Thomann FH 600 Bb-Flugelhorn

I am very impressed with the quality of sound as well as ease of play in all registers. You will need a German shank flugelhorn mouthpiece to get the best out of this instrument. Mark Curry does make German shank flugelhorn mouthpieces. The flaw I found with the instrument is that the threading of the valves was really bad. I almost couldn't get my third valve back in after oiling it. Applying quality grease did help. The valves are ok but could be better. If the quality of the threading was better this could be a fine instrument to play. My other flugelhorn that I've owned and played since 1983 is a Back Stradivarius that my daughter just took to college otherwise I wouldn't be looking for a new flugelhorn. All in all if you are looking for a great playing instrument with a good quality of sound I can totally recomend this instrument. If you have the wrong mouthpiece you could have intonation problems also. It played well enough that I've decided to keep it instead of sending it back. I also bought a Thomann Piccolo Trumpet that is a little tight compared to my P5-4MA Schilke but it does play extremely well in case you are looking at other Thomann trumpets. In the future I also plan on buying a Thomann Eb trumpet as well. I've been greatly surprised by the quality of their instruments that are extremely affordable (I've played for 49 years almost 40 of those years professionally). I hope this helps with your search for quality instruments.

I bought this as my first flugelhorn, about 1 year ago.
I have found it's a great horn for learning, and hence i believe that it's
a good instrument for anyone that needs a flugelhorn.

The tone is really amazing for the low price. I have mostly played jazz with it and it really sounds wonderful, especially with a little extra reverb.

The quality is also great. Of course nothing is broken, and the valves run smoothly. In the beginning the first valve had a tendency to stay down even after oiling them, but when I started to play more often and when playing regularly, there are no problems.

I've heard that intonation is a problem on many horns, but I haven't noticed anything like that. And of course the intonation valve solves most things for the perfectionists.

Overall it's a wonderful horn, a great instrument case, and one mouthpiece.
I also got a K&M stand, which fits without problem in the horn, in the case.

I recommend this horn for any beginner, and for any advanced trumpet player who wants to expand a little.

Pros: It's got a very warm, dark sound. It's just dreamy. It's lighter than expected for its size. The pistons feel very fluid and responsive. Easy to clean and maintain.

You won't want to put it down.

Cons:
Should do full maintenance (washing it) at least once every 2 months, not 3 months like it recommends in the booklet it brings if you're using it weekly, or the valves begin to stick even after oiling.

The middle to upper partials feel distant.

Should purchase a step-up mouthpiece right away with it. The unidentified one it brings is all over the place when it comes to tone.

Your hand's natural oils can quickly damage the lacquer if you're not on top of it wiping it after each session. Using a regular polish spray on the surface with a microfiber cloth helps protect the lacquer.