Tiffany Johns Tiffany Johns

“Real” Bass Trombones

If you’ve gone down the trombone history rabbit hole at all, you’ve probably run across old bass trombones in keys lower than B-flat. While there is a lot of information scattered across the Web about these instruments, this is my attempt at summarizing the historical points and showing off some of the different kinds of long bass trombones that are out there, with my firsthand experience with a few of them thrown in.

The history is pretty simple. The trombone was invented in the mid-15th century, but brass instrument valves didn’t come around until the early 19th century. So for almost than 400 years, the only way to get lower notes was to build a physically longer instrument. Below the tenor trombone in B-flat, you had bass trombones, in G, F, E-flat, and other keys.

By the Classical period, the instrument had mostly settled on G or F. The G bass trombone was used briefly in France (along with C tenors and F altos), and at some point some of these instruments were imported into Britain. In France the G bass trombone (and indeed, the bass trombone in ANY key) did not last, but in Britain the G bass trombone flourished. In fact, the British G bass trombone tradition in brass band and orchestra lasted longer than anywhere else in the world, with G basses being regularly used all the way up to the 1960s. In continental Europe, the F bass trombone was the standard instrument for orchestras and military bands, though it was replaced by the Bb/F bass trombone much sooner than in Britain. Once the Bb/F bass trombone was invented, it spread like wildfire and (apart from in Britain) long bass trombones didn’t last very long.

Why is that?

Well, simply put, the Bb/F instrument was much easier to play. Trombones lower than B-flat are cumbersome instruments. The slides are too long to be able to reach all of the positions with just your arm, so they are equipped with long handles that allow you to reach the outer positions. But these handles are harder to use than just holding the slide brace directly, especially in fast passages. And on top of that, because the instrument is pitched lower, it is harder to play high and just more laborious in general. So when the Bb/F bass trombone came around, the long bass trombone’s days were numbered.

This isn’t to say that long bass trombones are impossible to play, or even difficult if you know how to play them. I personally love playing on the longer instruments, as they get cool sounds you just don’t get with a B-flat instrument, and I find the handle and lower pitches to be fun and rewarding challenges to overcome. Bass sackbut is one of my favorite instruments to play, and it is immensely satisfying to get right like all sackbuts.

The above image shows my G bass trombone - a 1939 Boosey & Hawkes Artist’s Perfected. This is a British small-bore G bass trombone, and is a fairly typical example of the breed. The majority of British G bass trombones had very small bores (usually smaller than .490”), which matched the tenor trombones commonly in use in brass bands at the time. Because of the very small bore, these G bass trombones got a notoriously bright sound when played loudly, with people coming up with colorful things to say about it, such as it sounds like tearing paper, or that the G bass trombone is really a percussion instrument. In addition, because of the extra-long slide and the trombones’ position in the front row of parades (where the slides could be bad news for errant children running in front of the band), the G bass trombone earned the nickname “Kidshifter” in Britain.

A few larger bore instruments were built for orchestral use, the most famous of which being the Boosey & Hawkes “Betty” model.

1939 Boosey & Hawkes “Betty” bass trombone in G, with attachment in D or C

This instrument had a relatively huge .5265” bore, and was much better suited for the modern orchestra than the narrow-bore brass band instruments, especially once large bore Conn trombones imported from the United States began to take over. The Betty models are rare and desirable today, and play nicely even with modern large bore tenor trombones. The attachment was pitched in D, but it came with an alternate slide to put the valve in C if you so desired.

(While the British G bass trombone tradition has long since evaporated, the general musical instrument maker Hakam Dim does claim to still offer a G bass trombone which appears to be based on an old small bore British design. However, I have not seen evidence of one apart from the single picture on their website.)

Meanwhile, in continental Europe, the long bass trombones (usually in F, but sometimes in E-flat) tended to be big and dark. An excellent example is this German F bass trombone I used to own, a Julius Rudolph from 1937.

This instrument was just about the polar opposite from my small-bore British G bass trombone. It was all nickel silver, extremely heavy, and with the most drastic dual bore in the slide that I’ve ever seen: .510-.590”! It had a massive bell throat and sounded so huge that it sounded much closer to a modern F contrabass trombone than an F bass trombone. (This is also why I sold it…I wanted a real bass voice, and this instrument didn’t really give that to me.) It was made in 1937, which is very late for an F bass in Europe, but the manufacture of long basses did soldier on for a few decades after they fell out of favor in the orchestra, as they were still used in military bands and church trombone choirs (Posaunenchor).

Modern G or F bass trombones are a rare thing, but a few do exist. Here is a brief overview of the ones I know of.

This first one is possibly the most well-known modern F bass trombone. It was made in 2004 by Yamaha as a surprise gift to Doug Yeo, who was the bass trombonist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the time. It has a full-length slide with seven positions.

This one is a modern instrument in F built by Gronitz, and while it originally had two valves (as seen on the picture on the right) it was later converted to a single valve. It has been for sale at the BrassArk for a long time now.

While there are no full-body pictures of this trombone, this gives you an idea. This is a modern bass trombone in F built by Josef Lidl, and later outfitted with independent Hagmann valves in C and D. It has a full-length slide with handle, and a .525” slide bore. It has been for sale at Swisstbone for years now, and is listed as a contrabass there.

This is a one-off bass trombone in F made by Matthew Walker of the world-class custom trombone maker M&W. It uses a lengthened 10.5” Bach 50BGL bell, a long .562” slide, and bass trombone rotors.

S.E. Shires, the popular modular trombone maker, used to offer the pictured conversion kit for their B-flat bass trombones that turned them into F bass trombones, complete with a long slide.

Likely the oldest instrument here (but still very much a modern instrument), this is a Holton bass trombone in E-flat with double slide. A few E-flat instruments with double slides were made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by a few makers, including Conn, Rudall & Carte, and the Salvation Army. Most were marketed as contrabasses, but some (like the Holton pictured here) were 100% bass trombones.

