lartom

Hi Folks,

I'm about ready to buy a new cornet, and have narrowed it down to three or four possibilities, all being pro models. I was hoping some of you would share with me your impressions or experience with the following:

Getzen 3850
Kanstul 1530
Yamaha 6330
Yamaha 8335 Xeno

Any comments will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Larry

GordonH

You might also want to consider:

Courtoise
York
LMI
Besson (also made by Courtoise)

I have not played on any of the ones on your list but I did have a yamaha 6335 which I found to be quite stuffy.

__________________
I used to have a career, now all I do is play Schumann.

Sterling

A Bach Strad 184 short model cornet in medium or large bore would be a good choice also.

Vulgano Brother

What style are you wanting to play? If Dixieland, for example, the Getzen or Kanstul is the weapon of choice. If British Brass Band is your thing, the Yamaha's both are ok, but as Sterling pointed out, an older Bach Strad 184 would be ideal.

I play on a Holton built in 1895. It knows the old tunes.

__________________
www.letsbuildhope.org

trumpetnick

I thought that the Kanstul was OK for BBB...

__________________
Spada Bach B flat 72, leadpipe 2L/DWMM1.5C
Spada Bach C 256, leadpipe 2LQ/DWMM1.5C
1956 Olds Ambassador Cornet
Spada Custom Piccolo

If you don't know where you are going, you 'll end up someplace else

Kanstulbrass

Kanstul.com

The Kanstul 1530 is built to have a very authentic cornet sound in addition to a beautiful wrap -- it's one of our most popular models and works will in any cornet setting from wind ensembles to BBB.

The "street price" comes in around $2000 making it a very competitive value.

all the best,

__________________
Charles Hargett
Sales and Marketing
Kanstul Musical Instruments

trumpetnick

Charley,

I share you thoughts on the 1530 without being a "Kanstul" guy. I am just surprised that this comment came from VB...

__________________
Spada Bach B flat 72, leadpipe 2L/DWMM1.5C
Spada Bach C 256, leadpipe 2LQ/DWMM1.5C
1956 Olds Ambassador Cornet
Spada Custom Piccolo

If you don't know where you are going, you 'll end up someplace else

dpritchett

If at all possible try a few different cornets. The best cornet I've ever played on is the
courtois, by far!

__________________
Brass Band Nut

trumpetnick

Well...Courtois have made a cornet for J.B. Arban if I remember well..and made instruments even before that...must have done something right to stay this long in business...

__________________
Spada Bach B flat 72, leadpipe 2L/DWMM1.5C
Spada Bach C 256, leadpipe 2LQ/DWMM1.5C
1956 Olds Ambassador Cornet
Spada Custom Piccolo

If you don't know where you are going, you 'll end up someplace else

etc-etc

There is not one but five different Yamaha Xeno 8335 cornets:

1. Yellow Brass Bell, Lacquered, Triggers (YCR-8335);
2. Yellow Brass Bell, Silver Plate, Triggers (YCR-8335S);
3. Gold Brass Bell, Lacquered, Triggers (YCR-8335G);
4. Gold Brass Bell, Silver Plate, Triggers (YCR-8335GS);
5. Yellow Brass Bell, Silver Plate, Rings and Hooks (YCR-8335SRH).

Gold brass bell tends to produce a warmer sound compared to a yellow brass bell; ditto for lacquer vs silver plate. Many trumpeters prefer rings and hooks instead of triggers, although BBB cornet players do not seem to mind them.

Models 3-5 are often available only by special order. I am also under an (unconfirmed) impression that some lacquered Xeno cornets might have been made with a copper bell. For those, the colour when looking inside of the bell beyond the end of the lacquer coating was very dark and "coppery", and the sound produced was quite different from either the gold brass or yellow brass bell (both silverplate) versions. It could be, of course, that the difference in sound was due to the lacquer coating; the internals of the lacquered bell might have looked "coppery" because there was no silverplate to mask off the colour of the acid-etched brass.