Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely well-patinated example of a U.S. Civil war era brass bugle, complete with the correct style braided shoulder cord and tassels. It pitched in the key of C with a short crook for converting it to Bb, and uses a different mouthpiece for each key, which is why there are two. It is definitely somewhat primitive in construction, and uses relatively thin brass. It does not conform to the standard quartermaster issued examples, which were usually single loop examples. With a double loop design with the mouth pipe on the left side, it is definitely from most other examples we have seen from the period, which would have it on the right side.

This bugle does not have any markings that we can see, suggesting it was imported, as often the retailer would mark the bugle. It also could be that firms in Europe did not want the bugle to be traced back to them.

Condition is good though it definitely does show wear, with a small split on the bell flare exposing the rim wire. It looks to have seen long use, which has definitely caused oxidation on the brass. There are also some rather sloppy solder repairs in areas such as the mouth pipe. The C to Bb conversion crook also used to be a 360 degree crook, but it was bent, breaking the solder joint that held it straight.

We did test the bugle, and it still sounds quite nice, and doesn't seem to be leaking anywhere. Ready to hang on the wall or wake up the neighbors!

The word bugle in the United States is often used as a generic term for many types of horns including the instruments used by the armed services, drum and bugle corps and by various other organizations such as the Boy Scouts. Nevertheless, bugles have always been specified correctly by the armed services and the suppliers and manufacturers of these instruments as either bugles (a conical bore natural horn) or as a field trumpet (a cylindrical bore natural horn over 2/3rds of its length).