Couesnon "Monopole"

Bearing the serial number 15883, this outstanding instrument is a B♭ flugelhorn from Couesnon’s legendary, top-of-the-range "Monopole" professional line. Among flugelhorn players, a vintage Monopole is often considered the absolute "holy grail," revered for its dark, smoky tone and fluid response.

In line with Couesnon's habits for its premium line, the bell omits the signature flaming grenade year stamp. However, by cross-referencing the serial number and the layout of the inscription with historical registries, we can confidently place the manufacturing of this horn between 1910 and 1915.

When this instrument arrived, it was outfitted with a non-original mouthpipe that did not fit the receiver correctly. To display the horn accurately, the proper mouthpipe seen here was temporarily borrowed from one of the other Couesnon flugelhorns in my collection.

The horn also arrived with a completely separated solder joint on the first valve slide alongside minor tubing damage. After resoldering the loose joint and cleaning everything up, the instrument has been fully revived and plays beautifully once again.