).
Honestly though, that's the key - more than perhaps any other horn, the flugel is a very, very personal choice and you absolutely need to play a good selection and find what suits you. |
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Crazy Finn
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Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota
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| Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 4:27 pm Post subject: Re: Honest opinions on a flugel |
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| AwesomeDad wrote: | | Ok I know this is a loaded question but narrowed my search down to the Conn Vintage one and Adams F5. Please provide honest non-biased feedback for the two...I’d prefer if you were a dealer for one or the other to refrain unless you honestly feel it will contribute to the discussion. |
Have you played either? Have you played both?
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AwesomeDad
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Joined: 22 Aug 2017
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| Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 4:38 pm Post subject: Re: Honest opinions on a flugel |
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| Crazy Finn wrote: | | AwesomeDad wrote: | | Ok I know this is a loaded question but narrowed my search down to the Conn Vintage one and Adams F5. Please provide honest non-biased feedback for the two...I’d prefer if you were a dealer for one or the other to refrain unless you honestly feel it will contribute to the discussion. |
Have you played either? Have you played both? |
Unfortunately there is nothing close to even try a test play...However I’m debating buying one if I don’t like it exchange it for the other but I’d prefer not to operate that way....
JJ |
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bach_again
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Crazy Finn
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Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota
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| Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 5:04 pm Post subject: Re: Honest opinions on a flugel |
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| AwesomeDad wrote: | | Unfortunately there is nothing close to even try a test play...However I’m debating buying one if I don’t like it exchange it for the other but I’d prefer not to operate that way.... |
So, you're basically throwing darts the be board. Curious why you narrowed it to those two choices - they seem quite different as far as availability and price point.
I agree with the previous posters that said flugel is pretty personal and further, is very dependent on mouthpiece choice. If you're starting from scratch, with little experience on any flugel or mouthpieces, you might as well just buy something that's supposedly decent and go with it for a while. I'm not sure that the opinions of fellow posters can do much other than give you a list of solid options.
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Yamaha 6335S Bb Trumpet
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Yamaha 731 Bb Flugelhorn |
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TKSop
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Location: UK
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| Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 5:08 pm Post subject: Re: Honest opinions on a flugel |
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| AwesomeDad wrote: |
Unfortunately there is nothing close to even try a test play...However I’m debating buying one if I don’t like it exchange it for the other but I’d prefer not to operate that way....
JJ |
Does anyone near you have a flugel you can try?
Or even better, more than one person?
Flugel really isn't something I'd want to buy blind - at very least, I'd want to try one and order the same if I liked it (even allowing for a bit of variation between samples, it's still a much safer bet than buying blind).
I'd even go so far as to say I'd prefer to dip into the budget to fund travelling somewhere I could try a bunch rather than buy blind... |
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theslawdawg
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| Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 5:11 pm Post subject: |
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I have played both (Adams and Conn). An F1, F2, and Vintage One. I prefer the Adams. Each horn had wonderful tones but the Adams is just better quality, specifically the valves. If I had to pick, I would get an F1 but that’s just me. I have an old Conn 85F that sounds like butter but the valves are not like an Adams. However, I didn’t have to cough up the dough that an Adams commands so I dig it. I Hope that helps...
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VetPsychWars
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| Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 5:37 pm Post subject: |
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The Getzen Custom Reserve is also worth your attention.
Tom
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AwesomeDad
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Joined: 22 Aug 2017
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| Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 6:02 pm Post subject: Re: Honest opinions on a flugel |
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| Crazy Finn wrote: | | AwesomeDad wrote: | | Unfortunately there is nothing close to even try a test play...However I’m debating buying one if I don’t like it exchange it for the other but I’d prefer not to operate that way.... |
So, you're basically throwing darts the be board. Curious why you narrowed it to those two choices - they seem quite different as far as availability and price point.
I agree with the previous posters that said flugel is pretty personal and further, is very dependent on mouthpiece choice. If you're starting from scratch, with little experience on any flugel or mouthpieces, you might as well just buy something that's supposedly decent and go with it for a while. I'm not sure that the opinions of fellow posters can do much other than give you a list of solid options. |
And I don’t necessarily disagree. And I know a good flugel player can make almost any model sound great. And if I were able to play test a dozen models or so believe me I would. And I may still try and make a road trip to so. However I think there is a lot of valuable input from fellow posters that started down this road buying a few different horns to land on the one that clicked. For instance this post has already garnered suggestions that the Conn tuning isn’t as reliable as I was lead to believe.
JJ |
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AwesomeDad
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| Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 6:59 pm Post subject: |
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| VetPsychWars wrote: | The Getzen Custom Reserve is also worth your attention.
Tom |
God knows getzen makes the best valves on the planet but nobody in my circle has those available or can order....
