Yamaha Brass Serial Number Lookup
Sofie Kovalcheck
I've attempted, rather than to describe in detail thespecifications of each horn, to link where possible this page withthe manufacturer's page for each of the horns. Occasionally theflugelhorns do not occupy a single page, so one must scroll throughother brasswinds to find the flugelhorns listed.
A note about pricing: The prices here quoted are primarilyfrom the Giardinelli 2000catalog. Giardinelli is a large mail order discounter in New Yorkstate that publishes annually a very extensive catalog that is avaluable research tool even if you never order a thing. Giardinellialso publishes a Bach and Yamaha price list which other retailersnever do--though you must specifically request the separate pricelist when you order the catalog. It is for this reason that they havebeen chosen for the benchmark prices. There are numerous othernational retailers whose prices are similar or even below that ofGiardinelli, and as with most everything else in life, it pays toshop around.
A note about flugel bore sizes: With the exception of theYamaha YFH 631 and 731, the flugelhorns below break into one of twocamps, those with small (e.g., 0.415 inch) bores and those withlarger more trumpet like (0.453 - 0.460) bores. This is a staggeringdifference considering that trumpets range from medium bores of, say,0.445 to large bores of about .464, a difference of 0.021, comparedto the more than doubled 0.045 difference in flugels. The small boreflugels play quite differently from the larger bored horns and oneshould really try one of each, if at all possible, to see which groupfeels the better to you. The large bore horns, though still soundinglike flugels, play more like a trumpet. They have less resistance,take more air easily and are capable of more volume (though I am notsure how important volume is in a flugelhorn). The smaller bore hornstend to be easy to play but can get stuffy when pushed at all. Atleast when I play them.
As a result, the market for pro flugelhorns is probably dominatedby Yamaha. They make high quality products that are priced reasonablyand benefit from the market saturation of Yamaha dealers (i.e., theyare easy to find, try and buy). Yamaha has three pro models. TheYFH631, has a 0.433 inch bore, a rose brass bell, and clear lacquer.Its introduction dates back to the days when Yamaha product numbershad only three digits and 6xx meant lacquer and 7xx meant silverplated. This horn lists for $1,571, but is priced at $960 atGiardinelli. Yamaha describes the horn, with a rose brass bell andclear lacquer, as having "a clear light sound". The companion horn,theYFH731 is silver plated and has a yellow brass bell, but isotherwise identical to the YFH 631. The 731 lists at $1694, but isstreet priced at $1035. Yamaha describes it as "somewhat darkersounding than the 631," though silver plated, rather than lacquered.Many feel that silver brightens a flugel so flugels are more popularin lacquer than are trumpets. As mentioned above, the Yamaha 631/731,with its 0.433 bore appears to be a medium bore flugels and is uniquein that regard, when compared to all the other models.
Most of the Yamaha pro model brasses are made in Japan though acouple of models are made in the United States, including the YFH-631and -731 flugelhorns. You can tell what is made in the US by theserial number. If the number has an "A" following it, the horn wasmade in Grand Rapids. No "A" would indicate it was made in Japan.
The current top of the Yamaha line is theYFH6310Z, a small bore (0.413 inch) flugelhorn companion to the YTR6310Z trumpet with design assistance by jazz trumpeter Bobby Shew.Most believe that this is Yamaha's finest flugel to date and it isclearly a high quality well designed instrument. It is a copy ofShew's personal old Couesnon flugelhorn, with Yamaha engineering andmanufacturing quality. It lists in silver at $2009, in lacquer at$1885, and bears a street price of $1228 and $1152, respectively. Theformer Yamaha top of the line model is the YFH 635T, a copy of anolder F. Besson small bore flugel. This horn is also a very finehorn, costing more than the current YFH 6310Z, and is very popularamong professional players. It would be a great value in the usedmarket.
Given that the Yamaha prices are clustered between $960 and $1228,the quality of the horns is roughly similar as well. Many folks findone of these adequate for their purposes and thus their marketdomination.
