Posted: Mon May 16, 2022 7:48 am Post subject: Oiram "Ack" flugelhorn
Hi everyone!
I'm seriously thinking of obtaining a VanLaar Oiram "Ack" Flugelhorn to try but I need your help!
For any of you that may own one, or have played one, I'd appreciate ANY feed back that you can give me. I'm concerned about the following things:
(1) weight...is it a "tank"? Maybe compare it to a Yamaha 631G weight?
(2) Response...I do NOT want a lethargic response nor a tubby sound. I don't even mind some brightness.
(3) Does it accept a Large Morse Taper like a Yamaha flugel?
(4) how is the upper register as I use that alot in my playing? Had an Adams F1 and F5 and found them way too tight upstairs almost to the point of being unusable up there.
(5) Even though the "Ack" is listed as "heavy" does the horn feel balanced in the player's hands?
Anything else that you can add/think of to help me make a decision would be GREATFULLY appreciated!
I thank you all in advanced!
Butch
Last edited by maynard-46 on Mon May 16, 2022 10:08 am; edited 1 time in total
At ITG 2018 in San Antonio, I spent 2.5 hrs in the Van Laar / East Coast Trumpets room, specifically playing only the VL flugels. I think they had all but maybe 1 or 2 represented, which gave me over ten to play, and I think they had 3 of the 4 OIRAM models, including the Ack, Fresu, and Sandoval models. I don't think they had the Belmondo model there. (BTW, OIRAM is a palindrome for MARIO, which is the first name of the designer of these VL flugelhorn models.)
I was looking for a tonal profile on the other end of the spectrum and chose the Fresu, which had great intonation throughout, esp. above the staff, and that was with a Denis Wick 2FL, which is a somewhat deep mpc. For jazz solos in a big band setting, for instance, I think the Ack would perfect, though.
1. I don't recall the Ack model being heavy; in fact, it seems that it was the lightest of the OIRAMs. Even the Sandoval, which has the largest bell diameter of the OIRAMs, wasn't heavy, so you should be good there.
2. All of the Van Laar flugels had excellent response, and the Ack definitely had a light timbre to it (which wasn't what I wanted at the time, but it would absolutely be a usable sound, if that makes sense). I would probably prefer that sound if I needed a flugel that would easily be heard in an ensemble.
3. Yes, it took my Wick 2FL with no problem, which has a Yamaha Morse taper.
4. I don't recall any of the VL flugels feeling tight above the staff. I did notice that the Fresu absolutely had the best intonation of all of them, but I think that its construct was more receptive to the Wick 2FL I was using. If I had my eye/ear on a lighter sound and wanted the Ack model, then I'd do some hunting for the right mpc to make it work, because, as we know, it's all about matching player>mpc>horn.
5. Again, it didn't feel heavy or awkward to hold at all.
OK, I have no useful contribution other than stating that OIRAM is not a palindrome of MARIO. It is simply the name spelled backwards OK, back to music _________________ 2019 Martin Schmidt eXcellence
1992 Bach 43GH/43
1989 Kühnl & Hoyer Model 15 flugel
1980/2023 Custom Blessing Scholastic C 😎
1977 Conn 6B
1951 Buescher 400 Lightweight
AR Resonance, Frate, Klier
OK, I have no useful contribution other than stating that OIRAM is not a palindrome of MARIO. It is simply the name spelled backwards OK, back to music
He's right, you know.
If the name were "OIRIO" or "MARAM", each of those would be a standalone example of a palindrome.
By the way, it occurs to me that "palindrome" is an example of a one-word oxymoron, since the word palindrome is not itself a palindrome! Fortunately, wiser (comedic) heads prevailed when suggesting names of related psychological conditions:
aibohphobia -- fear of palindromes
ailihphilia -- love of palindromes
NOW back to music . . . _________________ "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"
OK, I have no useful contribution other than stating that OIRAM is not a palindrome of MARIO. It is simply the name spelled backwards OK, back to music
My bad. Hannah, kayak, civic, madam...are all palindromes...and I knew this. Duh.
Two months ago, I planned a trip to ITG so I can flugel shop. Several Van Laars were at the top of my list to try. As of this week, all three active Van Laar dealers have backed out of the exhibits, so there is a very high chance that I won't even get to play test one, let alone several like dstpt did... lucky! So much for this trip... maybe I'll still find a gem to bring home, but I'm really bummed about VL. _________________ Josh Coffey
Milano Music Center
Joined: 15 Feb 2022 Posts: 34 Location: Upstate NY
Posted: Thu May 26, 2022 8:55 am Post subject:
jcoffey wrote:
Two months ago, I planned a trip to ITG so I can flugel shop. Several Van Laars were at the top of my list to try. As of this week, all three active Van Laar dealers have backed out of the exhibits, so there is a very high chance that I won't even get to play test one, let alone several like dstpt did... lucky! So much for this trip... maybe I'll still find a gem to bring home, but I'm really bummed about VL.
I, also, planned to attend ITG San Antonio but decided to cancel. Travel and hotel expenses are simply too high.
I did drive to the National Trumpet Competition in Delaware on April 2nd, but that's a much shorter trip for me. I didn't see any Van Laars there, however.
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