This is the only modern, non-British bass trombone in G that I have found pictoral evidence of - an East German G bass trombone made by VEB. The “Great Bass” trombones in G made for Jeff Reynolds by Larry Minick are also worth mentioning, but those are really G contrabasses, rather than G basses.

Minick G “Great Bass” trombone

Personally, I think that modern long bass trombones have a lot more potential. It’s been a dream of mine for many years to have modern, double-valve bass trombones in both G and F, and to actually use them on appropriate repertoire. But they are a very niche interest, as even most bass trombonists have no interest in a lower bass trombone. With modern trombone-making techniques and the many stellar makers out there, I have no doubt that a modern G or F instrument could be a wonderful player with an incredible sound. (I also think that contrabass trombones in G, like the Minick above, deserve more experimentation as well.)

Bass Valve Trombones

While long bass slide trombones are much rarer than their B-flat counterparts, bass valve trombones in F (while still rare today) are much more common than bass valve trombones in B-flat. To my knowledge, B-flat bass valve trombones have only been offered by Thein and Jürgen Voigt (in cimbasso form), with the rest that exist being cobbled together from parts (such as the Robb Stewart “cimbassina”). Meanwhile, F bass valve trombone was the standard bass trombone in a few parts of Europe around the turn of the 20th century. The trombone section Antonín Dvořák had access to and wrote for used valve trombones, with an F bass on the lowest part. The one time Gustav Mahler wrote for bass trombone (his sixth symphony), he wrote for a valved F bass as that’s what was available in Vienna at the time. Bass valve trombones were also manufactured in E-flat, and while I haven’t heard of any made in G it is certainly possible. Drum corps trombonium bugles and cellophones, while not really bass instruments, are the closest thing I know of.

An important clarification is that the modern cimbasso is a contrabass valve trombone, not a bass valve trombone. Much like F bass and contrabass slide trombones, or B-flat tenor and bass trombones, both bass and contrabass valve trombones can be in F. Cimbassi have also been built in “straight” (valve trombone) form, but they are still contrabass instruments.

The Bartók Gliss

While the modern slide F bass trombones shown earlier in this article were constructed to utilize the full capability of a modern F bass trombone, quite a few modern F basses have been built specifically to play one famous glissando in the orchestral repertoire. This glissando occurs in Béla Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, and is completely exposed with nobody else in the orchestra playing. It is a simple passage, glissing from B1 to F2 before the 2nd trombone continues the passage with another gliss. The reason why people have constructed new instruments for one glissando is because low B to F is not technically possible on a modern B-flat bass trombone. Bartok wrote the part for a bass trombone in F, and on that instrument the glissando is trivial - a simple 7th to 1st affair. But on a B-flat bass trombone, you have to come up with creative solutions to accomplish the gliss. As a fun aside, here are all the Bartok gliss solutions that I know of.

The easiest solution is to lip down from C to B, then gliss up as normal. This is what I did when I performed the piece, but that low B definitely doesn’t sound very strong when lipped down that far.

The most common choice is to start the gliss from low B with both valves, then at some point switch to just the F valve to complete the gliss. In my opinion this is the worst option and not even a real solution, as it produces a break in the gliss and does not achieve the composer’s desired effect.

A fun and effective solution is to pull the F valve tuning slide as far out as it will go, and then have the tuba player push the slide in as you ascend through the gliss. While the low B is sharp as most modern bass trombones do not have a long enough F pull to get an in-tune low B at the end of the slide, it is close enough for this excerpt, which is supposed to musically depict the composer vomiting (seriously!). Here’s a video demonstration of this solution:

Another fun and clever solution is to pull the F valve tuning slide as far out as it will go, and have a long string tied to the end of the valve slide with a ring at the other end. Wrap the other end of the string around your foot and use your foot to pull the slide back down as you ascend through the gliss. This might be my favorite solution that does not involve using a real F bass. Here’s a video demonstration:

The most expensive solution is to use a specially-built instrument designed to play that glissando in particular. There are two ways to go about this: either a B-flat bass with a special trigger mechanism allowing you to manipulate the valve slide while playing, or a real instrument in F. The B-flat method is less common, as this requires you buy or modify a B-flat bass trombone specifically for this purpose. Thein makes a dedicated Bartok model for this, and it has also been done as a modification to existing single-valve bass trombones.

As for real F bass trombones, several have been made for the Bartok gliss specifically. They are all double-slide affairs, sometimes with a matching bell sections and other times designed to mate up to a standard B-flat bell section. The most well-known example was made by Edwards, who rents it out for performances of the piece.

Doug Yeo holding a Bartok F bass

Of course, you could also use an existing F instrument to do the job, though most low F trombones are not F basses and thus don’t really get the right sound. Even so, because they are more widely available, players have used F contrabass trombones, B-flat contrabass trombones, and even F bass sackbuts to play the gliss. Regardless of what instrument is used, bass trombonists will usually only use the instrument for the glissando (along with the four staccato notes immediately preceding it), and then switch back to their normal instrument after.

I find it funny that bass trombonists have all sorts of solutions for “the Bartók gliss”, when in fact that single gliss in the Concerto for Orchestra is not the only low B to F glissando that Bartók wrote - there are many of them in The Miraculous Mandarin!

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Piccolo & Sopranino Trombones

If the soprano trombone isn’t comically small enough for you, you are in luck! There are technically three smaller members of the trombone family, though two are so rare they might as well not exist. Welcome to the absurd world of piccolo and sopranino trombones.

Let’s start with the piccolo trombone. This instrument is pitched in B-flat, one octave above the soprano trombone, two octaves above the tenor trombone, and the same length as a B-flat piccolo trumpet. It is hilariously tiny, and despite that fact that renowned brass maker Thein offers one, it is not at all a serious instrument. In my opinion, soprano trombones are about the limit of real musical usefulness for a trombone, and an instrument an octave higher is only useful as a toy and curiosity. Still, piccolo trombone is a real thing that exists, so let’s talk about it.

