Wessex Tubas FB-124 Flugabone vs Dynasty M566

[davewerden]

I suppose it is possible (even likely) that ALL such Flugabone-type instruments will not be happy with the mouthpieces we normally use. As discussed in various threads here, some vintage horns don't like the 4-size mouthpieces, or even 5's very much. And those are a much larger bore than a Flugabone. I would think something like a 6-1/2AL might be the large end of the scale for those, but I'm not sure. I have fooled with such horns on displays and just used my Wick 4BS because I had it with me. But I didn't get into any serious testing or playing.

[Richard III]

I have a Blessing marching baritone. It doesn't really like the 6 1/2AL. In fact it really doesn't like any really deep cupped mouthpieces. It does like more shallow style cups, that being a relative term. Since, like with all my other brass instruments, I have a box of mouthpieces, there always a few there that seem to work really well. The Bach 12C is the usually recommended mouthpiece for this style of horn. The Stork 3 also works well, as it is Stork's version of the 12C. The Schilke 42 gives it a particular warm and fluid sound that I like. I also have some vintage mouthpieces that work really well, but those are pretty obscure so not worth mentioning their names.

[EvanWeeks]

Richard, the mouthpiece that came with the flugabone was essentially a 6/12AL. I also tried a DW 5BS (more out of curiosity than anything else), 9BS and Bach 12C. And like you said, the 12C seemed to work "best" out of them, but none of them really solved the issue for me.

[Richard III]

Richard, the mouthpiece that came with the flugabone was essentially a 6/12AL. I also tried a DW 5BS (more out of curiosity than anything else), 9BS and Bach 12C. And like you said, the 12C seemed to work "best" out of them, but none of them really solved the issue for me.

Ah too bad. I'm guessing the horn is not what we would have hoped it would be. Too bad. Flugabones are expensive due to the notoriety (my guess). Being able to buy a budget version new would be cool.

John Powell's demonstration does not show the horn to be the desired instrument either. Oh well.

Best of luck.