C.G.Conn 1FR-SP Vintage One Flugelhorn

Brilliant design. Plays wonderfully. But the craftsmanship leaves a little more to wish for. I thought CG Conn stood for the highest possible quality. First: one of the braces is soldered on in a way certainly not intended by the designer. Second: the little bent tube leading out from the third valve had small dents and scratches from the factory. Third: I have never on any other instrument been able to detect the seam on the one piece-bell. On my instrument it is clearly visible. But my fourth and most important objection is about precision in the slides and sleaves/receivers. The instruments I have experienced ealier had a very tight fit, and no angular mis-alignment. That is, the two ”legs” of each slide were parallell. Not so on my instrument. And I was surpised to notice that when I put in the slides one ”leg” at a time in their respective sleave/receiver there is a considerable ”play”. They waggle, and the second slide falls out if I turn the horn on the side . And when I put the slide in fully it is not held in place by the tight fit, but by the fact that the two ”legs” are not parallell so it sort of ”pinches” itself in position. A generous amount of grease makes the horn air tight. Not small tolarances.