What Are The Best Brass Instruments?

[BlooContraGuy]

My experience with Yamaha contras has been great, besides a few tuning issues that pop up in the 6th or 7th partials. The lack of a fourth valve option is annoying, but I really don't care unless we are playing in a key with B naturals. They are fantastically balanced and are "easy" to march with. They are also fairly durable; the braces and double plated areas are definitely made of stronger stuff than the King contras. Those things just look grotesque by the end of a single summer.

Yamaha mellophones are (from what I hear) the best mellophones on the market, playing wise. Durability? As long as nobody sits on it, you shouldn't worry.

The Xeno is a professional level trumpet, of which I have heard nothing but positive feedback.

I think the Baris and Euphs are balanced well, and also pretty "easy" to march with when compared to other models that are bell heavy and awkward to hold. I don't know how they play, but I'm sure they can do whatever you need.

It seems that the Yamaha brand is more expensive based off of posts here, but I don't deal with price, so I don't know. For what it's worth, I think that Yamaha has a great line of horns, and will definitely help your horn line reach their potential in the sound you want to produce.

[audiodb]

I personally do not know of any world class corps marching with Kanstuls. Unless I'm just crazy, haha. I believe it is all King, Yamaha, Dynasty, and Jupiter.

I think the last was Academy in '07.

[Blake13]

King and Yamahas are by far the best sounding on the list. And they'll last for awhile.

Dynastys are ok. They sound alright but are probably the heaviest horns out there. Build your arms up though!!!

[Drum Korps Fan Man]

My experience with Yamaha contras has been great

I didn't mean that Yamaha low brass was bad, just that King was better. Although, King is significantly heavier, so that is a drawback (usually : )

[BlooContraGuy]

I didn't mean that Yamaha low brass was bad, just that King was better. Although, King is significantly heavier, so that is a drawback (usually : )

I've never played a King, honestly, so I can't say anything about that aspect of the horn. I think the difference in weight distribution is more of an issue than the actual difference in weight for the contra. Though after three months of getting used to it, I'm sure that none of that really bothers the average marcher

[s3si1u]

Dynasty has made improvements in their horns compared to the older models Cascades have.

The high brass sound a bit pinched, and the baritones are kind of stuffy.

Kings are made with bigger bores all around, I believe. Their low brass particularly stand out but their trumpets and mellophones aren't a whole lot to talk about.

Yamahas produce good horns for the most part. They are light, compact and make decent sounds. From my experience, Yamahas are slightly more fragile however. I also understand they are significantly more expensive.

Jupiters I can't say a whole lot about. The horns that I have played were decent enough. Phantom, Academy, and Surf all made some good sounds this past season as well. Their horns seem to be well built and I can imagine customer service would be very good.

Kanstuls are made on order I believe so time would be a big factor if you intend to purchase for this upcoming season. They play exceedingly well but my experience with their durability isn't remarkable.

for the record, I prefer king or jupiter

Actually, King baritones have significantly smaller bores than any other baritone out on the market i believe

[kickhaltsforlife]

There is the large bore and small bore King Baritones. Well at least there used to be... I've played on both... the large bore baritones aren't bad though.

I will go and say that Yamaha is probably the best choice. It is th best complete package. The low brass isn't bad. The horns don't play that great, but with proper teaching by someone who knows the horn it will be fine. The low brass as a whole blends really well, especially if you add some euphs to the line, it really darkens up the hornline. The euphs are very easy to hold compared to Kings and Dynasty. High brass is great. I have heard it is the best mello on the market right now. And others have spoken about the trumpet. It may cost more (I honestly don't know) but the Yamahas are the most sensible course of action. And you can get 2-3 years or more out of them if you take care of them. And they are pretty easy to sell (except the euphs). And yamaha really takes care of you. The Yamaha package is probably the best all around.

I do prefer the sound of King/Pearl package though. Haha.

[Penn State]

High Brass award: 1st -Blue Devils, Dynasty

2nd Phantom, King Marching Brass

3rd Crown, Yamaha

4th Cavaliers, Yamaha (2008 horns for sale)

5th Cadets, Yamaha

6th Bluecoats Yamaha (horns now on sale)

7th SCV Yamaha

8th Blue Stars, King

Academy - Jupiter Marching Brass

+++

Can you separate a discussion about horns from the corps who use them?

Yes, at least I like to think so

Does a certain brand really bring a competitive advantage?

