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One thing for sure, those kanstul horns are x1000% nicer than yamaha horns. I'm jealous those kids get to play on those horns.

One thing for sure, those kanstul horns are x1000% nicer than yamaha horns. I'm jealous those kids get to play on those horns.

They sound really good. Deep rich sound that the Yamahas don't produce. The kids are louder. Last year I used the cheap Iphone dB meter app at got Spirit at 108dB. This year I got them consistently at 110dB and as much as 112dB. That was early on when the Caption Head was working on tone quality instead of volume.

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One thing for sure, those kanstul horns are x1000% nicer than yamaha horns. I'm jealous those kids get to play on those horns.

Not sure they are that much better unless in the hands of extremely mature performers, which I guess most of Spirit's brass players are not. So why the purchase? Why are the top corps not playing Kanstuls? There is a trade off between quality and initial cost as well as maintenance and repair costs. Did those with the purse strings do their research?

For Spirit supporters that are offended by my statement about mature players, let me define such:

All state high schoolers from states with a lot of top programs (Texas, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, etc.), players in the top of their college studios, players that could be in the top of their respective college studios but are not majoring in music. Players without notable embouchure issues, range issues, pitch matching issues, breath support issues, articulation issues, etc.

Edited by westcoastblue
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Not sure they are that much better unless in the hands of extremely mature performers, which I guess most of Spirit's brass players are not. So why the purchase? Why are the top corps not playing Kanstuls? There is a trade of between quality and initial cost as well as maintenance and repair costs. Did those with the purse strings do their research?

Edited by davidmccain
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And I guess you know Nolan Jones as well.

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Yes I know Elmo. He left and went to the then Garfield Cadets. And, yes I know Nolan, he left and went to Madison a year before I did. Wow, what a small world! Nolan is now on the brass staff for Music City.

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Yes I know Elmo. He left and went to the then Garfield Cadets. And, yes I know Nolan, he left and went to Madison a year before I did. Wow, what a small world! Nolan is now on the brass staff for Music City.

Nolan was my kid's Band Director from 8th to 11th grade in Mississippi. He's a really good guy. He seems to be having a lot fun with MCDC this year.

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Nolan was my kid's Band Director from 8th to 11th grade in Mississippi. He's a really good guy. He seems to be having a lot fun with MCDC this year.

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Wow, that's something! Yes, he is a good guy. I just pray that MCDC will continue to improve and eventually move to world class. I was on their brass staff 2010 - 2011. But my schedule just would not allow me to do it anymore.

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Not sure they are that much better unless in the hands of extremely mature performers, which I guess most of Spirit's brass players are not. So why the purchase? Why are the top corps not playing Kanstuls?

First off, my personal opinion is that the Kanstul brass horns are better than the Yamaha or the Jupiter. Not sure about the modified King, because I love that sound too.

As with any brass instrument, the best players can make an old crappy "bundy" sound good. The Blue Devils were playing on Dynasty for a while. They sounded great because they have strong players, but they do sound even better on King.

I wish more of the BIG names in corps used Kanstul or King, but Yamaha does make a fine line of brass as well, and for many top corps Yamaha provides them with everything (brass, percussion, pit, and other accessories). The early Yamaha horns were ok, but the trumpets were horrible. Now days I do think the Yamaha line is very good.

In the end, though, I prefer the sound of Kanstul or King. Spirit sounds great on those horns. They also sound somewhat younger and less experienced than the Blue Devils or Bluecoats, so it's unfair to judge their sound or ability against those top lines. I would love to hear Carolina Crown on Kanstul.

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Not sure they are that much better unless in the hands of extremely mature performers, which I guess most of Spirit's brass players are not. So why the purchase? Why are the top corps not playing Kanstuls? There is a trade off between quality and initial cost as well as maintenance and repair costs. Did those with the purse strings do their research?

For Spirit supporters that are offended by my statement about mature players, let me define such:

All state high schoolers from states with a lot of top programs (Texas, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, etc.), players in the top of their college studios, players that could be in the top of their respective college studios but are not majoring in music. Players without notable embouchure issues, range issues, pitch matching issues, breath support issues, articulation issues, etc.

Edited by davidmccain
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