TubaForum.net

not a fan...I'm just not.
I don't have the energy to "dislike" the Kanstul products, but I just am not interested in owning any of them (nor picking them up to flip...and I know a good bit about most of the tuba/euphonium models, so I don't need to be schooled)...
...so let's let sleeping dogs lie, re: that.

If not deleted on a TUBA-forum, I would like to speak to my first encounter with one of their MARCHING MELLOPHONES - as so many marching mellophones suck (bad).

WOW...
What a GREAT instrument - GREAT intonation - bright/projecting sound, 3rd slide pulls out far enough for a good 1-3/1-2-3 tuning compromise, the "tune any note" feature pulls in far enough to adequately sharpen the 2-3 pitches as well as the only-slightly-flat 5th partial.

After all these years (and yes, of course I know they're defunct/shuttered) I finally serviced one of these things (as well as a Kanstul marching baritone, with which I was nonplussed).

Previously, my personal top-rated marching mellophone (and yes, I'm completely aware that I'm rating the "ketchups of the brass instrument condiments collective") was King. Yamaha was an "ok" second, and JP is a really well-made (and way less expensive) knockoff of Yamaha.

I have no personal experience; but I have heard the Kanstul flugabone is nice.

Their contrabass trombone was great, didn't really ever play anything else of theirs that got me going

I played some of their euphoniums and found them ok, but nothing special. Maybe they were better at the small stuff. I have a couple trumpet playing friends who really like their Kanstul made “French Besson” C trumpets. Some of the student/intermediate trumpets that they made for Besson that sold under the “Besson International” name were also quite good for their class, and quite good period. I also recall that their flugels were pretty well regarded.

Their 5/4 marching tuba was a lot of fun. Probably the most real tuba sounding shoulder cannon ever...

https://www.kanstul.com/instruments/mar ... hing-tuba/

I thought it sounded much better than the similar sized Dynasty.

I saw something on a drum corp forum once comparing the GG and BBb marching instruments from both makers and it said

"One brand plays poorly. The other slightly worse."

Still a lot of fun.

Their herald trumpets were fantastic. TUSAB had (may still have) a set, possibly other premier bands as well.

I spent some time with the 4/4 CC, 3/4 F, and the 5490 Grand CC. Each had their own quirks. The F was more than a bit squirrely but sounded great. No complaints about the 4/4 CC except maybe an ergonomic issue but I can't remember ten years on. My favorite was the 5490. An odd looker but wow, did it sound great. Again, ten years on and I can't remember what I may have disliked about it.

As noted in my signature I own the 902-3B, which is the 3/4 size BBb 3 valve (they made a 4 valve too). Sounds good for its size, due in my opinion to a relatively big bore for a horn like this (.689). Does pretty much what a Yamaha 103 does. Biggest quirk: a real bad water collector, I have to spin it to get it out of the leadpipe.

DonO. wrote: ↑Fri Apr 26, 2024 3:16 pm As noted in my signature I own the 902-3B, which is the 3/4 size BBb 3 valve (they made a 4 valve too). Sounds good for its size, due in my opinion to a relatively big bore for a horn like this (.689). Does pretty much what a Yamaha 103 does. Biggest quirk: a real bad water collector, I have to spin it to get it out of the leadpipe.

I believe I may have played one of those...bright-sounding...not bad tuning...
NOT from Mr. Kanstul himself, but someone (??) told me that they heard (ok...3rd/4th/5th-hand information...) that it was basically the same bore taper as a typical trumpet, but expanded out to a tuba.

The Yamaha 621 and (now) several Chinese similar tubas are also 3/4 size, front-action, and .689" bore.

Way back when ITEC was in Tucson in 2010, I took home overnight a Kanstul euph to play test. That thing's bugle was so out of tune with itself I couldn't believe it. Just to play the harmonic series in tune would have required a main slide kicker. I took it back and have never looked at a Kanstul again.