As mentioned, Thein makes a piccolo trombone. I would assume they first made one for the German Brass, who often use the piccolo trombone as a “show instrument” according to Thein’s website. But they decided to make it a standard offering, and for whatever reason it was then copied by at least one Chinese instrument factory and is now sold by Wessex Tubas and other Chinese retailers. It is typically marketed as a toy that happens to be a functional instrument, which I believe is an accurate assessment. Wessex states that their piccolo trombone is “the perfect gift for special occasions such as birthdays or Christmas”, and “ideal for the light-hearted brass musician in your life”. And indeed, generally people buy a piccolo to have around as a fun toy or conversation piece, rather than aspiring to use it as a serious musical instrument.

The availability of piccolos cheap enough to buy on a whim has resulted in this member of the trombone family being made and purchased far more than it really has a right to. To be fair, the same could also be said about the even cheaper and more-widely available Chinese soprano trombones. But more than anything, the piccolo trombone is a funny little horn and makes the world a little more whimsical.

The only other piccolo trombone I know of (apart from 3D-printed examples) is a one-off experiment that was made by the legendary brass technician Robb Stewart. He mentions in this article that he made it “more as a novelty or experiment” than a serious instrument, but says that it “actually does play well enough to be used in performances if used judiciously.” The article does not mention when he made this experimental piccolo, nor do I know when Thein started making theirs, but I would guess that Robb Stewart’s was first.

Robb Stewart’s B-flat piccolo trombone

The sopranino trombone has not enjoyed the same popularity as the piccolo or soprano. Quite the opposite, in fact; the sopranino is so rare that it is somewhat mythical. This is an instrument in between the soprano trombone and piccolo trombone in length and sound, sounding an octave above an alto trombone. In all of Internet history there have only been whispers of the sopranino’s existence, and we only have one known example of one being used: the famous all-trombone Peanut Vendor by the German Brass.

This video features 8 (!) different sizes of trombone, from contrabass up to piccolino. The piccolino trombone (in F, a fifth above the piccolo) was a gag horn made by Thein specifically for this bit, and unlike the piccolo it’s not fully functional. It can reportedly only play a couple of partials, both of which are demonstrated in the video. Thein also made a page on their website for the piccolino, which makes one wonder if you can technically order one. Thein themselves refer to it as a “joke instrument”.

Two Thein piccolino trombones in F on the right, unknown other tiny trombone on the left

Anyway, that video also features the only known evidence of a sopranino trombone being played. The sopranino in question was also made by Thein, and can be deduced to be in F (a fifth above the soprano, or a fourth below the piccolo) by the slide positions. (For those following along, here are the timestamps: soprano 2:19, sopranino 2:45, piccolo 3:21, piccolino 4:46.)

There are a few crumbs of evidence around the internet of other sopraninos’ existence. According to Robb Stewart, the famed brass maker and technician Larry Minick built a few sopranino trombones in E-flat using piccolo trumpet bells, including one for Jeff Reynolds. I have yet to track down a picture of one, however. There is also vague mention elsewhere of sopraninos being used in Moravian trombone choirs (as Jeff Reynolds’ was), and as that tradition incorporates every size of trombone they can get their hands on, it is likely that is the only context sopraninos have been used in outside of the German Brass.

I remain a bit more optimistic about the potential of a sopranino trombone than I am about the piccolo trombone, but to me a truly useful sopranino trombone would have to have a (relatively) large bore and bell, to mirror the few large bore (~.500”) soprano trombones out there. The sound those instruments make is ALL trombone, big and dark. And I believe there is a bit of room to move that sound (not the small, trumpet-like sound of sopranos made with trumpet parts) upwards.

If you have any or know of pictures or videos of sopranino trombones, please do send them to me! I’m sure there is more information out there waiting to be found.

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Trombones in C

The trombone family is very firmly based in B-flat. Modern tenor, bass, and soprano trombones are in B-flat, and the first contrabass trombones were in B-flat as well (with a few still made that way today). E-flat and F are the other standard keys - E-flat for alto trombone (though F altos do exist), and F for modern contrabass trombone. Anything else is much rarer. At one time G was the standard key for bass trombones in a few parts of the world (most notably Great Britain), and has also been used for a handful of modern trombones such as the Minick G “great bass” trombones made for Jeff Reynolds, and the Carol Brass CTB-2005-GLS-G-L soprano trombone in G. But apart from truly odd keys like D-flat and A-flat (both of which have had trombones made or modified to be in those keys), for a slide trombone the key of C is probably the rarest of them all. (We’ll discuss valve trombones later.)

Why is that?

You’d think that C, the most basic of all keys, would have a little more representation in the trombone world. However, since the trombone has been based in B-flat since its invention in the 15th century (though it was originally thought of in A due to different pitch standards at the time), there has been little demand for a trombone in C. There was a brief time where the standard trombone sizes in France were F alto, C tenor, and G bass, but the only lasting remnant of that time was the widespread use of the G bass trombone in Britain. France largely abandoned alto and bass trombones for a while, and the B-flat tenor became the standard there (like everywhere else). The result of all this is that there are very few trombones in C out there, and they are mostly regarded as odd curiosities at best. Additionally, most that do exist have a valve that puts the instrument in B-flat (and sometimes it is reversed so the instrument stands in B-flat), rather than fully embracing the key of C.

So what trombones in C do exist?

Possibly the most well-known example is the Conn 60H “Preacher” model. This instrument was built in the early 20th century, a time when many people in the United States played instruments at an amateur level and trombone parts were often written in transposing treble clef. Instruments like the 60H were built so that a trombonist could read from church hymnals, songbooks, and other music written in concert pitch treble clef.

Conn 60H “Preacher”, from a 1924 Conn catalog (scan from saxophone.org)

Conn 60H “Preacher” description from the same 1924 Conn catalog (scan from saxophone.org)

Although the 60H had a B-flat valve, not all C trombones built for its purpose (reading concert pitch treble clef music) did. H.N. White offered the King model 1125 in C, and according to the catalog description it was designed from the ground up in C rather than just being one of their B-flat designs cut down.

