Skip to product information
1 of 10

Beverly Music Company

Flip Oakes "Wild Thing" Gold

Regular price $2,250.00 USD
Regular price $2,500.00 USD Sale price $2,250.00 USD
Sale Sold out
One of the most prolific designs in modern trumpet history, the Flip Oakes Wild Thing certainly lives up to its name! Guaranteed to swallow your mutes whole, this design sports one of the largest bell flares in the world. The large flare is built on a lightweight block to keep the horn light in the hand, and still allow a wide spectrum of sound to the player. These instruments were built by Kanstul, and definitely fit the bill for a light weight west-coast style horn.
The Wild Thing is no one-trick pony, and sounds great on ballads, lead, and everything in between. With a deeper mouthpiece, it could probably even pass for a flugelhorn. The tone can be everything from light and fluffy to scorching hot for those lead parts. Intonation is excellent across all registers.
This horn is an early production Wild Thing and has the script engraving "Flip Oakes Wild Thing" which predates the logo that Flip would later use. This trumpet is plated in 24k gold, and the plating is in good shape for its age, showing no wear-through spots or pitting. There is a minor amount of fading and discoloration in the plating on the bell, with some lighter colored streaks visible underneath the plating. The tuning slide is finished in lacquer and is marked "J1". It is a large bore, unbraced slide for a free blowing and open feel. This trumpet has seen some use over the years, but is still in great shape and is a fantastic player. Valve compression is excellent, and the slides are fast and smooth. There have been some repairs performed on the bell flare, and there are a handful of small pings and scratches throughout the bell throat. This horns was just ultrasonically cleaned and serviced here at Beverly Music in Chicago, and it is ready to be played!
With Kanstul shutting their doors and ceasing production, the Wild Thing is no longer in production, so don't miss out on a chance to own a future classic!