Collection: Denis Wick Flugelhorn Mouthpieces

Guide to Flugelhorn Mouthpiece Tapers

Not sure which flugelhorn taper you need? You're not alone. Unlike trumpet mouthpieces, flugelhorn mouthpieces are manufactured with several different shank tapers, and using the wrong taper can negatively affect intonation, response, slotting, and overall playability.

Standard (Large Morse) Taper

This taper is commonly found on Yamaha, Getzen, Callet, Stomvi, Benge, King, Blessing, CarolBrass, Conn Vintage One, Weril, Holton, Schilke, Austin Custom, Allure, Jupiter, older Kanstul 1525 models, and many other American-style flugelhorns.

Bach (Small Morse) Taper

This taper is used on Bach, Courtois, LeBlanc (including Sandoval models), B&S, Taylor, RS Berkeley, newer Kanstul 1525 models, Kanstul 725 and 1025 models, and various European-built flugelhorns.

French (Straight) Taper

Also known as the Couesnon taper. This taper is found on original Couesnon flugelhorns, Flip Oakes "Wild Thing" flugelhorns, Kanstul CCF 925 models, and original F. Besson instruments.

Why Taper Matters

Using the wrong taper can have a noticeable effect on how your flugelhorn plays. Depending on the instrument, an incorrect taper may cause poor intonation, weak response, inconsistent slotting, and an overall loss of efficiency. In some cases, simply switching to the correct taper can dramatically improve the performance of an instrument.

A Few Important Notes

• Not every mouthpiece manufacturer offers all three tapers.
• Some tapers may be available only as special-order or custom options.
• Manufacturers occasionally change receiver specifications during a model's production run, so taper requirements can vary even within the same model line.

This guide has been compiled to the best of our knowledge, but flugelhorns can be surprisingly inconsistent. If you're unsure which taper your instrument requires, please contact us before ordering and we'll be happy to help verify the correct fit.