The modern equivalent to the Conn Preacher model is the Yamaha YSL-350C. This instrument was designed for young players who can’t yet reach 6th and 7th position, but still need a simple and lightweight instrument. To accomplish this, the YSL-350C stands in B-flat with the valve engaged, and pressing the trigger bypasses the valve to put the instrument in C. The C valve is then used for 6th and 7th position notes. Unlike the Conn Preacher, the YSL-350C does not have a slide long enough for 7 positions in B-flat, as it is designed to be used with the ascending C valve rather than exclusively in B-flat or C. So although this instrument is technically pitched in C, it is functionally a B-flat instrument and we think of it as such. The few other trombones with ascending C valves function in the same way (see my ascending valve article for more details), and I don’t count them as trombones in C as they are designed to play in B-flat.

Yamaha YSL-350C

Apart from the early-20th century C/Bb Preacher instruments and the ascending valve trombones (if you count them), slide trombones in C are extremely rare. Most that do exist are cut-down B-flat tenors, and I own one such instrument myself:

This is a 1979 Olds Recording R-20 tenor trombone, which has been cut down from B-flat to C. The valve attachment was also cut down significantly from the original F to become a minor-third attachment in A. This modification was made to fully commit to the key of C, rather than having a B-flat option or crutch. The slide gives 7 full positions in C, and its .495/.510” dual bore makes it feel similar to my Conn alto, which has a slightly smaller dual bore of .491/.500”. It has a neat sound roughly in between a (normal, small bore, B-flat) tenor and an alto, but leans a bit more towards alto in feel and sound when played with a small mouthpiece (which it prefers over larger pieces). But for all its alto-like characteristics, the R-20’s relatively large 8.5” bell helps it maintain a more tenor-like broadness to the sound, especially in the low register. With a smaller bell, it may very well be better described as a C alto rather than a C tenor.

My experience with this instrument leads me to wonder what a larger instrument cut to C would sound like. The R-20’s design lends itself well to a more alto-ish experience, but perhaps an orchestral tenor trombone would keep a more tenor-like character. The R-20 is a fairly unique design to begin with, so a more mainstream design might give different characteristics.

Conn 36H alto trombone in E-flat (top), Olds R-20 tenor trombone in C (middle), Willson 311TA tenor trombone in B-flat (bottom); all with minor-third attachments

Another thing I’ve noticed with this instrument is that a C tenor trombone slide might just be the perfect length. On a B-flat tenor, 7th position is far out enough that most people have to contort their body to reach it. It’s a big reason why trombonists tend to avoid 7th position most of the time. An alto has the opposite problem; the slide is short enough that it’s easy to accidentally overshoot 7th position and take the outer slide completely off. On C tenor, 7th position is roughly where 6th position is on a B-flat tenor, which is reachable with a fully outstretched arm without any contortion necessary. There is no danger of overshooting, and no discomfort necessary to play all 7 positions. Additionally, the slide positions feel closer to tenor positions than alto positions, meaning fine pitch adjustment is easier and the whole instrument feels more stable. Of course, human arms come in many different lengths, so no commentary on trombone slide length will be a universal experience. But for me at least, tenor C might be the Goldilocks slide length.

Apart from the rare C tenor trombone, there have been a handful of contrabass trombone in C. The most modern example is the Miraphone 670 CC:

Miraphone 670G in C (image from hornguys.com)

The Miraphone 670 contrabass trombone is usually a single valve instrument in B-flat, in the style of the famous Conn B-flat contra. In this form it is…not a good instrument, to put it lightly. Steve Ferguson of the Horn Guys wrote to Miraphone one night suggesting a version of the model in C with 2 valves, and Miraphone made it. It is reportedly a big improvement over the B-flat model, but I haven’t played one myself.

According to Jeff Reynolds, the famed brass maker and technician Larry Minick built a single-valve contrabass in C for the Bethlehem Moravian Trombone Choir, many years before the Miraphone. But the oldest C contrabass is likely the one made by Boosey in 1880, nicknamed “King Kong”:

1880 Boosey “King Kong” contrabass trombone in C

The only other low C trombone I know of is a certain model of Egger bass sackbut, which can be configured in a bewildering number of keys including “small contra” low C.

Finally, at least one soprano trombone in C exists, built around 1820 and currently stored in the University of Edinburgh’s collection.

ca. 1820 soprano trombone in C (image from mimo-international.com)

C Valve Trombones

Now, all of the above has been exclusively discussing slide trombones in C. In the valve trombone world, C trombones are much more common. Tenor valve trombones have been manufactured in both C and B-flat in equal measure for as long as the valve trombone has existed. Nowadays, the C valve trombone is still in regular use in Mexican banda music, Catalan folk music, and other local styles. Due to this demand, C valve trombones are manufactured by quite a few manufacturers including Yamaha and Jupiter. C valve trombones may even be more commonly used than B-flat valve trombones, as no current style of music that I know of has B-flat valve trombone as a standard instrument. B-flat valve trombones are usually only used by the occasional jazz soloist and school jazz bands (so that euphonium players can play in the jazz band). Historically, while Bob Brookmeyer and Rob McConnell played their jazz soloist careers on B-flat valve trombone, Juan Tizol played in Duke Ellington’s band on a C valve trombone.

Additionally, cimbassi in C are used regularly in movie soundtrack recording sessions, in addition to the more typical cimbassi in F. When the cimbasso’s entire purpose according to the orchestrators is to play very low notes extremely loud, a cimbasso in C makes a lot of sense. Cimbassi in C are manufactured by Rudolph Meinl, Mike Johnson, and others. In fact, both Rudolph Meinl and Mike Johnson make cimbassi in all four common tuba keys (F, Eb, C, and Bb).

