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Which mellophone would you recommend?


Hrothgar15

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I wonder if the brand "Schill" might be a play on words.

Tom Corso (T-birds/RA) bought an eBay 3rd-world trumpet that is pitched in between the keys of Bb and A.

He says he plays a "Schill Key" trumpet.

Edited by HornsUp
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If you haven't already purchased one of them.....

I have played on that type of Yamaha at UNL for about 4 years with no major complaints.

They built solid but I think the new models are much better.

I always had problems with water leaking into the slides and valves. The horns just lost their seals after a while.

The sound can be worked with but it can be bright at first.

I have also played on the King Mellophone for a year and I loved it.

Very nice characteristic tone....at leat I think. Partly due to the bell flare.

I didn't like the open shape at first but you have more hand space than the Yamaha.

Do watch out on the brand!!! Don't be deceived by cheap imitations. Make sure you see the company name and logo etched into the bell otherwise it is crap...no joke. It wouldn't hurt to search for more options either.

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Yamaha 204 is the best Mellophone on the market. Kings and Kanstuls are both good, but the Yamaha is better overall.

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I have a Deg Mello in "G" I'd like to offload for $350. It's the odd model one. Smaller bell. Sounds good, plays well, but intonation is a little whacked. Good enough to build chop on, although I don't know how the jump from a G to F horn would be. Each mello seems to be it's own character. Even among the same brand and model. GCS has several Deg Mellos and even though they look a like, no two had the same leadpipe, mouthpiece receiver, or other traits.

IMO most mellophones don't play well on Trumpet mouthpieces. I currently favor the Kanstul M6 on mello. Even a Kelly 6V plays better on a mello than standard trumpet mouthpieces.

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

It really depends on who you're gonna audition for. The Yamaha 204M is probably the best available. But if you're gonna audition / play the season on a 203, you might be shooting yourself in the foot by using the better horn, come audition time. Unless you get to audition on your horn. Not that the difference between the two is that huge, but it might make the difference between pass and fail. I wouldn't know, I've never had to audition to march a corps. Although others in other sections did during many of the years that I marched.

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Yamaha 204 is the best Mellophone on the market. Kings and Kanstuls are both good, but the Yamaha is better overall.

The Caballeros purchased Yamaha brass in 2004. While the overall sound has improved incredibly, I would say that these horns are very maintenance intensive. We are constantly changing out valve guides in the low brass. This season had seen the most in repairs. The mellos tuning slidesd were sticking solid. And attempt to pry them would bend it badly. I have had the same horn since 2004 and never until this season have I had to replace anything much less a tuning slide. This year I had gone through two of them. I had played on a Kanstal G mello(which I still own myself) between 1999 and 2003 and it gave me little to no trouble within that time. Its sitting in my closet for the past few years, but I would bet with a little oil and some slide grease, it would be just fine.

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The Caballeros purchased Yamaha brass in 2004. While the overall sound has improved incredibly, I would say that these horns are very maintenance intensive. We are constantly changing out valve guides in the low brass. This season had seen the most in repairs. The mellos tuning slidesd were sticking solid. And attempt to pry them would bend it badly. I have had the same horn since 2004 and never until this season have I had to replace anything much less a tuning slide. This year I had gone through two of them. I had played on a Kanstal G mello(which I still own myself) between 1999 and 2003 and it gave me little to no trouble within that time. Its sitting in my closet for the past few years, but I would bet with a little oil and some slide grease, it would be just fine.

TBIRDS are always on the look-out for Kanstul "G"'s So if yours is collecting dust......?

Anyway......would sure like to hear this years show on THOSE horns. Just sayin....

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This is the horn that the corps I'm auditioning for uses:

Jupiter Quantum Marching Mellophone

2783809259_9fcf35f1f4_o.png

FEATURES:

• F Marching Mellophone

• .460" bore

• 10.7" bell

• Silver-Plated body

• Stainless steel pistons

• Horn/Mellophone hybrid mouthpiece

• Wood-frame case

• Weighs 3.6 lbs

5050L

• Above 5050S with lacquered brass finish

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