JJ |
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dstpt
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| Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 8:58 pm Post subject: |
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| I bought an Adams F2 last September but instantly missed the 4th valve that I'd grown accustomed to in the Getzen I'd had for five years at that point. I then called Adams directly to see if they had an F4 (4v) available to send to ACB, and they did, so ACB kindly swapped out the F2 for the F4 for a nominal restocking fee. (They sonic clean and relubricate any horn that comes back to them.) Some players prefer a lighter flugel sound that easily responds and that does not have a tubby sound at all. I prefer more contrast between my trumpet to flugel to picc to whatever, so that there are noticeable differences in timbre between all of these. That might be one question to ask yourself, whether you lean toward the former or the latter. I've found that the blow is probably the biggest thing to discover with any horn purchase. When I tried a friend's Conn Vintage One last fall, I did not like it, but part of that is the difference in bore size (.413) to the Getzen 4v (.460). I would need some time to adjust to that bore size before really giving a fair response. The biggest adjustment for me with both of the Adams flugels I've played is the low C, B, Bb, and A tend to be flat with my preferred mouthpiece (Wick 2FL). Now that I've "learned" the horn, all of that pitch inconsistency is starting to iron itself out. |
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AwesomeDad
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Joined: 22 Aug 2017
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| Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 9:08 pm Post subject: |
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| dstpt wrote: | | I bought an Adams F2 last September but instantly missed the 4th valve that I'd grown accustomed to in the Getzen I'd had for five years at that point. I then called Adams directly to see if they had an F4 (4v) available to send to ACB, and they did, so ACB kindly swapped out the F2 for the F4 for a nominal restocking fee. (They sonic clean and relubricate any horn that comes back to them.) Some players prefer a lighter flugel sound that easily responds and that does not have a tubby sound at all. I prefer more contrast between my trumpet to flugel to picc to whatever, so that there are noticeable differences in timbre between all of these. That might be one question to ask yourself, whether you lean toward the former or the latter. I've found that the blow is probably the biggest thing to discover with any horn purchase. When I tried a friend's Conn Vintage One last fall, I did not like it, but part of that is the difference in bore size (.413) to the Getzen 4v (.460). I would need some time to adjust to that bore size before really giving a fair response. The biggest adjustment for me with both of the Adams flugels I've played is the low C, B, Bb, and A tend to be flat with my preferred mouthpiece (Wick 2FL). Now that I've "learned" the horn, all of that pitch inconsistency is starting to iron itself out. |
There a ton of differing opinions on 3V vs 4V I won’t go down that rabbit hole however I have to ask had you not been playing on a 4V already would it have been an issue?
JJ |
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dstpt
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| Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 8:02 am Post subject: |
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| AwesomeDad wrote: | | There a ton of differing opinions on 3V vs 4V I won’t go down that rabbit hole however I have to ask had you not been playing on a 4V already would it have been an issue? |
Right. I wouldn't want anyone to go down that rabbit hole, unless they were seriously considering the possibility of a 4v.
To answer your question, I would have been plenty satisfied with the F2 if a 4v was not as important to me.
Last edited by dstpt on Thu Mar 08, 2018 11:39 am; edited 2 times in total |
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dr_trumpet
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| Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 8:24 am Post subject: |
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| bach_again wrote: | You'll have a better idea if you play both, I presume you haven't.
I'd bet the Adams is the better horn, the Conn isn't held in the highest regard. That said it might suit you, who knows. I have played neither. My 1525 is going nowhere.
Mike |
Sorry Mike, but my Conn is great, as are most that I have played. How many times have I come across a flugelhorn with the sound and tuning of my Conn? Once...and it was another Conn Vintage One.
Also wonder why I've never heard of these issues until here?
Not trying to bust your chops, but dropping a statement like that requires some sort of justification or at least more information.
AL
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kehaulani
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| Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 8:45 am Post subject: |
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I think your question begs another: how are you going to use it? Solo work where, IMO, sound is a big factor or a doubler's instrument occasionally in a large, amateur ensemble?
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AwesomeDad
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| Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 9:49 am Post subject: |
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| kehaulani wrote: | I think your question begs another: how are you going to use it? Solo work where, IMO, sound is a big factor or a doubler's instrument occasionally in a large, amateur ensemble?
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If you haven't lived it, you can't blow it. |
Just some local group stuff nothing fancy...
JJ |
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razeontherock
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Location: The land of GR and Getzen
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| Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 10:34 am Post subject: |
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| VetPsychWars wrote: | The Getzen Custom Reserve is also worth your attention.
Tom |
Hands down best!
As far as ordering goes, BOTH owners of the Company post here, and have been solid contributors. Send a PM to BrettGetzen with 4895 in the subject line asking how to get one, he'll hook you up ... |
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