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NAMM Show Report 2025

I’ve already done it once before, so doing a post-NAMM write-up is basically a sacred tradition now. So, here’s a comprehensive summary of all the horns I tried at NAMM 2025. I didn’t get to everything, but I got to quite a lot. Also, there were plenty of horns that were there last time that I didn’t try again, so for those instruments check out the 2023 write-up linked three sentences ago. This mainly concerns the Shires alto and tenor trombones, but there are other things too. Anyway, let’s dive in!

Adams

Adams always has a nice booth at NAMM, and this year was no exception. Overall, my impressions were: flugels spectacular, trumpets good, tubas excellent, euphs very good, trombones meh. They had examples of 6 different flugelhorn models: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, and Sonic. They were all fabulous, including the Sonic which felt and sounded pretty much the same as the fancy F-series models. My favorite was the F2, followed by the F3 and the Sonic. The F2 had that super dark, fluffy sound that I seek in a flugelhorn, and was so satisfying to play. The euphoniums were very good as usual, just not as good as the Yamahas or Bessons for my tastes. There were at least a dozen different trumpet and cornet models there, and I only tried a few of them. They were all good instruments, nothing that blew me away but very solid. My favorite was the Trent Austin Coppernicus, which was a great player and extra fun with my mega-deep ACB FX mouthpiece. The trombones (an alto and a couple large bore tenors) were decent players but nothing special, though I felt the TB1 with sterling bell stood out. The Adams Solo F tuba was exceptionally easy to play - possibly the most effortless tuba I’ve ever played. It just reads your mind and does exactly what you want. The 4/4 C tuba was also good, but nowhere near the level of ease as the Solo F. And of course, the Adams instruments (especially the euphoniums) were some of the coolest-looking at the show.

Buffet Crampon

The big draw for me here was the Besson euphoniums, which are always some of the best in the show. This year there were four compensating euphs: a 967 Sovereign, 969 Sovereign, 2052 Prestige, and 767 International. They were all excellent instruments, including the 767 which I actually liked more than the Prestige, which my least favorite of the four (but not by much). The 967 was the second best, and the winner was the 969. The 969 is (I think) a new model that has an interesting feature: the mouthpiece receiver is threaded and you can screw/unscrew it by hand, allowing you to choose between the small and large shank receivers that come with the instrument. I’m not really sure why that was necessary, but it’s done very elegantly and doesn’t affect how the horn plays. And boy does it play…I only had to play 3 notes on the 969 to know that it was the best euphonium in the show. It had that Besson magic that only the best Bessons get, which is enchanting to play and to hear.

Courtois had a quartet of trombones there, similar to previous years. Two years ago they brought along an all-yellow 551 New Yorker bass trombone which I didn’t like, while this year the 551 had a rose brass screw bell and I liked it very much. Great player, big colorful sound, easy - everything you want. I believe the two large tenors I tried were the Creation Florida and Creation Paris. They were both very good, especially the Creation Paris. I didn’t try the fourth trombone at this stand, which I think was a Mezzo 260 or 280. There were also a handful of Courtois trumpets in one corner, including the new Courtois T.O.M.A. Bb trumpet with a 4th quarter-tone valve. That was one of the more interesting horns I got to try, and a solid trumpet too! It would take me awhile to get used to using the quarter-tone valve, but it was very cool to get to try one.

There were also a handful of Hans Hoyer horns. I only briefly stopped to try the nickel Kruspe, as I had tried all of these models last time. The Kruspe was a nice player with no issues, but it didn’t stand up to the Yamahas or Paxmans. Finally, I played a couple of B&S trumpets and a B&S 3145 Challenger I flugelhorn, none of which really stood out but were all good instruments nonetheless.

Conn-Selmer

The Conn-Selmer booth was mostly the same as it was 2 years ago. I only stopped by to play a few of the instruments there, as most were repeats from two years ago. The Bach A47BO large tenor trombone was fine, but nothing exceptional. The King 3B played like a 3B should, but unlike in previous years I noticed that it was definitely not as good in the upper register as my vintage 3Bs. What initially looked like the Kruspe-wrap Conn 6D double horn turned out to be a new intermediate model (CHR401) which appeared to be based on the 6D, but made cheaper and designed for school use. It was pretty good, but definitely a step below the 6D (which I liked a lot when I tried it 2 years ago).

The biggest disappointment of the Conn-Selmer booth were the new KMP611 and KMH611 marching mellophones. The KMP611 is the newest model in the King 1120 line, and it does have nicer ergonomics than my 1120 or 1121. But it just didn’t play as well, especially in the high range where it was uncentered and hard to play above high C. As for the KMH611, I hate to say it but my prediction that this would be awful turned out to be correct. The KMH611 is just a KMP611 with a French horn leadpipe/receiver, and it was terrible. In fact, it sounded a lot like the Getzen frumpet, which is the worst indictment an instrument can get. It makes sense too, as the frumpet’s whole reason for terribleness was using a French horn mouthpiece/leadpipe on an instrument whose tapers aren’t meant for that, and the KMH611 is the exact same formula. I can heartily recommend that you avoid the KMH611 at all costs.

There was also a British-style alto horn, baritone horn, and a couple of compensating euphoniums next to the mellophones. These I gather are for the European market and are not sold in the US. I only tried the alto horn, but it was a solid instrument. A nice player with a nice sound, no complaints.

The highlights of the Conn-Selmer booth were the Bach C trumpets that I tried, all of which were fantastic. I don’t usually get along with Bach Bb trumpets, but the Cs make me understand why they became the gold orchestral standard. They have “the sound” and play great. I tried three models: the C190SL292F (New York model), C190SL238VF (Tine Thing Helseth model), and C190SL229C (Chicago model). I would rank them New York > Chicago > Tine Thing Helseth, but by very slim margins. The NY model had the best sound and feel out of the three for my preferences.

Eastman/Shires/Willson

As always, Eastman came with a huge booth and tons of instruments. Many were the same ones as before, so I didn’t try most of them. But I still tried a lot!

