Flugabone or fly?

[garethjoice]

I'm seriously on the look out for a decent flugabone, yes one of those weird valved marching trombones. But living in little ol' England UK there's not many decent ones around, either being manufactured or used in decent fully playable condition with all slides and valves working as they should (no clonky sounds - hehe).

I am looking for something like a King 1130 or an Olds O-21, maybe a Reynolds especially after seeing a VT in a dark, dank internet black hole.

I was tempted by the Schmitt Music flugabone, known as "Lake City 415 Flugabone" [], but am wavering after noticing the instrument went out of tune on a top G

So, tell me Euphonium-ists of your flugabone-playing experiences, what is your ideal flugabone? and Why?

[notaverygoodname]

I never played a Flugabone because I'm not paying over $400 for such a thing. My Fake Trombone of choice is the Trombonium. Great sound if you like a peashooter, and easiest slotting ever. Awful choice of instrument if your choice of mouthpiece is a toilet bowl. Hates large cup diameter. Won't play in tune with a large throat profile. Comes in yet another proprietary shank type that is probably the same as the proprietary Olds tenor shank, but not worth confirming. Just ream it. I would fully understand if this sort of instrument isn't everyone's cup of tea, though. It's kinda ugly and really hard to play loud.

Concerning intonation, it's going to be all mouthpiece on these sorts of things. Having played the Trombonium, I predict that the main motivation for inventing the Flugabone was to make something that could play with a 6.5AL. If the Flugabone is as much like a Marching Mellophone as it looks, then it's not going to play in tune with anything except large throat mouthpieces. The bore profile is sure to be far more mouthpiece hateful than any Trombone or Euphonium.

[Richard III]

I have both the King marching trombone and the Blessing marching baritone. I also have many, many mouthpieces. The intonation of each horn is fine. I don't think a 6.5AL is appropriate for either. Most jazz players use a 12C or similar.

Regarding the Lake City flugabone. I was put off by the cost. My Blessing was under $300. My King was somewhere between the Lake City and my Blessing in cost.

Now about sound and mouthpiece choice. It really comes down to what you want to use it for. I've also got a very old Conn upright baritone. I play my horns in a trad jazz band, either playing the trumpet part or the trombone part.

The marching trombone can be a bit nasal in sound, again depending on the mouthpiece. The marching baritone has a larger, more sonorous sound but does not project as much as the marching trombone. I enjoy playing them both. If I was going to play a more modern jazz, small group combo style of gig, I would go for the marching baritone. And then there is a blending or not blending issue. You pick your weapon of choice for each situation.