Each line is unique and offers advantages in different voices over their competition. I will discuss the instruments that I have personally played on and what I feel I have enough feedback on to comment. I will make it clear when I am speaking of my personal experience as opposed to others. References will be provided for any product opinion from other musicians when possible.

Yamaha:

-To the extent of my knowledge Yamaha is the only manufacturer that offers a professional trumpet in its marching brass line up. The company offers various options to allow the corps to choose the Xeno model that facilitates their vision of the soprano voice.

-The YMP-204 mellophone out performs the competition by at least a mile. Very smooth valve action, I consider near professional quality, if not professional quality. The scale on this horn is even, a thumb saddle on the first valve slide is a useful feature. The horn is free blowing and produces a warm alto voice tone when paired with a deep V cup mouthpiece such as a Blessing mello 5. Chris Nalls considers the 204 to be a near professional instrument (www.mellocast.com Episode #75). I own a Yamaha 204 and regularly play it with a Blessing mello 5, a true alto voice mouthpiece. A heavier mouthpiece, such as the Blessing 5 or IYM, helps balance out the horn as this model is slightly bell heavy. For more information on the YMP-204 please see: http://www.middlehornleader.com/Yamaha%20YMP204.htm

www.mellocast.com Episode #9

- The Yamaha YBH-301 marching baritone is a very unique horn as it has a significantly larger bore size in comparison to the competition. A large quantity of air is vital in making this horn speak well. Valve action is smooth but the stroke distance is slightly longer than what one may consider normal. I feel this model is very rewarding for the highly skilled, experienced musician. I own a Yamaha and play it regularly with a Bach 5G mouthpiece.

-The Yamaha YEP-202 marching only euphonium is an excellent horn. It shares its valve casing and .571” bore size with the marching baritone; however it has a wrap which is more open than the baritone complimented with a larger bell tale. I feel this horn tends to play slightly flat but is not difficult to pull into tune (key is more air). Surprisingly, this horn blends well with the concert style euphonium. I own a Yamaha YEP-202 and play it when I have the time with a Bach 5G mouthpiece.

-The Yamaha YBB-202 marching only tuba has gained an excellent reputation with the Yamaha corps members I marched with in Blue Band. I have not been able to track one done yet to test play (if anyone can assist me in this please let me know, I would really appreciate it!!!). The horn is considered well balance in the carry and playing position with multiple places for a player to find a comfortable grip. One very unique and impressive quality of this horn is that it has a professional grade bell.

Since the original posting, I have played tested the 202 with the Caballeros and picked one up to use in an alumni corps. 15 degrees above // is easily obtainable. This horn, imo, is ‘American style’. Intonation is good, not perfect (the horn is very sharp when in ‘factory tuning’) The tone quality of this horn is very flexible, you can produce a huge, warm, sonorous sound to a very direct and articulate sound, and of course everything between. This horn is the most balanced tuba or contra I’ve picked up, especially in the playing position.

To show you how much I love this horn….to be able to afford one I sold my Conn 5J tuba and added a pay check. Still didn’t have enough money for a new horn and had an immediate need with the corps I was to play with, I purchased a used one from Cadets. I very much want to get a new 202 one of these days, it just won’t happen anytime soon  just a side note…a member of the Sentinels, who also plays with the Buccaneer Alumni, liked the sound I produced so much on this horn, he asked me not only to come and play with Bucs Alumni but insisted I bring my horn with me. Yes I did join up and I LOVE IT!!!!!

Dynasty

-The M541 Mellophone is simply the best Dynasty Mellophone I have ever played. I play tested the M541 with a custom mello 6 mouthpiece which is owned by a friend. This horn features sturdy construction with good valve action. It is very well balanced and comfortable to be held in the playing and carry position. Intonation is relatively even but has a brighter tone than I personally care for. The horn play tested is owned by East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania Warrior marching band. For more information on the Dynasty M541 mellophone please see: http://www.middlehornleader.com/Dynasty%20...MT%20Review.htm

-The Dynasty M570 marching baritone is an excellent horn. This horn is light weight, balanced, even intonation, and free blowing; perfect for the beginning marcher and yet good enough to keep a seasoned musician satisfied. This is my favorite Dynasty horn I have played. So good, as a matter of fact, even though I own a Yamaha YBH-301, I still would love to own this horn! I played this horn with the East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania Warrior marching band. I utilized a Dynasty 6 ½ A small shank mouthpiece.

