BSA Bugles -- Comments Please?

Brian Mileshosky

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Jun 13, 2001, 10:44:03 PM6/13/01

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Hi All,

I am considering buying the 2001 National Jamboree Bugle, but
would like to get some opinions about Boy Scout bugles first. This
will be my first bugle and I will learn on this one.

How would you rate the quality of the BSA-made bugle?

Do you have one? How do you like it? Any problems? Anything
else I should know about before purchasing it?

I've wanted to learn how to bugle for a long time and now I'm
gonna do it. Any comments would be appreciated at brian...@aol.com

Thanks,
Brian
Albuquerque, NM
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Thomas Arneberg

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Jun 14, 2001, 9:53:10 AM6/14/01

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In article <3b282424...@news.swcp.com>,

Brian Mileshosky <brian...@aol.com> wrote:
>Hi All,
>
> I am considering buying the 2001 National Jamboree Bugle, but
>would like to get some opinions about Boy Scout bugles first. This
>will be my first bugle and I will learn on this one.
>
> How would you rate the quality of the BSA-made bugle?
>
> Do you have one? How do you like it? Any problems? Anything
>else I should know about before purchasing it?
>
> I've wanted to learn how to bugle for a long time and now I'm
>gonna do it. Any comments would be appreciated at brian...@aol.com

I recently got a used BSA bugle ("Rexcraft") on Ebay for $35. There are
several per week for sale on Ebay, going for between $25 and $75. I also
bought one on the Internet (before the web) back in 1992, for $25.

IMHO, it really doesn't matter about the quality. I was our troop
bugler as a boy back in the 1970's, and I learned from scratch with no
prior musical training. Just start blowing, and you'll have it in a few
weeks! (Don't try too long a session at first; you have to build up
your amateur...amature...ambashre...er, your lips.)

We took our brand new troop to our first camporee last month, and I was
a little surprised and disappointed that no other troop had a bugler!
To me, that is an important part of scouting. We did bugle calls every
morning (Reville), Mess Call for every meal, Assembly for every gathering,
To the Colors for every flag ceremony, and Taps every evening. At our
weekly meeting, we sound Assembly to start it, To The Colors for the
flag, and Taps at the end of each meeting.

We have fifteen boys in our new troop, and at least six of them are very
interested in becoming the troop bugler. I have done all the bugling
myself for our first two months' of existence -- yes, I know, it's not
"boy-led" for a 40-year-old to be bugling, but I wanted to set the
standard, and I think within the next month we'll have our first of many
boys serving in the bugling position.

John O

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Jun 14, 2001, 1:24:29 PM6/14/01

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(Don't try too long a session at first; you have to build up
> your amateur...amature...ambashre...er, your lips.)

LOL, "embochure." And I only know that from my elementary music lessons.

Brian, take Tom's advice and start slowly. A bugle has a small mouthpiece
and it'll rip your lips up if you try too hard, too fast. You CAN hurt
yourself if you try to blow too loud and too high before you have the chops
for it. If you can get a lesson as you start, you'll avoid bad habits that
might limit your success. Any trumpeter can help, too.

I have a BSA bugle from the mid-70's, and it's fine. The only part I'm not
happy with is the mouthpiece. It's not a good one, and that makes a lot of
difference in the tone and your comfort. Fortunately, you can buy
replacements at any good music store.

Have fun!

John O
T696 ASM
SW MI Council

whs

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Jun 15, 2001, 1:23:30 PM6/15/01

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Rexcraft Bugles are fine.

We have a BSA model and a new one.

YISS;
Bill Sills

whs

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Jun 15, 2001, 1:29:32 PM6/15/01

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All but two of the ships in our local council squadron have
buglers. The boatswain, boatswain's mate and the coxswains
of each ship with the exception of the water-skiers and the
new ship also sound calls on their boatswain's pipes. As I
mentioned, one ship only does water-skiing and the other is
brand new. The new one has no boatswain's pipers either BUT
I am sure that will be cured later. :-)

YISS;
Bill Sills