A History of the K-90 (long)

[kevingamin]

I was sitting on the bus with my K-90 during a ride to a show while marching Empire in 2000, and Jerry Kelsey, sitting a couple rows back, says, "How can you manage to carry that thing everywhere?"

I said, "Every time I make a noise on it, I feel justified."

The big Kanstul is a kick, the DEG supermags are pretty good, the smaller DEGs are an exercise in restraint, our custom Kanstul 2p/1r contras sound better in ensemble than by themselves, and the Duratones were actually pretty good, considering their size.

But, man, that K-90... It's like it's the voice of God.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Those small DEG contras were like biting on tinfoil in sound compared to the K-90.

[luthen]

this is all very fascinating, thank you for posting it...

[craiger59]

I know I'm reading this topic many months late but...I was a drummer with Sky Ryders

and was blessed to have been sitting INSIDE the circle of horns the night the Bridgemen

horns joined with ours to play "Rainbow" Wow!! What a sound I have never heard anything

like it before or since. The bottom sound our horn line put out was the kind you could feel

inside your gut. After I aged out I spent the next summer driving the equipment truck and

can still remember the care we gave to those horns...in fact ALL our horns. To many of us,

the late 70's and early 80's were the best years of DCI.

[Periphery]

Wow! I am the guy that made the original post. I have had several login names here on DCP, but Fat, Sweaty Contra Guy was my first one.

I am planning on interviewing the creators of the K-90 if I can get in touch with them. I want to hear their stories about the design and creation of our prototypes, what was learned from them and applied to the production versions, and what cost-cutting compromises were made to the production horns (if any).

If I can get a true "history" from them, I will look up John Simpson and George Tuthill and get the Sky Ryders official version of the concept and whether the story about the eight tubas was true.

Until then, here are a few K-90 pics and a response to one very early poster to this thread (like a year ago).

The site where I exchanged information and stories that ended up in the first post of this thread is

Sean Chisham's TubeNet BBS

Here are two photos of our nice, shiny K-90 prototypes in 1983. They were already veterans of two seasons and you can see how well maintained the horns were. We were fanatical about them, even in 1984 when I marched.

I do not know who this girl is, but I think that she is holding Dean Barrow's contra.

This is Phil Clements. He ended up teaching the hornline somewhere around 1990. He was also my drum major for two years in the marching band at North Texas. This is an excellent shot of how clothing styles have changed for the better over the last 23 years.

This is my very beat up 1982 K-90, which was the first year of production. It is not a Blue Devils horn. It might have belonged to the San Jose Raiders. I am planning on restoring it and having the plating redone. Since I work on horns only the plating will cost a lot for me, and I still get the wholesale price from the plater!

And the 1984 Sky Ryders. I am the first contra on the left in the pic.

Wade Rackley

Principal Tuba, Mississippi Symphony Orchestra

Instructor of Music, Millsaps College

Contra Section Leader, Jackson Generals

Edited February 2, 2006 by Periphery

[Kansan]

Great thread.

I always looked at those Contras and thanked God I played Baritone. Those Contras were great Bugles but I would have been afraid I'd lose control of the thing while marching. :sshh:

It would be cool to get the Alumni together and play at a show sometime.

[craiger59]

The pictures were great! Love those pics of the corps. Born and raised in Hutch I have

memories of hearing the corps clear across town and of being so proud to be a Sky Ryder.

Unfortunately George is no longer with us but I'm sure there is someone who can remember

the birth of a legend.