How do you know if a student flugelhorn is “good enough”

[Trumpetstud]

If someone is going to play professionally how do you determine if a student flugelhorn will be good enough to do the job?

[JayKosta]

works reliably, can be played in tune, sounds like a fluegel should.
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Most Important Note ? - the next one !
KNOW (see) what the next note is BEFORE you have to play it.
PLAY the next note 'on time' and 'in rhythm'.
Oh ya, watch the conductor - they set what is 'on time'.

[Trumpetstud]

Thanks Jay

[Robert P]

[Trumpetstud]

Don’t want to spend the money or rather not sure if I want to.

[Jerry]

How about a Curry or GR mouthpiece that sounds flugelly?

[Robert P]

[stuartissimo]

[Robert P]

[stuartissimo]

[shofarguy]

[Louise Finch]

I think it largely depends on what your flugel sound concept is rather than what equipment you play.

I've only had the briefest listen to Helen Williams, and obviously a great player, but my opinion is that brass band flugel players have a different approach and sound concept to those who use a flugel for jazz

Despite being a brass cornet player (although I do admittely play flugel predominantly for jazz unless I get asked to dep on flugel in a brass band), my sound concept is more along the lines of Roy Hargrove:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqdnupOB3dE

I of course don't claim to be any Roy Hargrove or Helen Williams, but presumably owing to my sound concept, my Bach 183 with a Bach 3CFL gives me the sound concept I'm after. If I can be permitted to say so, I don't claim to be anything special as a player on any instrument (I'm definitely only a reasonably experienced amateur player), but I am grateful to receive many compliments about my flugel sound. I believe that a flugel sounds like a flugel in my hands, not like a trumpet or cornet, because I approach flugel as a flugel and have a flugel sound concept.

I don't think it is just sound, it is also how you approach flugel. If you don't approach flugel like a flugel, it will not sound like a flugel. What I do feel helps, is having more of a traditional small bore flugel rather than a larger bored doublers flugel. I once borrowed a colleagues Yamaha 631G as I had managed to leave my flugel at home. A very nice flugel, but it would let you play it like a trumpet if you approached it that way. I really had to think flugel to maintain my flugel sound with it. I feel that the .401" bore of my Bach 183 really helps me to approach the Bach 183 like a flugel.

Maybe I'm contradicting myself somewhat, but I don't think so. I think that first and foremost that you need to approach flugel like a flugel with an appropriate sound concept, and that this is easier on a flugel that encourages you to play it with a flugel approach. In my opinion, this is not a doublers flugel horn. These are easy to double on, because they don't in my opinion necessarily insist on your playing them like a flugel. You can play them more like a trumpet in my opinion, and make them sound more like a trumpet.

So, to end, I don't think it is the quality of the chinese flugel horns which is necessarily the problem, more that they tend to be more doublers instruments, which makes sense as someone wanting to double is more likely to go for a cheaper option. I would imagine that a chinese stencil of a traditional small bore flugel, would easier allow a more characteristic flugel sound and approach.

Just my 2p worth.

All the best

Lou
_________________
Trumpets:
Yamaha 8335 Xeno II
Bach Strad 180ML/37
B&H Oxford
Kanstul F Besson C
Yamaha D and D/Eb
- James R New Custom 3Cs
Flugel:
Bach Strad 183 - Bach 3CFL
Cornets:
Yamaha Neo + Xeno
Bach Strad 184ML
B&H Imperial
- Kanstul Custom 3Cs

[Robert P]

[Trumpetstud]

The BIG reason I even have this horn is that a friend knows I play trumpet and he gave it to me to play to help honor his dad with it. I would like to do that but not to the detriment of the music. I really don’t think it’s bad but I’ve never played a pro level flugelhorn. I’ve played the same trumpet since my parents bought it for me. Bach Strad 37. I did play (once) a student trumpet and I could tell a difference just in how it played. It was a big difference. I don’t really feel that with this flugelhorn. It may be a pro horn but I don’t think so.

[Louise Finch]

[Louise Finch]

[Trumpetstud]

Thanks for help!!

[JayKosta]

[HaveTrumpetWillTravel]

OP, what exactly is the instrument? Beyond the sound concept discussion, which is very helpful, here are a few more thoughts:
1. Modern flugels have improved intonation a lot.
2. There's pretty wide variation among the Chinese doublers, but they can be good.
3. Mouthpiece shank is important (must match the horn you are playing) and cup size can also influence intonation.

I have the Jupiter 1100, which is a smaller bore instrument and plays really well for me, but I haven't played a lot of other instruments. I thought I'd like the deep curry cups, but they made intonation worse. My flugelhorn is very "vanilla," but I prefer that to something old and pitchy.

If you tell us what you have, people here can offer advice on possible quirks or how to improve the setup.

[Louise Finch]