A Stupid Question About Kanstul Baritones

[Shadow_7]

I got my Kanstul Euph new and it has no spring.

As far as the tune any note, I play with it at about 1/2 or 2/3rds out. I use it to kick in on the flat partials. E and high C for the most part. Although for E I usually use alternate fingerings. Since the tune any note works on every note. I do use it a lot for small adjustments. It helps me play centered through the horn instead of lipping up or down and otherwise getting fatigued before I should. Assuming that I'm playing with a group where making an adjustment would make a difference.

[ravedodger]

Looks like I'll get in touch with Troy at Kanstul.

[melligene]

No spring on the Mello. At least on mine. The whole concept of tune any note, I believe, is that if you tend to be too sharp on a particular note or notes you effectively lengthen the tuning slide to flatten the note. Yinz' Oldpharts (like me) probably know this from playing partial chromatics on the piston/slip slide. Ya need pretty good ears to do this.

To put it more simply.......It's an adjustable tuning slide. All it does is flatten the note when pulled out. I use mine as a left thumb rest b**bs

Edited October 25, 2007 by melligene

[pmaustin]

I just purchased a new Kanstul Grande Bari :P and have had it for about three weeks (no spring on their Bari's). For what it's worth, I've found that my horn plays a little sharp as I play above G (above staff). I tune to middle space C with the TAN slide in and pull it out when playing above the staff. I'm still experimenting to find the best solution/compromise for my combination. I strongly recommend that you get yourself a tuner and practice with it constantly until you know exactly how your particular horn behaves.

These are obviously difficult horns intonation wise and every embrochure/mouthpiece/horn combination will result in variations.

I've played a number of years on the standard Kanstul Bari however, and my best solution with that horn was to tie the TAN slide to it's full out position.

For me, I've found the best all around performance to be with a Bach 5Gs mouthpiece, as going much smaller results in the horn playing very sharp and much larger requires a lot of extra and unnecessary work when playing high lead parts.

Good Luck,

Paul

[mchromik]

No spring on the Mello. At least on mine. The whole concept of tune any note, I believe, is that if you tend to be too sharp on a particular note or notes you effectively lengthen the tuning slide to flatten the note. Yinz' Oldpharts (like me) probably know this from playing partial chromatics on the piston/slip slide. Ya need pretty good ears to do this.

I believe the KMM281 has a spring, the older KMM280 does not. I currently play a 280.

At some point I took a spin on one with a spring though I am not sure if it was 'factory'. The spring was compressed when playing allowing the TAN slide to self-extend when needed, easing operation considerably.

[SaraNYC]

I like to set mine up in the middle - that way I can push in when needed and pull out when needed. (heh heh ....she said...)

Anyway, I compare it to having a spring in your trombone slide, handy so you can pull in those D's that tend to be flat and of course the next partial up tends to be sharp so then you can go out a little bit.

You want to grease it up enough so that it will be a little easier to move than a tuning slide, but not as slick as a trombone slide.

[Shadow_7]

You want to grease it up enough so that it will be a little easier to move than a tuning slide, but not as slick as a trombone slide.

I keep mine as slick as a trombone slide. But then again, mine doesn't have a spring. At a minimum it gives an extra click(or two) when doing horn manuals. And you can work it, click click click, when a particular instructor is getting a little long winded.

[ravedodger]

And you can work it, click click click, when a particular instructor is getting a little long winded.

Nice!

[SaraNYC]

I keep mine as slick as a trombone slide. But then again, mine doesn't have a spring. At a minimum it gives an extra click(or two) when doing horn manuals. And you can work it, click click click, when a particular instructor is getting a little long winded.

I don't like to have to hold on to it to keep it in a "neutral position", but what ever works for us, right?

[727driver]

For what it's worth, the BD bari line used to play with the the slide all the way out on the open C (G) tuning notes. There was a slide adjustment for just about every note above C in the staff. Listen to any old hornline warmup recording and you'll hear those slides clicking away...