The Modern Mellophone, Part 1

Talking Brass with Jack Kanstul: How Zig Kanstul developed the modern mellophone.

[@NikkiSoFar]

Great history lesson thank you - and thank you to your dad for creating the mellophone for drum corps where I played the mellophone in the Garfield Cadets from 1987-90!

[@BST-ri6gf]

It’s the love child of a double horn and a trumpet

[@KanstulMusic]

Greg, Thanks for your comments on Olds instruments. My father greatly appreciated learning the craft from Mr. Reynolds at Olds. We continue that legacy at the Kanstul factory which he started in 1981. All handmade in the USA. No outsourcing of parts or labor. Jack Kanstul

[@ultimatu2130]

RIP VK 💔 I wish I could go back in time and see them live

[@jamess8566]

They were one of my favorite corps. I used to love watching them back in the mid to late 80s.

[@KanstulMusic]

The King was designed by my father for King when he was running their Benge division in their factory in Anaheim during the 70's. He designed and manufactured in Anaheim both their Bb/F Marching Brass and their G Bugles.

[@guitarmansegovia]

Hearing your history on French horn bugles is quite fascinating - and his work with King is an aspect I appreciate as well, having played a number of their marching mellophones (and currently playing on an 1122 marching French horn). French horns are a beast to play, but I always embraced it as the challenge that took me from trumpet in the first place!

[@williambarajas8528]

i usually dont watch these kinds of videos but you're really interesting!!! great job on these videos!!!!!

[@ianboard544]

It was used a fair amount in the 20's. I love the instrument. When I first heard in old recordings, I thought was a trombone with better articulation.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

It's basically a Marching Alto Horn. It's more like an Alto Trumpet which is great for playing the old repertoire that calls for it. The 275 was indeed the True Marching Alto Horn & I think you should make those Horns again (as well as bring back all the Discontinued models) cause more people wanna play these instruments again.

[@grey878]

I’d say it’s more like an alto flugelhorn than an alto trumpet

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@@grey878 Yeah the Mellophone is actually an F Alto Flugelhorn because it's mostly conical. What if they also had a Rotary Valve version? They make rotary Valve trumpets so why not rotary Valve mellophones?

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

I saw the Kanstul Mellophonium Circular Mellophone & was kind of number model was it?

[@Sharkacy]

THANK YOU for saying french horn is difficult... nobody ever realizes it's difficult, i was also once a trumpet player, switched to french horn and not a lot of people realize. thank you!

[@dominguezramiro1421]

Loved the video. I marched with VK in 1995 but as a bass drummer. Just learning the history is awesome.

[@DocSavage82VK]

Hello fellow VK alumni! I marched years before you did, but always good to see another VK online!

[@MaddieGraffeo]

Such an informative and enjoyable video.

[@betaomega04]

The Kanstul Mellophone I used with The Bluecoats in 2002 was far and away the most frustrating instrument I have *ever* used. Invariably, I would be playing and the valves would just start spinning. Even after swapping out valve guides, both metal and nylon, the valves would start spinning. Also, every single horn in our hornline eventually had solder joints that would fail. I've never heard of that ever being an issue with any other manufacturer's horns.

[@VespoLiveGaming]

I played a G Kanstul Alto bugle in 1991 with the Crossmen (Jack Meehan brought them in) Years later I played and owned a G Kanstul Mellophone in the Senior Corps circuit up until everyone switched to Bb/F there

[@Daren-h6p]

Can you give me a second hand mellophone? I had a trumpet basic when I was high school. But I prefer mellophone sound. In here Thailand is very expensive I can't reach it.

[@KanstulMusic]

Maybe a demo showing the difference would be good. Something to work on.

[@crazyanglertv1418]

The mellophone was tone in G major

[@KanstulMusic]

MAP price on Kanstul model 281 mellophone in lacquer finish is $1,589.00 which includes case and mouthpiece.

[@samsignorelli]

Do one of the King series of G brass. K-20 was the best horn I ever played (84 Blue Devils) prior to my Powerbore.

