crowmadic

Tom,
I taged onto the Thread in the Vintage Horns section and asked this question there, but I wanted to make sure you got it, and perhaps this makes it more visible for others. That being said, I'm wondering if you can share any information you may have about my Couesnon Monopole Star Flugelhorn. It's gold and has Made in France 39661 engraved on the bell. There is the # 10 on the mouthpiece receiver. The tird valve has a spring loaded trigger for the tunning slide. The first valve slide has no water key (big mistake!). I've been to the Dallas Music site and read about Couesnon, but dates were not available, as you explained why in the Vintage Horn reply. I'm hoping there's new information about my horn. Thanking you in advance...tom/crowmadic

tom turner

Hi,

Sorry for the delay in responding. I'd missed this thread! I'll try to answer your questions the best I can:

Hi,

The Monopole Star fluglehorn is one of the more expensive variations of the Couenon fluglehorns and, if it is like most Monopoles, it has a one-piece brass bell. Some basic Couesnons have two piece bells. The top two flugles were the "Monopole," and then the "Monopole Star," in decending order. Both were sold as pro horns.

The Monopole Couesnon instruments were Coueson's best, and at the company's peak, it made Monopole trumpets in all sorts of keys!

Being gold plated, and if it is original, this would probably signify the horn was made and sold to a discerning adult player who treasured and protected his horn. That's the history of my two gold-plated Flip Oakes instruments (Bb trumpet and Bb short cornet). So, a pristine Monopole Star flugle would be quite a nice instrument!

I've read conversations speculating about these mysterious numbers, for it seems just about everyone's instrument has a different number on it that I've seen of the decades. I suspect it's just a parts sequence run number with no significance.

You can always add a water key if you like. It sounds like this would be a good idea.

Sorry, the Couesnon factory burned to the ground a generation ago (in the late '70s or '80's I believe), taking with it all their tooling, their plans, their records . . . and, of course, scattering their workers, supervisors and management staff forever to do other jobs, in other places.

All that information has been permanently lost, I'm afraid. There IS a new Couesnon company, founded by a former Couesnon worker, and who purchased the rights, 25 years after the plant burned down, to use the Couesnon name again.

The company makes plastic cases . . . but a few years ago contracted another company to make their new, "private label" Coesnon fluglehorns for them. They are of a different design, different bore size, and even use a different style leadpipe receiver and mouthpiece flare than the originals. I believe it is Blessing that makes 'em for the lady who owns the case company. They really don't seem to have a factory of their own, or designers . . . or whatever. NOT THE SAME!

ONE LEAD FOR YOU TO PURSUE . . .

On the "other" trumpet forum (Trumpet Herald), you might want to do a "search" of the cornet/fluglehorn forum there and look at the many Couesnon threads. On several, a fellow from France has actually been trying to crack the mystery of what happened to the company. If you can find those threads, and discover his name, you could e-mail him. Maybe he's learned more information.

Sorry, I cannot remember his name! I guess it is called "old-timer's disease!" In any event, you can find him doing a search just as quickly as I can, and I'm pretty swamped right now.

I hope this helps, and sorry again it took so long responding!

Sincerely,

Tom Turner

PS: I suspect your fluglehorn was made in the '70s. Again though, that's just a decent, educated guess.

crowmadic

Thanks a lot Tom, it was worth the wait!..............crow