Kanstul Project Horns

[SousaWarrior9]

Looks like a flying tuba prototype possibly.
Anyone know of a bell flare that could fit that?

[Tubajug]

Lots of "curly cues" on that travel horn.

[Gus_Pratt]

Well I took the plunge and bought just the BBb in the case. Although you can not clearly see from the photo, it is actually a 5 valver. 4 pistons, 1 rotary.

[bort]

If it's good enough for Kanstul, it's good enough for me! Oh wait...

[SousaWarrior9]

Well I took the plunge and bought just the BBb in the case. Although you can not clearly see from the photo, it is actually a 5 valver. 4 pistons, 1 rotary.

Argh! I second guessed myself and hesitated on making an offer on this. That's what I get, I guess. Congrats on snatching it up, though, Good luck on finding a good bell.

[sugawi]

Anyone familiar with their flying tuba?

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 2950155101

[tubazach07]

I am very familiar with the Kanstul flying tuba. They are a good idea in that they fly well(not under overweight charges) but their intonation is terrible. The tuba doesn’t play in tune with its self let alone other instruments. Myself and other tuba players have to use fingerings and slide pulling that no other tuba player should ever use. I took the tuba to a professional repair man who has built prototypes for Kanstul and he told them everything they needed to do to fix the tuba. There was talk about Kanstul redesigning the flying tuba. This tuba could of been a money maker but it is a complete flop. We have replaced the 4 flying tubas with Yamaha 3/4 CC tubas that practically play themselves.

[sugawi]

I am very familiar with the Kanstul flying tuba. They are a good idea in that they fly well(not under overweight charges) but their intonation is terrible. The tuba doesn’t play in tune with its self let alone other instruments. Myself and other tuba players have to use fingerings and slide pulling that no other tuba player should ever use. I took the tuba to a professional repair man who has built prototypes for Kanstul and he told them everything they needed to do to fix the tuba. There was talk about Kanstul redesigning the flying tuba. This tuba could of been a money maker but it is a complete flop. We have replaced the 4 flying tubas with Yamaha 3/4 CC tubas that practically play themselves.

Are all these posts about the same tuba?

I went to the factory in April when I was playing in L.A. My overall impression is that they are amazing instruments. I think they don't get the tuba numbers because they are really bad at advertising, and are not very interested in giving horns to people for free. And L.A. certainly has a number of players who are getting free instruments from certain manufacturers. I also know that they sell lots of marching instruments. I thought that their valves were incredible. I was playing a BBb tuba on the road so that's where my 'tuba ears' were at that point. I played the big BBb, it lined up amazingly well on the tuner, except the 'G' first line, but a pull fixed that. The smaller BBb was great too. I liked the CC's and I thought they were really great on the tuner also. My favorite horn was their travel tuba. The bell unscrews and the entire instrument fits into a suitcase. It's a bit bigger than a Yamaha 621 and responds and sounds amazing, both the CC and BBb, although they had kind of cobbled the BBb prototype together so I could play it, they were both fantastic. I don't own one only because as I'm slowing down my road career, I'm not sure what equipment I will need for my 'less road' career, but when I figure that out, I'm going to return to the Kanstul factory and choose accordingly.

I agree with this. I played the CC travel tuba before it was even in production and sitting on the hard floor next to someone's bench. It was the ugliest contraption but it played amazingly accurate and hit pedal tones that were earthshaking and in tune.

[SousaWarrior9]

Looks like Kanstul has indeed fallen on hard times, as they announced today that they're halting all production 'til further notice.
I hope this is just temporary while they get back on their feet again, and not the end of the company.

P.S. I did manage to get that F tuba bugle, so I'll keep everyone posted on the ensuing frankenhorn project.

[roweenie]

Ouch. Perhaps the massive influx of cheap Chinese instruments is hitting them too hard.

[bububassboner]

Ouch. Perhaps the massive influx of cheap Chinese instruments is hitting them too hard.

