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Which mellophone would you recommend?


Hrothgar15

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The photo of the "unspecified" horn looks like it came from eBay. IF it is one of those cheap horns that doesn't have a name on it, I wouldn't take it if it was given to me free of charge. It may look like a King, but unless it says "King" on the bell, it isn't what it seems to be.

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The corps uses Jupiter brass instruments, which from the looks of it are more similar to the Yamaha ones than the Kings.

Ah, so it is Jersey Surf then? Good for you. Bob Jacobs has a good deal going there.

In meeting with the folks at Teal Sound earlier this year they explained how Jupiter came to select Teal, Surf and Academy to perform on the full line of Jupiter instruments--including brass & percussion. As Randy Blackburn explained, Jupiter pulls out this inch-thick manilla folder, pats it a couple of times, and says, "We've done our research on you guys." Apparently, Jupiter staff had visited Teal's rehearsals several times observing what was going on, talking to staff, etc. Their requirement: Selecting corps that they felt were in a good position to be around in 3-5 years.

That's kind of a tough statement about our activity in general, but a great endorsement of these three corps in particular. Hope you have a great experience at Surf! And now I know where I'm going to apply for brass and visual staff for next year! :laughing: (j/k)

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I will be purchasing a mellophone soon and I am wondering which model DCP recommends.

Paging Michael Chromik, Michael Chromik to the white courtesy interweb. :laughing:

Robert

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I think that some manufacturers "student" models have more copper in them, while the "professional" versions are almost pure brass. Not sure which is which though.

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I think that some manufacturers "student" models have more copper in them, while the "professional" versions are almost pure brass. Not sure which is which though.

There is no such thing as "pure brass" since brass is a copper-zinc alloy. More copper would give a harder brass.

Edited by Slow Adam
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The second one is most definitely a King. I haven't really inspect the Yamaha, but if it is an older model, I'd go with the King out of sheer quality. Keep in mind that the King is much more open than a Yamaha. The same could apply to the Jupiter since it looks like a Yamaha mellophone and I assume, works similarly to a Yamaha mellophone.

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If you are going to audition for a corps that plays the Jupiter horns, please purchase the Yamaha. The one in the picture is a Yamaha 203, which is the model Jupiter used as a guide with their horn.

Personally, I would always go with the King. King has always made the best mellophone...free blowing, wonderfully balanced, and intonation is great!

Have you checked out The Middle Horn Leader? This site is maintained by a bunch of Star of Indiana mellophone players and you will learn almost everything about the horns you are looking for!

Good luck!

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I've played a King 1129 and Yamaha 204M. The King has less resistance, but slightly airy tone. The yammy has a much richer tone, but not as free-blowing in the upper register. Both horns play up to high D nicely, which is about all you need. I used a standard 3C trumpet mouthpiece, but it would be well-worth investing in a deeper cup mello piece.

You can get used Yamaha's from Scouts and Cavies:

http://www.madisongear.com/Instruments_c_30.html

http://www.cavaliers.org/cgi-bin/news.pl?c...tory&id=839

p.s. in terms of weight distribution, the King is more well-balanced, but your hands end up being farther away from your face, which is a bit tiring in the shoulders. The yammy is very bell-heavy which makes it harder to control on the march. It does not afford a good grip with the left hand, so it is hard to keep the bell from bouncing a bit.

Edited by vferrera
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