Bugle

Finish

Our bugles come in one of three finishes (lacquered finishes not available until early 2005

Polished Brass: Found as accents on some of our bugles and as the whole bugle on our Cadet, this is a strong handsome finish. This finish will require polish from time to time of a quality brass polish. Keeping the horn clean will help maintain the life and luster of the horn. What many don't realize is that the oils and acid from the hand will affect the surface, so the horn should be wiped down with a high tech cleaning cloth such as "Old T-Shirt", "Old Boxer Shorts", or "Polishing Cloth". Store in a dry location, long term storage would be best in a tight plastic bag once the horn is try to avoid oxidation.

Copper: The copper finish on our Gunga-Din and Cavalry model will oxidize from air exposure and can be damaged from skin oils and acids. A quality copper polish from time to time and before performance will put that sharp bright look back into the horn. Clean off the instrument after each session with a soft cloth as described above. Long term storage would be best in an airproof plastic bag after the instrument is completely dried.

Chrome: This is a bright hard surface designed to maintain a bright shiny appearance with minimal care. As in all the finishes keeping the surface clean of oils and acids from the hands by wiping down after use along with occasional chrome polish should leave a superb finish for years to come. This finish WOULD NOT be recommended for civil war re-enactors since this would not be representative of the period.

Colored Bugles: We're experimenting with Colored bugles. Our first round currently for sale are not as great as we hoped but the kids LOVE 'EM. The lacquered finish didn't quite have the shine as imagine but has a flat effect. As in all the imported horns, there will be imperfections in the finish. We're selling these at the same price as our Polished brass to get them out there. Since this is new, there is NO WAY to for us to tell of wear or other issues with this finish.

Lacquered: Lacquered horns should be available in 2005 for all our styles. The lacquer will help protect the underlying medal and reduce the requirement for frequent polishing due to oxidation and smudges. The down side of lacquered (and this is true on even the most expensive instruments) is that the lacquer tends to be rubbed off at the pressure points. Once the lacquer gets worn away (this might take 4 to 5 years on a horn played on a regular basis) there's really no way to keep a new look without relacquerring. Playing quality will not change. This MAY not be a problem with a bugle. On valved brass instruments, there are usually pressure points that get rubbed during playing, example between the first and second valve where the thumb rests or around the valve casing where the horn is grasped. The bugle however does not have those pressure points. It's much lighter so it doesn't have to be held as tightly as a valved brass instrument so the lacquer will probably have a much longer life. Since this'll be a new product for us and the manufacturer in the bugle line, we have no experience as of yet to wear pattern..

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