Jupiter low brass survey

[ken k]

10 - 15 years ago I was not impressed with Jupiters. We bought a 3/4 tuba about 15 years ago and after 4 or 5 years it looked like it was about 15 years old. We also bought a double horn and the valve linkages were useless. it spent more time at the shop trying to get the valves to move. It was linkage geometry that I think was screwed up not teh rotor itself.

But they have been getting better and better. Their trombones and Euphs are pretty darned nice. I am not crazy about the tubas, although I did buy a new 3/4 size horn for my elementary school band for $1800 two years ago. For that price especially it is an awesome horn. It has a nice case with wheels and plays very well. I use the Headstart trombones with teh bent neck ppe and the really cool pistol style hand grip. They are really user friendly for little kids.

Never played their sousy, so i can not comment on it, but they do not seem to get good reviews.

Tubawise I like the King 2341 much better than the 582 (or whatever the number is)

Jupiters pro line bones and euphs are also very nice. The Xeno (? or is that the Yamahs name?) have thayer valves and removeable leadpipes for the price of a standard pro line model. They also have an intermediate line (capital series?) of instruments that are very nice step up horns.

So I would agree that they are defintely a step up from the Chinese/Indian stuff, but maybe not as nice as the Conn/King/Bach lines?

ken k