The best alternatives to Yamaha at about the same price are fromthe House of Kanstul, including the newly releasedKanstulChicago, theKanstulCustom Class CCF 925, and the F. Besson small boreBrevette with eachhaving a 0.415 bore and 6 inch bell. The CCF 925 and the Brevettehorns share a unique direct airflow design through the valve casings,and are otherwise identical with the exception of water keys and thetuning bits (the Brevette has traditional waterkeys and a Frenchtaper tuning bit; the CCF 925 has Amato water keys and the morecommon Maurice tuning bit). The Chicago model, another Couesnon copy,has the traditional staggered valve port design. Kanstul also makestwo larger (0.460 inch) bore flugels, the F. BessonMeha (perhapsdiscontinued at this point) and the Alan Colin designed,Max Flugelhorn,with horizontal valve slides, first and third slide rings, and thedirect airflow design of the Kanstul CC and Brevette. Each of thesefive models is priced at between $1150 and $1250 in lacquer, withsilver costing about $100 more, with the exception of the F. Bessonmodels, which tend, unlike the trumpets, to cost more than thecompanion Kanstul versions.
Holton/LeBlanc recently introduced the F357 Arturo Sandoval Model,which appears to be a copy of the heavy wall copper bell KanstulSignature ZKF 1525 (see below), the same way that the SandovalLeBlanc T357 trumpet is an obvious copy of Arturo's Schilke X3.Priced at about $1220 in lacquer (list $2125), the flugel appears tobe competing directly with these horns and has had initially goodreviews as to both sound quality and intonation. Whether the Holtonquality control is sufficient to warrant its inclusion on the longterm with the horns made by Yamaha and Kanstul is still undetermined.The other Holton flugel, the F101 Artist, is undistinguished andcannot be recommended.
For more money, there are two flugels that are often thought of asthe best available. TheKanstulSignature ZKF 1525 heavy wall copper bell flugel (0.420 bore) andthe French madeCourtois154G rose brass bell model. They each have small bores and have avery dark flugel sound, but maintain better intonation and responsethroughout the horn than some of the less expensive. These are eachpriced around $1500 and very popular even at that price point. Manyfeel the cost difference is justified over the more popularly pricedmodels above.
At the even higher price points, the recently released small boreCallichioflugel plays as well as the trumpets and is a model of craftsmanship,as is the uniquely designed large boreCallet Jazz flugel,made for Jerry Callet by Kanstul. These are both priced near $1800.For still more money, Calicchio makes its same flugel out of allcopper for $2500.
Also at that price point are theSmith-Watkinsflugels, made in England. These, I am told, play very much in tuneand have a tone suitable for British-style brass band, with slottingof pitches and ease of response similar to a high quality trumpet.
Another unique English flugel is that made byAndyTaylor. Much heavier than others, similar to Taylor's trumpets,with a unique lacquered brushed brass finish, it plays very well withsome of the same similar projection qualities of the more popularheavy weight horns. The one I recently tested was perhaps the mostsatisfying and enjoyable flugel I've ever played. Aside from thesound, I particularly liked the little cloisonne images of MickeyMouse on the valve buttons (an extra cost option, I was told).
The Spanish companyStomvi hasintroduced a flugelhorn that is very highly thought of, though theyare very rare still, and which embodies a unique approach. The StomviMaster, street priced for introduction at $1995, comes with twointerchangeable bells (one brass for a brighter tone, and one silver for a darker tone), three interchangeablelead pipes, 3rd slide trigger, heavy bottom valve caps, gold platedbody, Amato water keys, Stomvi mouthpiece (probably close to 3C or 5CBach) and accessories such as cleaning kit, extra valve springs,felts, etc. The photograph of the horn at the Stomvi site does not doit justice, so I've included one of the whole package here.
The Swiss craftsman ThomasInderbinen makes the "Wood" model Flugelhorn, currently beingplayed by Roy Hargrove and Randy Brecker. The craftsmanship is saidto be peerless as is the intonation. They also have a unique, not tosay unusual, look. The horns are not officially distributed in theUnited States but can be purchased direct from the company throughthe web site for $3200.
Overall, as you can see, the influence of Zig Kanstul permeates,as each of the above non-Yamaha horns, with the exception of theCallichio and the European and English flugels, is copied from,designed, or manufactured by Kanstul. In addition, two of the mostdesirable used flugelhorns, the orphaned F.E. Olds and the large boreBenge (Los Angeles), were also designed by Zig Kanstul.
Other used horns which are good choices are the French madeCouesnon flugels that established in the 50's and 60's the popularityof the flugelhorn as a jazz instrument. These were popular withplayers of the time because of their nice sound and inexpensiveprice. They were also notorious for poor intonation and somewhatcheesy construction. Today the classic Couesnon flugel is somethingof a cult horn and their prices are often higher than other usedflugelhorns that are made better and play as well. The Couesnonfactory burned down a few years ago and the company ceased or greatlydecreased operations. However, Couesnon is now again in production,on a much smaller scale, and high quality handmade flugels areavailable, at least if you speak French. For more information take alook at this.
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