I started with the euphoniums, of which there were five. There was a Shires Q41, Willson 2900TA, Willson 2950TA, Willson Q90, and Willson A27. The first three were there last time, while the last two are new models. Last time I thought the Q41 was better than either of the Willsons…this time I felt that the Q41, 2900TA, 2950TA, and Q90 were all on the same level. I think they brought better Willsons this time around, as the examples last time were uncharacteristically disappointing to me. The 2900TA and 2950TA this time were back to what I expect those two models to play like, and it was hard to compare them to the Q41, which goes a different way than the Willson huge/dark thing but feels similar. The Q90 meanwhile played just like the 2900TA, and in fact it was hard to tell exactly what the point of that model is. Overall, those four euphoniums are so close that it’s hard to determine which one is the “best”, but if it were my money I think I would end up with the Q41.

I didn’t bring up the Willson A27 at all just then because it is very different then all of those. It is a more affordable instrument intended more for students (as is everything in the Eastman/Shires/Willson A-series), it has a small shank, and most interestingly is 3-valve compensating. 3-valve compensating is a common configuration on certain British brass band instruments, especially baritone horns, and there have been plenty of professional-level 3-valve compensating euphoniums in the past. It’s arguably the best valve system for situations where you don’t need the extra low notes the 4th valve provides, and I think it’s a great idea to use it on a more affordable instrument. And the result of Willson’s efforts? I have to say, I actually liked the A27 better than any of the other Willson or Shires euphoniums. It was so easy to play and had a lovely sweet sound with more character than the big 4-valve compensators. Truth be told, I’d love to own one!

Moving on to Shires, I tried a couple of the bass trombones there. The George Curran model was fabulous as always - in fact, I think the one there this time was the best example of the model I’ve played. It was incredibly easy to play, especially down low (thank you axials!), and with a great dense sound with more character than I expect from the average Shires bass. Close by was the Vintage Elkhart bass trombone (model STBBVE), something I didn’t know they offered. It might be a new model? Either way, it had rotors and a red brass bell. It was definitely a nice player as all Shires are, but it ended up more like what I expect from modern Shires - easy to play but with a boring sound. Even with that red Conn-style bell, I really didn’t experience anything like what I experience playing a vintage 62H. A good horn regardless, but I was actually surprised when I read the model description after I played it.

I also briefly tried the Shires Rejano large tenor again, just to see if it’s as good as I remember. Yep…it’s still amazing. Easily the best tenor trombone they make, IMO.

There were also two models of Shires flugelhorn (Solo and Vintage Paris) there, which I learned they just started making. They were nice players, but I wasn’t convinced by the sound (though I am VERY picky with flugels). Above the flugels was a Shires Q15S Eb trumpet, which was really spectacular. Wonderful sound and so easy to play, in a way that that even the Schilke Eb wasn’t. Next to that was a Shires 4S8-S C trumpet, which was also excellent. I also randomly picked up a Shires AZ-S Bb trumpet, and was extremely impressed by that horn as well. Once again, it was extremely easy to play and sounded great.

Opus/Valkyrie

Opus Musical Instruments (which also brands itself as Valkyrie at their NAMM booth for some reason) is on the face of it just another Jinbao retailer, but like ZO it has far more good and interesting models than most. This year was no exception, with the highlight being their 900SBSM satin-silver marching euphonium. This instrument seems to be a clone of the Yamaha YEP202M, and I have no experience with that model (but have read universally bad reviews of it), but this one played GREAT. Big euphonium sound, great response, and lots of fun to play. A few friends tried it and they were all very surprised with how good it was, along with the Opus marching baritone (also a Yamaha clone) which I didn’t try. Plus, with the satin silver finish on all but the inside of the bell (akin to many early-20th century instruments, including the 1930 Conn 8E ballad horn I used to own), it’s more interesting to look at than most marching euphoniums.

Opus also brought something I’ve never seen (or played) in person: a normaphone. I didn’t catch what they called it, but a normaphone is a trumpet (or valve trombone, if a tenor normaphone) shaped like a saxophone. The Opus normaphone was a good player and definitely fun, but actually pretty hard to play due to the totally alien balance and grip. Still, it’s a great novelty and I enjoyed both playing it myself and watching my friends play it.

Opus had two models of British-style alto horn there, and both played well but the higher-end model was really excellent. They also had a valve trombone in C, this time in silver plate, which was also an excellent player. I learned both of these things last time, but it was nice to see that these were different examples of the models and still excellent players. Something about how Opus gets their horns from China makes them stand out from other brands selling the same models. John Packer, ZO, and Wessex seem to be the only other brands to get the most out of their Jinbao instruments. Opus is also based in Santa Ana, California, so I could easily drive down there and pick a horn up directly from the warehouse. It’s a great option to have!

ZO

Speaking of ZO, they were back with a big booth like last time. Many of the same instruments were there, so I’ll go through the highlights. The plastic instruments look like they’ve had an evolution since last time; they look much better, with a nice matte finish instead of just normal plastic or fake-metallic. It looks great, and the good models play great. Last time the highlights for me were the small bore King-style trombone and the double horn, and this year was the same. The trombone in particular was really excellent, enough that I would consider it one of the best small bores at the show. And it’s only $100! One of my friends took one home with him, and it made me kind of wish that I did.

The Alexander 103 clone (which I tried last time and loved) they had was not as good as the one they had last time, but it was still pretty good. And of course, the rotary travel tubas/euph/baritone were exceptional as they always are. I particularly enjoyed the little baritone this year.

One final standout was a model that I didn’t try last time, if it had even been there. It was the ZTB-2000 student model tenor trombone, which on the face of it just looks like any other student horn. But I was very surprised - it played extremely well! Between this and the plastic trombone, ZO legitimately beat out a lot of the expensive small bores at the show.