-The Dynasty M875 marching only tuba is large for a 4/4 sized tuba. Many consider the 4th valve to be an invaluable feature. Personally, I could have done without the extra weight. The balance of this horn is somewhat front heavy and is not very comfortable to hold in the carry position. An annoying but not critical issue with this horn was the tendency for the ‘mother of pearl’ fingers buttons to easily fall off. Overall this horn had a tendency to play flat. Mouthpiece choice for me on this instrument is a Bach gold plate 24AW mega-tone mouthpiece. The smaller mouthpiece made it easier to bring the horn into tune as compared to those with larger mouthpiece preferences. In spite of its flaws this is a solid horn, worthy of being performed on in any brass ensemble setting. I do not own this horn but have performed on it in the DCA venue.

King:

-The King 1121 mellophone: please see: http://www.middlehornleader.com/King%201121%20Review.htm

www.mellocast.com Episode #8

-The King 1124 marching baritone was a huge disappointment to me when I play tested it. Intonation was not a huge concern; however I found the 1124 to be very stuffy with the valve cluster uncomfortably distant from the mouthpiece. During the play test I was able to utilize the following mouthpieces: Bach 6AL, 5G, and 1G. I had slightly better results with the larger mouthpieces but the horn still felt extremely stuffy and unresponsive. I play tested this horn at an authorized Conn-Selmer dealer.

Quantum:

-The Quantum mellophone: please see: http://www.middlehornleader.com/Jupiter%20...tum%205050S.htm

www.mellocast.com Episode #39

In summary:

I feel the Yamaha brass line offers the best overall product. The alto and soprano voices truly are the best in the market. While it can be argued who has the best low brass voices, the quality of the Yamaha low brass is nothing to laugh at. The Dynasty line comes in at second with a strong low brass and respectable upper brass. I do feel as Jupiter works the quirks out of the Quantum line Dynasty may find its product line surpassed. I know the least about the King and Quantum lines, yet feel confident enough to predict that Jupiter will continue to develop and improve the Quantum line. At this time I do not foresee any immediate product re-evaluation and development by King which I find disappointing.

Since the original posting Blue Devils have become a Conn-Selmer group (King brass). I will speculate that this was done to allow the BD staff to help improve the quality of design of the King marching brass. I only say this, as this is what seemed to happen when BD began using Dynasty products.

How does the new Jupiter brass sound? Was it up to DCI standards for durability and quality?

I have not been able to play the Jupiter marching brass; however I recently played a Jupiter BBb concert tuba. It played very well with a very nice, warm tone with minimal back pressure. The valve action is smooth and quick. I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of this instrument! http://www.jupitermusic.com/jbi_instrument...d=1&pId=166

As a side note, I felt Jersey Surf had an excellent performance on the Quantum horns at DCI East. Based on that performance alone I feel the Quantum line should be given serious consideration.

I saw several corps using very large mouthpieces. Comments on MP's?

As I have matured I have come to the realization that there is no such thing as a ‘magic mouthpiece’. I am a firm believer that a musician should utilize the mouthpiece that best works with their embouchure. In some instances, such as a bell heavy mellophone, a large or heavy weight mouthpiece will help balance out the horn in the hands of the musician.

Would you buy a used brass instrument from a drum corps?

I have and probably will again. I purchased a Yamaha marching euphonium from Crown last fall. It plays well and is in very good condition for a two year old drum corps horn. There was a bit more platting wear on the third valve and the last crook before the bell tale. Thankfully no pitting. I figure the wear in the high contact areas was accelerated by excessive polishing with an abrasive polish.

[s3si1u]

There is the large bore and small bore King Baritones. Well at least there used to be... I've played on both... the large bore baritones aren't bad though.

I will go and say that Yamaha is probably the best choice. It is th best complete package. The low brass isn't bad. The horns don't play that great, but with proper teaching by someone who knows the horn it will be fine. The low brass as a whole blends really well, especially if you add some euphs to the line, it really darkens up the hornline. The euphs are very easy to hold compared to Kings and Dynasty. High brass is great. I have heard it is the best mello on the market right now. And others have spoken about the trumpet. It may cost more (I honestly don't know) but the Yamahas are the most sensible course of action. And you can get 2-3 years or more out of them if you take care of them. And they are pretty easy to sell (except the euphs). And yamaha really takes care of you. The Yamaha package is probably the best all around.

I do prefer the sound of King/Pearl package though. Haha.

oops. my bad. The way I understood it, there was two King baritones. One with a Large shank and one with a small shank, but both with the .500 bore. I stand corrected

[crazymello]

I thought I would throw in that playing a king euph is like playing liquid chocolate.