Mellophone authenticity

[MonsterDude]

valve rotor configuration would be correct for that vintage of horn.  It looked right to me, right down to the curved rotor key, if I recall correctly.

And I doubt that there are any Indian horn manufacturers who would bother to copy bugles, especially old versions - but stranger things do happen.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So is it a bugle, or Mellophone like advertised?

[JohnZ]

It was a G Mellophone bugle.

[MonsterDude]

Mellophone bugle? So does it work as a Mellophone (chromatic) or a bugle (few notes)?

[BorisTS]

It's not quite chromatic, since it lacks the equivalent of a third valve (the piston is tuned like a first valve, and the rotor is tuned like a second valve). Since the 1930s (or so, I don't remember exactly...possibly earlier), many different configurations of pistons, rotors, and slip-slides have been added and tried on bugles. Many different sizes and voices of bugle were developed, such as soprano, mellophone, french horn, baritone, euphonium, contrabass, and a few others from time to time.

Also, because at the time the US military's bugles were in the key of G, it was mandated in most competitive circuits that competing corps use horns in the key of G.

Starting in 1990, DCI allowed the use of horns with three valves, and in 2000, they allowed the use of horns in any key.

The most commonly accepted definition of a bugle is a bell-front brass instrument with a primarily conical bore. While this does mean the modern 3-valve F mello fits this definition, when most people refer to an instrument as a "mellophone bugle" they mean a horn in G, as until 5 years ago those were the only bugles used in drum corps.

Sorry if that's more information than you needed, but you seem to be a bit new to bugles. If you have any more questions, ask away.

-Proud owner and occasional operator of a two-piston-valve G baritone bugle.

[MonsterDude]

thanks! I never knew bugles were so interesting and complicated. and that's the perfect amount of info.