Packer/Rath/Taylor

John Packer was back, but this time they also brought some Rath trombones and Taylor trumpets along for the ride. I’ll start with the bass trombones - they had a JP Rath 333, Rath R900, all-yellow Rath R9 with Hagmanns, and an all-yellow Rath R9DST (DST = dependent, tuning in slide) with Hagmanns. The JP 333 was the surprise of the bunch - I preferred it to the R900 and R9! Because it’s a lighter instrument with a rose bell, it had a great punchy commercial sound that the others didn’t, while still being an excellent player in all respects. I was very impressed! This isn’t to say the R900 and R9 were bad either - both were great bass trombones, but to me they just didn’t sound as interesting as the JP 333. But the best of the bunch was the R9DST - it had a wonderful character and vibrance to the sound and feel that the others lacked. I don’t play dependent valves and it was hard to get used to, but I learned what I needed to. I think tuning in slide might be the secret to unlocking the most potential out of the Rath bass trombones, as that R9DST was really a cut above.

They also had an R6, Rath’s newest model large bore tenor. In the past, the R4Fs I’ve played never really grabbed me, but this R6 was a fantastic instrument. Easy to play, lovely sound, nice ergonomics…I would happily use this as my main large tenor. Next to the R6 was a beautiful nickel-belled R3F (.525”) with Hagmann that I adored. It was definitely my favorite medium bore in the show, not that there were many. I’m also convinced that there is something special about Rath’s nickel bells, as every Rath I’ve played with one has really stood out.

I also tried the JP Rath 236 alto trombone, which is a popular instrument for those looking for a good but affordable alto. It has lots of rave reviews, and…I didn’t really agree. I thought it was ok at best. But I’m also biased, as I have a wonderful Conn 36H.

Finally, I spent some time on th Taylor Phat Boy and Phat Puppy flugelhorns. The Phat Puppy was a lovely little horn, with a pocket trumpet-style grip (which I’m a fan of) and dimensions but still a big flugelhorn sound. But it wasn’t quite dark enough for my liking, which is where the Phat Boy comes in. This was one of the best flugels I’ve ever played, with a buttery sound and perfect valves. I would put it at a tie with the Adams F2 for my favorite flugel at the show - they are similar enough in feel, sound, and quality that it feels impossible to call one “better” than the other.

Paxman

Paxman brought along the same models of double horn as last year, and my conclusion was the same: the model 20 is my favorite. It’s a lovely player with an effortless high range. They also had a triple horn, which was a great player. I am not the biggest fan of triples, as the two thumb valves are awkward to play and the few triples I’ve played didn’t have the most convincing high F side. This Paxman was no different, but it was a more comfortable grip than most.

The big highlight of the Paxman booth was the double Wagner tuba, which wasn’t there last time. It had been a long time since I played a Wagner tuba, and the only ones I’d played previously were a pair of old Alexanders. This Paxman was in a different league - very easy to play, with an enormous sound that really made the difference between horn and Wagner tuba abundantly clear. What a treat!

Schilke/Greenhoe

I didn’t play too many instruments at this booth. I tried an independent Greenhoe bass trombone that was very good, a large tenor that was pretty good, and a small tenor that was good. I spent more time on the Schilke trumpet side. The XA1 cornet (with copper bell) was a really excellent player with a sweet sound. It definitely had a brighter, more American sound than the dark British sound I like, but it was a lovely sound nonetheless and it was so satisfying to play. The Bb, C, Eb, and G trumpets I played all played like a Schilke should - easy, great characterful sound, addicting to play. My favorite was the G trumpet, which was a fabulous little horn. Finally, while the two Schilke flugelhorns were very nice, they played brighter than I like from a flugelhorn.

Yamaha

Going to the Yamaha booth close to last is always fun because you think you’ve experienced the best in the show and then Yamaha proves you wrong. This year was DEFINITELY no exception in that regard.

I started with the trumpets, spending most of the time on the new professional BR models that replace all the nickel trim with brass. There were two YTR-9335NYS-BR-III (Bb New York model) next to each other, one lacquered and one silver plated. Interestingly, they played differently, with the lacquered horn being the preferred choice between myself and my trumpeter friends that were there with me. But, both of them were just fabulous players in every way - better than any other Bb I had tried at the show. I also spent some time on the 8335IIS, 8345RS, and 8310ZII Bbs, all of which were similarly fantastic. As for the C trumpets, there were 2 YTR-9445CHS-BR-III, again one lacquered and one silver. This time, the unanimous opinion was that the lacquered one felt a little better, while the silver one sounded a little better. But once again, both were the best Cs in the show, though I would put the Bach New York model pretty close.

Next I tried the two flugelhorns they had on hand: a YFH-8310ZII (Bobby Shew model) and a YFH-8315IIG (Wayne Bergeron model). Between the two I preferred the 8315, but they both caused me to have a bit of a crisis. You see, I really love a big, dark, velvety flugelhorn sound. Anything trumpet-like is not my bag. My Couesnon flugelhorn, while not having a big sound, has a very special dark sound that has gobs of character and is 0% trumpet. Most of the flugelhorns at NAMM didn’t get where I wanted from a sound perspective, except for the Adams F2, Adams F3, and Taylor Phat Boy. And these Yamahas didn’t either. They had a compact sound brighter than many. And yet…I could not stop playing them. Part of that was just because of how absurdly easy they were to play, in a way that you just do not expect from a flugelhorn. They are the easiest flugelhorns I’ve ever played, and they provide absolutely no obstacle to doing exactly what you want to do on the horn. And the sound, while not big or the darkest, just grabbed me and didn’t let go. It’s a very commercial flugelhorn sound, like you hear in a big band section or from the Jerry Hey horns. But unlike all of the other brighter flugelhorns in the show that just left me wanting more, the Yamahas convinced me that this sound was correct and complete, not missing anything and not “less than”. It was a sound that I could use and even desire. No small feat!

