Designed by Robb Stewart, the Fluba is owned by musician Jim Self, who is also a tubist (tuba player). His idea was to have a tuba sized flugel horn, so Robb designed it and made it from parts. The valve section and "guts" are from a Yamaha Eb "compensating" tuba. Robb cut the slides for an F instrument. He used a small F tuba bell about the size of a Yamaha 621 and made the other branches.
The design is like a huge antique flugel horn. It has some beautiful bends and bows and little personal touches--they show that Robb is a great artist and instrument maker. It sounds like something between an F tuba and a cimbasso. The sound is directionally forward and is very mellow sounding. It is a little brighter than a tuba and a little darker than a contra-bass trumpet.