12 Best Flugelhorn Reviews and the Best Flugel horn Brands
And now for my review of this instrument. Based on a 5* rating
Materials- ****
Workmanship- ****
Finish- *****
Mechanics- ***
Valves- ***
Weight- ***
Feel- ***
Response- ***
Intonation- ****
Threading on Valves and Valve caps- *
Original Mouthpiece- *
Case- *
General comments-
• 3 water keys (1st water key did not work because the spring was installed incorrectly)
• 3rd valve slide spring loaded compensator works very well
• The instrument feels very light which might be the reason it sounds more on the bright side.
• Overall length seemed short after playing my Conn (Hawk- 16 1/2 inches / Conn- 17inches)
• Drastic improvement in tone when replacing the original mouthpiece with a Wayne Bergeron WB FLUGEL MOUTHPIECE ($230.00)
• The inside of the instrument needs to be cleaned thoroughly for much manufacturing material- oil, grit, etc. remains on the inside which will eventually get into the valves.
• The quality of the case materials are minimal as well as the actual protection of the instrument
• Case zipper wouldn’t last long
• No latches on the cases, only the zipper holds it together
• Removal and reinserting valves is awkward and difficult
Overall opinion of the Hawk Flugelhorn-
The most outstanding feature of this instrument is its cost. Where can you find an instrument at that price that is praised so highly by its customers? It is true that the vast majority of purchasers of the Hawk are not working musicians but how much horn do you need to play a few tunes with your community band. If longevity and durability is important to you, chances are this instrument will not hold up as well as a more expensive model.
The sound quality of this instrument is more edgy than most seasoned players would like for if you want to contrast the trumpet sound to the flugelhorn sound, the Hawk isn’t that much of a difference. If on the other hand you would opt for a better mouthpiece, the sound of this flugelhorn comes very, very close to the sound most pros would expect. If you spend $300 for the horn and then have to turn around and spend an additional $230 for a better mouthpiece, you may want to reconsider that move.
For decades, musical instrument manufacturers prided themselves on producing a “handmade instrument”. With the advent of robotics, we are now able to produce better manufactured products with much greater consistency at a much lower cost. Welcome to the new world of China.
In conclusion I would like to say that the Hawk flugelhorn has just what you are looking for if you are wanting an inexpensive (no I would change that to “cheap”) instrument to contrast your trumpet sound and do not expect it to last as long as your expensive trumpet/cornet.
To give you an idea as to the sound produced by the Hawk and give you some comparison to the sound of a much more expensive counter part, I recorded a flugelhorn solo with the Hawk as well as my favorite flugelhorn (Conn Vintage 1). This may be helpful when deciding on a cheaper instrument or a more expensive one.
