Thomann FH-900J Raw JAZZ Bb-Flugelhorn

i love love LOVE this froodle. my main flug for years was/is a getzen eterna, had it since forever, absolutely beautiful instrument, did everything i wanted it to do, i could be playing lead trumpet for ages and as soon as i picked it up it was 'instant flugel', so if i'm honest i bought this one for a bit of a laugh, rather than spending £3k on a taylor i wanted something that looked a bit beaten up and could call it a 'jazz' flugel.

honestly i love it. i love what it looks like, it's weight & balance, i love the raw finish, the different sized valve bottoms - sooo cool, sooo clever, to the uninitiated you can kid them it makes a difference to the tone, a little bit of 'headology' - the 3rd valve trigger, and lordy, what it sounds like, oh dear heavens, rich, dark (a chocolate flugel?), full sound, easily a match for the getzen (the getzen is silver so maybe a little brighter), the valves are fine (after a bit of 'playing in'), i can't praise it highly enough. and i love turning up with it on gigs and seeing the "pfft, what a pile of junk, can't be any good..." and then playing it and seeing the jaws drop. seriously, it sings.

value for money? you've got to be joking! i had a couple of people query how such a cheap instrument could sound so good (hadn't the heart to tell them a lot of it is down to the person playing it...), and after standing next to me on gigs with it (and even lending to it one guy) three other people have bought one.

if you're not sure, take advantage of thomann's returns policy: buy one, play it, and not just tootling in the back bedroom, play it properly, love it, keep it, you won't be disappointed.

I am a flugelhorn player inside and out. The trumpet is second to playing the flugelhorn in my life. However, I can play both with equal proficiency. I was nervous with this purchase due to not having the privilege to play it before I purchase it. But I took an chance and I am very pleased to say I have hit the jackpot with this one! I wanted a piston flugelhorn that was more flugel than the cerveny flugelhorns I have been playing on for years. Something that was more dark and cloudy for more expression in the music I play. This flugelhorn is everything I could have wanted and more. The overall voice(sound) is cloudy and very flugel. I played it legato and presto and I am very happy to have this in my flugelhorn family. It is number one with all of my legato/beautiful music I play. My Cerveny rotary valve is for my Baroque music, but this is for serenading and controlling expressions within the music that changes dynamics from soft,gentle, and expressive. I use a Bach B5 flugel and a Denis Wick 4FL and I am singing to the heavens with dark and cloudy love!! Overall response, features, SOUND, and quality is top quality to me. I would pay 2 to 3 thousand easy if I know how it played, but this price is fantastic!