flugelgirl

Of the M series, there was MI and MII - from what I heard, the MII's are a bit better. One of the big differences is that the Ms were put together in an hour, the other Shilkes in a day, so quality control was an issue with the Ms, hence the lesser price. The valve issues have to do with body chemistry affecting the plating, so where some individuals may have a problem, others don't. I have an MII that plays remarkably like a B5 - nwhen I was playing a B6 as my main axe, I used to use it in the dangerous outdoor gigs where I didn't want to take my more expensive horn. You can end up with a good player from an M series - you just have to try a lot of them - not unlike some other manufactuers! I'm about to trade my MII for a Conn Vocabell - it served me well, but I no longer need it, so out it goes. If you can find a good one, it makes a great step up horn, or would be good for someone on a budget who can't afford a Schilke.

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Reeves V Raptor
Yamaha 8335RGM
50's Calicchio
Marcienkewicz Rembrandt flugel
Schilke P5-4
French Besson Classic C
Weril Regium Eb/D