B&S 3146/2 - Flugel Horn
(Note image above is of the 3145L - the 3146/2 is a Gold Brass Bell option)
Disclaimer: Please note any reviews on this site are purely of my own opinion.
I recommend you check other sites or Google for additional information on products when trying to make a purchase decision.
The B&S range in NZ is still relatively an unknown to the market that has traditionally been dominated by the “Big’ brand - such as Yamaha, Schilke and Bach.
B&S horns are made in Germany by a company called JA Musik GmbH.
They are situated in an area that is steeped in tradition with manufacturing instruments that dates back 100 years.
This particular model is a 3146/2 Brochon Model Flugel.
From the looks of it, it could be a copy of the Bach 183 Flugel.
The 3146/2 has a Gold Brass Bell - which in affect gives the sounds a more ‘colored’ tone and warms the sound a little.
I did some searching on google to best come up with a description about how to best describe how the Gold Brass - and saw a definition of a ‘regal’ quality to it.
This being my first Gold Brass Bell I can certainly say that for this design it works very well.
I (Shawn) personally bought this horn blind - that is no testing, no reviews available - nothing.
Just pure gut instinct and a look at a few specs in an effort to determine if this would fit the bill.
The review is therefore based off 3-4 weeks of playing the horn and going into it completely fresh.
I got lucky this time round….coz it turned out to be a fantastic horn for the price.
The horn comes ready to play out of the case.
It comes with a deluxe case, 5C Flugel Mouthpiece and an accessory pack.
I must mention that if you manage to find one of these horns it will probably be made prior to 2008.
From the B&S website they now only produce a 3145 model and the Elaboration 3418/2.
PROS:
Sound: It sounds like a Flugel should!
To me this means a full warm sound - with a slight hit of what I can only describe as ‘fluffiness’ - that is when you tongue the note - it has that distinct sound that of more like a breath of air being gently released as you play a note.
Over the past year I have tried a lot of major brand Flugels and none had the tone of this one - truly a nice full sound that will have you drifting off Botti style.
You want to blow down a Big Band Ballad, sit in a combo - or play the seasonal Xmas carols?
This horn will cover you for all of it. (Notice I didn’t say Brass Band)
Lightweight: The horn is very light in the hands - I believe that this was designed to mimic the smaller French designs and is very light in the hands.
Valves: The smart people that made these horns also had the stroke of genius to vent the valves to give a fast action. Like and new horn there is a break in period - but I can tell you after a few weeks of playing this one the valves are moving like a vintage horn and fingering passages and licks is no problem.
Accessory Pack: When you purchase a horn it comes with a basic accessory pack. This includes a cloth, slide grease, valve oil and a push me pull me aluminium rod for going through valves etc with the soft cloth.
CONS:
Lack if 1st Valve Water Key: Most designs that I see have a first valve water key - this one does not.
As this is generally the first valve that connects very close to the lead pipe you will not doubt find that water does build up in this area.
Normally it wouldn’t be an issue to pop this off and empty it - but I have to warn you - you won’t be able to do this is a hurry with this horn - the slides are fitted with absolute precision and they are super tight!
So if you’re pulling out please do so with care or it will be on the floor quicker than you can say ‘Doh!’
Case: The case for this horn is nice - but that’s about it.
What the original case designer didn’t factor in was that they made the case just a fraction too big. This means that the Flugel can potentially roll around a little - and rolling around = damage to the finish or scratches. If you want my advice ensure that a) you place a thick cloth around the horn to stop any potential moving or b) get an aftermarket case and be done with it.
Feels Fragile: As with Copper bells etc or any lightweight horn - it does tend to feel a little on the fragile side.
This is not in any means going to detract from any of your playing etc - it’s made that way for a purpose - just be careful putting it on a stand or placing it down etc as I fear it will dent easily.
Tuning: I think that this is more a personal issue with an adjustment period- but in the interests of saying true to the review I have to mention that I think that the C# and the D below the staff play sharp on this horn.
HOW MUCH WOULD I EXPECT TO PAY?
This is a true professional horn - I would not recommend it for ‘Little Johnny’ playing in the weekend community band.
This is a serious piece of equipment. In NZ and AUS expect to from $3800+ for this horn
(Probably closer to $4K). The 2007 RRP in Australia was AU $3895 for this horn.
If you’re lucky you may be able to get a /close-out’ special on this item as I am of the belief that these are now discontinued as the factory is only producing 2 models of Flugel from now on.
This was also available in a Silver or Gold Plate option for extra $$’s.
OVERALL RATING:
This is a very nice horn and is priced at what you would expect to pay.
I would say probably more suited to Jazz Combo or Solo playing than slotting into a section.
If you play Flugel regularly for bands etc - be sure to check out these B&S models as they are at a very reasonable price and the workmanship is fantastic.
