VINTAGEBRASS

Jack-

Been trying to get the local music store here to begin carrying the Kanstul horns. They inform me that they have been told which horns they would have to buy. This seems somewhat far fetched to me. I would love to have an opportunity to try some Kanstuls up against the Bachs, Yamahas, and Conns, without the hassle and expense of sending horns back and forth through the mail.

Ken

Bourbon City

I'll tell you this, the Chicago 1000 I own is one of the best trumpets I've ever played. I did stumble on a Bach Strad 37/25 (of all trumpets) that I really liked better. I'm not a Bach man, I'm a Kanstul man. I own the 1500 and the 1600 also. If Kanstul belittled the Chicago, then they did it with the greatest of craftsmanship. I think, if you buy an instrument made by Kanstul, you need not worry about the care that went into it. Kanstul cares. My opinion of course.

Heavens2kadonka

The Kanstul 1503 I own is amazing, and it does resonate, even though the sound is so dark.

Here's a question for owners of the other Kanstul instruments: Do you also notice the 3rd slide is much heavier than the others?

Van

Tootsall

I've got a Besson International (Kanstul built). The 3rd slide is heavier. It's also longer than the 1st or 2nd slide which probably accounts for the weight difference.


Kidding ya, Van. Honestly the International is a pretty light-weight horn, unbraced tuning slide. I wouldn't use it to prove OR disprove your implied theory that Kanstul's third slides are heavier than other makers'.

Heavens2kadonka

I was cleaning my horns one day when I noticed how blasted HEAVY the 3rd slide on the Kanstul was compared to the others!

Hmm, how does it compare in weight with another horn's 3rd, Toots?

Van

Tootsall

NOW you want me to make my son go for a day without his trumpet while I take the 3rd slides from it, my Eclipse and the B1 to work so I can weigh them on the lab scales? HAHAHAHA.

(I see fodder for another debunking thread!)

Heavens2kadonka

I'm saying exactly that.

I was also wondering if all horns that are built with a heavier sound have most of the weight concentrated on the 3rd slide? I wonder if weighting the slide would affect the sound much like a weighted 3rd valve cap?

Van

trumpet blower88

I would just like to put my two cents into this whole Kanstul conversation.

I would just like to say that the Kanstul 1500A is by far the best horn I have ever played! Jack, I don't know if you remember me, I'm David Jacques, I just bought that horn from you a couple months ago, and I'm glad I found you here on this forum so that I can tell you how much I love this horn. My playing has improved so much over the last two months just because I'm playing this new horn. Everyone I play with wants one but they just recently spent all their money on either a Bach Strad or a Yamaha Xeno. The Kanstuls are amazeingly great horns, and if you're ever in the market for a new horn, never buy anything without trying at least one of the Kanstul models. I was amazed when I tried one of the horns, it played about like a Strad or a Xeno, a litle better, a very fat/dark/warm sound. Then Jack informed me that this was their entry-level horn. I would have expected something like this to be the top-of-the-line, but it wasn't. When I tried the 1500A modle I instantly knew it was the trumpet for me. Twoards the end of my "buying experiances" I had it down to either the Kanstul, or a French Besson (wich was also made by Kanstul). I went with the 1500A Kanstul and I'm glad I did, it is simply amazeing, and it was an absoulute blast to play that horn in Carnegie Hall last week, then again, it's a blast to play any horn at Carnegie. So I never really got a chance to thank you befor Jack, you deliverd a great horn and you were a great person to work with!

By the way, Heavens2kadonka, I too noticed that the third valve slide is pretty heavy compared to other trumpets, but thats ok for me, I like it that way!

Cornet1

I'm missing the gist of this thread/topic,.......

What is being said here?.......that Kanstul 'badged' instruments are much better than the many kanstuls with other names on them?...

I have a Smith-Watkins cornet which is a Kanstul 1531 in disguise,...its a reasonable playing instrument but the 'build quality' leaves a lot to be desired and I have now returned to my 25 year old 'round stamp' soveriegn which plays very similar but is a much better instrument. It has to be said that had I known the SW was an American made instrument then I provbably would not have looked at it in the first place!

so,...am I to assume that the ZKC 1531 plays better than the identical SW ?....is it better made?....like, does the silver plating last more than 3 years and does it not have holes in the valves and are the vavles properly aligned 'out of the box'...??

Cornet1

Just to clarify previous post.....I realised too late what I put!

By "American made.." I meant foreign and not a UK made instrument ....I have nothing against American manufacture which can be excellent. I did not realise that SW was just a badged item made elsewhere when I was ordering and SW coyly implied that it was designed and hand made by them.