Kanstul compensating euph questions

[Alex F]

Does anyone have playing experience or other comments on the new Kanstul Compensating euph - CEU975? I know that Kanstul trumpets and 'bones are highly regarded, as are their marching brass, but there is little out on their tubas and euphs.

This is probably the only compensating euph made in the US today. I do note that the bore size is smaller that found on most comparable euphs from Yamaha (642/842), MW 451/551, Miraphone, Willson and the Bessons - about .570 for the Kanstul v .590 - .670.

BTW: still looking for comments on differences between the MW551 and 451.

Thanks

[JTJ]

I'm interested in this too. It would be nice for those of us whose currency is the $ to have a domestic manufacturer. The opportunity is there for Kanstul to get market share through lower prices if they made a good compensating euph.

Has anyone ever seen one of these? Have they made one or is it simply a catalog entry? I remember one dealer writing that they may be getting a demo.

Final question: would would be the retail if one wanted to place an order and buy one?

John

[tubarepair]

I had the opportunity to visit the factory in Anaheim and view production during the NAMM show last month. The quality control at Kanstul ranks very high. They seem to be subscribing to the older traditions of great worksmanship at a reasonable cost. The availability of replacement parts seem to be good as well. Zig Kanstul is master craftsman with tons of experience in the industry. He takes an active role in the daily activities at both the factory and the showroom a few blocks away.

I asked Zig how he was able to stay in business with all of the mega mergers and imported instruments and he responded that he simply "Doesn't owe anybody and money" and that is why he is able to keep costs down and produce quality instruments. He owns both buildings and all of the equipment - pays cash for new items and materials. They don't keep excess stock on hand, instruments are made when ordered by the dealers. Turnaround time on orders seems fast.

As far as the euph, I only had about ten minutes with it. Seemed to blow very freely, especially in the lower end.

Daryl

[Alex F]

I posed the question about bore size to Mr. Charles Hargett, of Kanstul Instruments. He replied as follows and has kindly given me permission share it with you.

........................................

Alex,

My experience as a brass player and in instrument sales has taught me that bore size is not necessarily the most important determining factor in how a horn will perform. Horns have often been made with larger bores, sometimes unnecessarily, in order to help produce a desired effect. For example, there is a popular brand of flugel horns that have had medium to medium-large bores for decades, while the traditional French (Cousnon, Besson) design has a much smaller bore. The larger bore helps produce the desired effect while the smaller bore - properly tapered - can achieve the same effect.

Zig Kanstul understands what makes a horn resonate best. We make trumpets with a bore of only .437" yet they have been described as free blowing (source available upon request). As well, we make a .470" large bore trumpet that offers enough resistance to make it comfortable for most any player.

Bore size is only part of what makes an instrument play well. Other factors to consider would be where the horn is tapered, how much the horn is tapered, and whether it is braced properly. Improper bracing (wrong placement, or poor soldering) can cause a horn to play stuffy or out of tune. I have seen a case where the note sounded flat yet the tuner told me it was sharp.

Sorry for the essay/editorial. I hope that you will consider more than just bore size when playing any instrument. I am putting our catalogs in the mail to you today.

Regards,


Charles Hargett
Kanstul Musical Instruments

...........................

Mr. Hargett has also informed me that their euphonia (euphoniae, euphonys, euphs) come with a large shank MP. this is not in their posted specs.

Alex F

[JTJ]

I was quoted $4,438 retail on the horn.

Eric's note above is very encouraging. It would be great if other strong players whose opinions mean something could give this new euphonium a test. Does anyone know if Kanstul would provide samples to selected players for an extended evaluation?

John

[pg]

I tried both the compensating and non-compensating 3+1 setup at the Army conference. Both had large shank receivers.

I remember the non-compensating 4th valve seemed to be in a different place and went straight out instead of angling down. It felt akward to me. The compensating 4th valve felt "normal". The valves on one of those horns were very sluggish but I can't remember which horn it was. The 4th valve on the compensating horn was way too flat for me. The 2nd space C (bass clef) was so flat using the 4th valve only, it almost sounded like a B. The non-comper 4th valve was fine for me.

But - when I didn't use the 4th valve, I really liked the compensating horn. From what I could hear, and how it felt to blow through - I liked it. For some reason, the non-comper didn't work for me.

Caveat - I played them both together for less than 5 minutes in the elephant room.

--paul;

[Lee Stofer]

I have Kanstul compensating euphonium, prototype #2, in the shop at present. Most of my euph-playing experience has been on Hirsbrunner, Besson, and Willson. I like the Kanstul, and think it fares well beside the major brands.

By the way, all the Kanstul euphoniums have a large (bass trombone-size) mouthpiece receiver, and the compensating euph. has a 12" bell and a .570"/.590" (4th-valve) bore.