Yamaha YFH-631G Series Bb Flugelhorn

Share

I pondered both thi, the Kanstul and the Shew Flugel but could not sort out a reason for a smaller bore flugel and could not come up with the scratch for the Kanstul and now that I have the Yamaha I do not feel I missed out trying any other horn. I am just in love with this baby. I have played for years and started up recently but when I got into a lot of imrprov.I wanted a Flugel to artistically express many bluesy ballads where I could join in but the key here is ballads, slower songs that call for that bar rooms smokey sound only a rich flugel can give. Well this horn, at a steal of a price, and I really mean that, does not disappoint. It is easy to play as is i have now found typical of Yamaha trumpets and flugels. I can play naturally up to a high E or F and with the (trigger/4th valve) I can keep right in key in the lower register...now i find myself wishing my trumpets had one of those triggers..although a flugel runs far sharper in the lower range. There is also a bit of an issue in spit build up, you need to clear the horn on all 3 valves and it builds up quite a bit over the trumpet I find. I have 3 trumpets, a Strad, a Yamaha LA and a Bach 37 and for whatever reason the yamahas realy need those spit valves...but its not unmanageable- its just that the bore of this baby will make it gurgle if you do not clear (sorry for that but it surprised me a bit- only draw back and not sure its not something on all flugels).. The tone whether owed in part credit to my playing- the mouth piece that came with it is PERFECT, I can not suit a better piece to it and I usually play shallower mouth pieces but you need the depth here or it changes smoky barroom voice she sings with.... the tone may also be due to the rosy copper content I hear the bell has (I also opted for lacquer as I did NOT want to brighten the tone). Result, a deep rich flugel sound. When I condenser microphone it with the Yamaha YC7 microphone I can really hit some of the ballads I had just known the flugel would blow away any trumpet on. I mean you can not hit a killer blues lead on a flugel so each horn has its place...Examples are Herbie Hancock's "Possibilities" ballad "DON'T EXPL:AIN"--it just hits it even better than a saxaphone could IMHO and does not rough up vocals.....I am almost so in love with this I keep repeating the phrase "your trumpet is your wife" your flugel is your 'mistress" and boy I am spending a lot of time sneaking around behind the wife's back! SO much so i had to go out and get a Schilke Faddis...just to stay in love with my trumpet equally well..now that is another love story for the ages...