Unfortunately I think this is more a problem with upper management. I remember thinking when the son took over running the factory that he would drive it into the ground. Before then it was so easy to do business with kanstul. I could ask for a quote and get a price back that day and get things rolling. That changed real hard when the son took over. I remember thinking things were gonna go this way back in 2012. Other shops and old vendors may tell you something similar. It’s a damn shame really. While I think the tubas had a lot of cost saving issues that messed with a good product their trombones were great. Hopefully there’s some kind of behind door deal going on that we don’t know of yet that’ll end in a happy ending there.

[sugawi]

Here are the clips from 2017 and 2018 NAMM with BBb flying tuba, they also mention that Beth Mitchell started the concept and she played CC version.

https://youtu.be/7ft5x_p7_uw
https://youtu.be/tCaXvlEnRHY

[roweenie]

Unfortunately I think this is more a problem with upper management

Why would upper management have to implement "cost-saving" measures? Likely because of the impossibility of competing with the flood of inexpensive imported tubas introduced on our market.

I think the tubas had a lot of cost saving issues that messed with a good product

Management's actions were, in point of fact a reaction, likely a last-ditch effort, taken by the son to stay competitive.

It’s a damn shame really

On this, I could not agree with you more.

[ArnoldGottlieb]

I am very familiar with the Kanstul flying tuba. They are a good idea in that they fly well(not under overweight charges) but their intonation is terrible. The tuba doesn’t play in tune with its self let alone other instruments. Myself and other tuba players have to use fingerings and slide pulling that no other tuba player should ever use. I took the tuba to a professional repair man who has built prototypes for Kanstul and he told them everything they needed to do to fix the tuba. There was talk about Kanstul redesigning the flying tuba. This tuba could of been a money maker but it is a complete flop. We have replaced the 4 flying tubas with Yamaha 3/4 CC tubas that practically play themselves.

Are all these posts about the same tuba?

I went to the factory in April when I was playing in L.A. My overall impression is that they are amazing instruments. I think they don't get the tuba numbers because they are really bad at advertising, and are not very interested in giving horns to people for free. And L.A. certainly has a number of players who are getting free instruments from certain manufacturers. I also know that they sell lots of marching instruments. I thought that their valves were incredible. I was playing a BBb tuba on the road so that's where my 'tuba ears' were at that point. I played the big BBb, it lined up amazingly well on the tuner, except the 'G' first line, but a pull fixed that. The smaller BBb was great too. I liked the CC's and I thought they were really great on the tuner also. My favorite horn was their travel tuba. The bell unscrews and the entire instrument fits into a suitcase. It's a bit bigger than a Yamaha 621 and responds and sounds amazing, both the CC and BBb, although they had kind of cobbled the BBb prototype together so I could play it, they were both fantastic. I don't own one only because as I'm slowing down my road career, I'm not sure what equipment I will need for my 'less road' career, but when I figure that out, I'm going to return to the Kanstul factory and choose accordingly.

I agree with this. I played the CC travel tuba before it was even in production and sitting on the hard floor next to someone's bench. It was the ugliest contraption but it played amazingly accurate and hit pedal tones that were earthshaking and in tune.

Absolutely!!
I’ve had some conversations with others about this horn. The story that we’ve all cobbled together is that the flying tuba prototype has nothing to do with the flying tubas that we’re put into production. I’d still pay retail for the travel tuba prototype if I needed it, but I’m a happy mostly sousaphone player right now. Hope that helps!
ASG

[sugawi]

What’s the story on this one? Comes with 2 separate cases.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 3701924558

[AaronC1901]

Somebody bought that tuba for really cheap from Kanstul and is now reselling it.

[groth]

Somebody bought that tuba for really cheap from Kanstul and is now reselling it.

Not that cheap..he's not going to be making any profit off that. If anything, breaking even at best.

[sugawi]

If it’s the same as sold by Kanstul on eBay he can make some $$$, that one sold for $1,000.

[groth]

If it’s the same as sold by Kanstul on eBay he can make some $$$, that one sold for $1,000.

A recent visit to the factory and there was only 1 of these available for sale. Their asking price was in the $3000 range cash. Sometimes eBay listings that show “best offer received” don’t show nearly the price agreed upon by the seller to the public browsing the ad. Kanstul would never let this horn go for $1000 or I would have gotten it.

[sugawi]

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