(Note image above is of the 3145L - the 3146/2 is a Gold Brass Bell option)
Disclaimer: Please note any reviews on this site are purely of my own opinion.
I recommend you check other sites or Google for additional information on products when trying to make a purchase decision.
The B&S range in NZ is still relatively an unknown to the market that has traditionally been dominated by the “Big’ brand - such as Yamaha, Schilke and Bach.
B&S horns are made in Germany by a company called JA Musik GmbH.
They are situated in an area that is steeped in tradition with manufacturing instruments that dates back 100 years.
This particular model is a 3146/2 Brochon Model Flugel.
From the looks of it, it could be a copy of the Bach 183 Flugel.
The 3146/2 has a Gold Brass Bell - which in affect gives the sounds a more ‘colored’ tone and warms the sound a little.
I did some searching on google to best come up with a description about how to best describe how the Gold Brass - and saw a definition of a ‘regal’ quality to it.
This being my first Gold Brass Bell I can certainly say that for this design it works very well.
I (Shawn) personally bought this horn blind - that is no testing, no reviews available - nothing.
Just pure gut instinct and a look at a few specs in an effort to determine if this would fit the bill.
The review is therefore based off 3-4 weeks of playing the horn and going into it completely fresh.
I got lucky this time round….coz it turned out to be a fantastic horn for the price.
The horn comes ready to play out of the case.
It comes with a deluxe case, 5C Flugel Mouthpiece and an accessory pack.
I must mention that if you manage to find one of these horns it will probably be made prior to 2008.
From the B&S website they now only produce a 3145 model and the Elaboration 3418/2.
PROS:
Sound: It sounds like a Flugel should!
To me this means a full warm sound - with a slight hit of what I can only describe as ‘fluffiness’ - that is when you tongue the note - it has that distinct sound that of more like a breath of air being gently released as you play a note.
Over the past year I have tried a lot of major brand Flugels and none had the tone of this one - truly a nice full sound that will have you drifting off Botti style.
You want to blow down a Big Band Ballad, sit in a combo - or play the seasonal Xmas carols?
This horn will cover you for all of it. (Notice I didn’t say Brass Band)
Lightweight: The horn is very light in the hands - I believe that this was designed to mimic the smaller French designs and is very light in the hands.
Valves: The smart people that made these horns also had the stroke of genius to vent the valves to give a fast action. Like and new horn there is a break in period - but I can tell you after a few weeks of playing this one the valves are moving like a vintage horn and fingering passages and licks is no problem.
Accessory Pack: When you purchase a horn it comes with a basic accessory pack. This includes a cloth, slide grease, valve oil and a push me pull me aluminium rod for going through valves etc with the soft cloth.
CONS:
Lack if 1st Valve Water Key: Most designs that I see have a first valve water key - this one does not.
As this is generally the first valve that connects very close to the lead pipe you will not doubt find that water does build up in this area.
Normally it wouldn’t be an issue to pop this off and empty it - but I have to warn you - you won’t be able to do this is a hurry with this horn - the slides are fitted with absolute precision and they are super tight!
So if you’re pulling out please do so with care or it will be on the floor quicker than you can say ‘Doh!’
Case: The case for this horn is nice - but that’s about it.
What the original case designer didn’t factor in was that they made the case just a fraction too big. This means that the Flugel can potentially roll around a little - and rolling around = damage to the finish or scratches. If you want my advice ensure that a) you place a thick cloth around the horn to stop any potential moving or b) get an aftermarket case and be done with it.
Feels Fragile: As with Copper bells etc or any lightweight horn - it does tend to feel a little on the fragile side.
This is not in any means going to detract from any of your playing etc - it’s made that way for a purpose - just be careful putting it on a stand or placing it down etc as I fear it will dent easily.
Tuning: I think that this is more a personal issue with an adjustment period- but in the interests of saying true to the review I have to mention that I think that the C# and the D below the staff play sharp on this horn.
HOW MUCH WOULD I EXPECT TO PAY?
This is a true professional horn - I would not recommend it for ‘Little Johnny’ playing in the weekend community band.
This is a serious piece of equipment. In NZ and AUS expect to from $3800+ for this horn
(Probably closer to $4K). The 2007 RRP in Australia was AU $3895 for this horn.
If you’re lucky you may be able to get a /close-out’ special on this item as I am of the belief that these are now discontinued as the factory is only producing 2 models of Flugel from now on.
This was also available in a Silver or Gold Plate option for extra $$’s.
OVERALL RATING:
This is a very nice horn and is priced at what you would expect to pay.
I would say probably more suited to Jazz Combo or Solo playing than slotting into a section.
If you play Flugel regularly for bands etc - be sure to check out these B&S models as they are at a very reasonable price and the workmanship is fantastic.