[@daleprimer6644]

The Royal Airs debuted the Mellophone in 1965 at the Civic Opera House in Chicago!

[@africa-produccionmusical4334]

Cordial saludo, tengo una pregunta, soy trompetista, me gustaría saber si la boquilla de trompeta se puede utilizar para tocar un Mellophone? gracias a quien me pueda ayudar.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

They're designed for trumpet mouthpieces and they even have an adapter that allows you to use a French Horn mouthpiece

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

They're designed for trumpet mouthpieces and they even have an adapter that allows you to use a French Horn mouthpiece

[@africa-produccionmusical4334]

@@RockStarOscarStern634 Gracias

[@tryan5458]

Looking at the Whaley Royce catalog from the 60's it gives credit to Dominic DelRey for designing the drum corps mellophone in 1963. It also said that the first time it was used by the Interstatesmen was in February 1964. Dom was a very busy man at that time. He also brought the Melophone to the Marksmen, the Targets and a few other corps that he was instructing at the time. All of the used them in 1964 as well. A multi-corps tie for first along with the Toronto Optomists.

[@KanstulMusic]

Thanks for the clarification.

[@oldtimedrumcorps]

Marksmen photo 63/64? showed I 3 players with the new mello in Drum Corps News . Edward Lawrence, NY Skyliners could play that thing . See ' Elks Parade" 74/75 and prior . Been there .

[@dumpicus_maximus]

I know this is necroposting, but can you share me a link to the Whaley Royce Catalog from the 60s? I can only find one from the 1890s

[@farleydinesen304]

blah blah blah. Nobody is interested in history. Those people never learn!

[@yazinc]

I always wondered about this, thank you.

[@warh0rn]

I wish you would do a demo of someone playing the yamaha and this horn so we could see the difference.

[@gregyoung7310]

I recently purchased a mid-60's Olds Ambassador mellophone, silver-plated with both F and Eb slides, in basically mint condition. It's a beautiful instrument. Looking. It's very aesthetically pleasing. However...as you mentioned, the intonation is pretty horrendous, especially from the G on top of the staff and above. The C above the staff (concert F) is a half step flat. I've tried a Kelly 6V mellophone mouthpiece and a Bach 3C trumpet mouthpiece, and the intonation seems to be equally as bad with either mouthpiece. I'm wondering: what mouthpiece shipped with the Ambassador mellophone back in the 50's and 60's? If it was a special mellophone mouthpiece, I'd love to get my hands on one and give it a try. Thanks for the videos!

[@KanstulMusic]

Try our M6 mouthpiece. Should help some. Then get a real mellophone Kanstul Model 281. Plays perfectly in tune.

[@gregyoung7310]

I'm just playing for my own enjoyment. I love my early Fullerton Ambassador trumpet. I wish I had unlimited funds and could buy one of each Kanstul horn! :)

[@professorseverustobiassnap1566]

Nice video.

[@KanstulMusic]

Professor Snape Thanks Professor. We enjoy what we do. And we do it better than anyone all here in the USA.

[@KanstulMusic]

Thanks Professor.

[@xXEpicMehXx]

so is it just the flare at the end of the bell or the taper throughout the horn that gives it a pitch center? or both?

[@KanstulMusic]

A combination.

[@菅野勝利-m3w]

昔のホルンのような形のほうが良かったのですが。

[@fernandmusician1889]

How much cost a mellophone? I'm looking for

[@brycelawler6380]

Fernand Musician one of the best mellophones on the market, the Yamaha YMP204M or YMP204MS go for around $1900 USD silver (new) or about $1400 USD silver (used). The lacquer version of the instrument is about $1600 USD new and $1000 USD used. I hope this helps!

[@LeopoldMidas]

I bet it's hard to compete against yamaha.

[@KanstulMusic]

Only in the marketing. Horn wise we blow them away! Try any of our horns and you will know what the pros have known for decades "Nothing RESONATES like a Kanstul"

[@LeopoldMidas]

I would like to try your tubas, definitely!

[@ultimatu2130]

System Blue more than keeps up with Yamaha. But they only make things for the marching arts.