I didn’t try most of the trombones, because generally trombones are the area where, for my tastes, Yamaha misses. But I tried two. First of all, the YBL-835D bass trombone. I tried the 835 (no D) last time when it had just come out, and I was very unimpressed. That horn felt pretty much the same as the outgoing 830, which is an instrument I have a ton of experience with and really dislike. But I had heard from friends that the 835D (D = screw bell) was a totally different animal, so I was excited when I saw that that’s the model Yamaha brought this year. And…yeah, the difference is night and day. The 835D was one of the best (if not THE best) bass trombones in the show, and pretty far up there among all the bass trombones I’ve ever played. It was completely spectacular, and I would gladly play one as my main bass trombone. The other trombone I played was the YSL-882 (closed wrap), which is my favorite Yamaha trombone by far (well, no longer “by far” now that I’ve tried the 835D!). I’ve tried it on many occasions, and each time it’s been complete magic. There is something to that model that any other Yamaha tenor trombone model just…doesn’t have. I actively dislike every other model, but the 882 specifically has something really special going on. I actually talked about that with the Yamaha rep there, and he agreed. Well, I played the 882 again, and I can confirm it is still magic. It was the best large tenor at the show, and it’s not close. This is compared to truly exceptional large tenors like the Shires Rejano, Y-Fort YSL-763, and Rath R6. None compare to the 882.

Next I went to the horns, and the hits didn’t stop coming. In addition to the YHR-871D and 671D Geyer-wrap horns that were there last year (that are excellent), they also had two new Kruspe-wrap models: the 672N and 872ND. The 672N replaces the long-serving 668NII, which is a lovely horn that plays amazingly well but has always had a bit more boring of a sound than other good Kruspes. The 672 rectifies that, adding great 8D-like character to the sound while playing even better than the 668. This horn is already a revelation, but the 872ND is a really special instrument. It is extremely easy to play, like any other top-of-the-line Yamaha horn, but it sounds like a great Elkhart 8D. I was shocked. It has ALL of the character and ALL of the charm, with NONE of the quirks or difficulties. It is a revelation, and is one of the best horns I’ve ever played.

I also briefly tried the YEP-642TSII just because I knew I would love it like every previous time, and I was right. One of the best euphoniums in the show, which is a surprise to nobody. Finally, I tried the YCB-623S 4/4 York-style C tuba. It was a good instrument, but just too big for me. It really felt more like a 5/4 to me, and big tubas are not something I enjoy playing at all. Still, it was nice to get to play it.

Y-Fort

Now that I’ve owned my Y-Fort YSL-763L tenor trombone (which I bought straight from their NAMM booth two years ago), I have more interest in the company than most. It was lovely to go back to the booth and be instantly recognized by all the Y-Fort people - they even remembered which horns I tried and didn’t try two years ago! Since I bought my Y-Fort, a few more people in southern California have bought one, especially thanks to Raymond Music in Santa Barbara, which now stocks them. I was curious to try the whole Y-Fort trombone line again after having lived with mine for almost 2 years, and the instruments they had there did not disappoint. Even the YSL-363GL, the cheapest large bore at around $1k new, played great. It wasn’t quite as easy to play or with quite as nice of a sound as the flagship YSL-763, but it wasn’t far off. Plus, with the nickel slide, the 363 in particular had a different character of sound than the others. The student-model YSL-260GL, which has a .525” bore and resembles an older Jupiter, played better than I remember. It was a great instrument! Tons of fun to play, very easy, and zippy without being brash. I definitely wouldn’t say no to one of these, especially at only about $800 new!

I also tried several of their trumpets, which I loved last time and loved again this time. All were very easy to play, and while by no means the best trumpets in the show or close to it, were all excellent instruments.

Other Brands

As usual, there were lots of other Chinese brands, most of which (maybe even all of which) were the same ones as last time. As such, I didn’t really feel the need to play their instruments, as I already know what those models play like, including from those specific brands. The one standout that I did play was a very unique compensating euphonium by Hunter that put the 4th valve in between the 3rd valve slide and the main bow, not behind the bow like every other euphonium does. It also had a main tuning slide trigger that was placed on the inside of the 3rd valve slide instead of in between the two tubes. I was very curious how this setup would feel ergonomically, so I tried it. While this unique left-hand setup did work, it wasn’t really any more comfortable than the usual setup, just different. The euphonium itself wasn’t anything notable either, but I’m still glad that it’s an original design and not a clone, and dares to think outside the box.

There was also a brand called Tianjin Master Import & Export Co. Ltd., whose booth was to the left of Y-Fort’s. They had a small tenor trombone with a very unique dark purplish lacquer that played great. My best guess from the brand’s website is that this is the TB-600LS with a special finish. It was very easy to play (especially up high) and made a nice sound. Their large bore tenor with F, which I would guess is the TB-686F based on the models shown on their website, was also very good and very easy to play. The F wrap looks suspiciously similar to the JP Rath 332O, so I’m wondering if it’s the same instrument. Either way, I was very impressed with both of these trombones.

Rankings

If you’d rather a TL;DR or just a nice summary of my findings, here’s a ranking of each instrument type from what I tried. Obviously, this is all just my opinion and how I play, and your mileage may vary.

French horns:

  1. Yamaha YHR-872ND

  2. Yamaha YHR-672N

  3. Paxman double Wagner tuba

  4. Paxman 20

  5. Yamaha YHR-871D

Bb trumpets:

  1. Yamaha YTR-9335NYS-BR-III (lacquer)

  2. Yamaha YTR-9335NYS-BR-III (silver)

  3. Yamaha YTR-8310ZII

  4. Yamaha YTR-8345RS

  5. Yamaha YTR-8335IIS

  6. Shires AZ-S

  7. Schilke M bore (don’t remember the model)

  8. Adams Trent Austin Coppernicus

  9. Adams A1 v2

  10. Courtois T.O.M.A.

C trumpets:

  1. Yamaha YTR-9445CHS-BR-III (silver and lacquer equal)

  2. Bach New York (C190SL229F)

  3. Bach Chicago (C190SL229C)

  4. Bach Tine Thing Helseth (C190SL238VF)

  5. Shires 4S8-S

Eb trumpets:

  1. Shires Q15S

  2. Schilke E3L

  3. Y-Fort YTR-742

Cornets:

  1. Schilke XA1

  2. Adams CN2

  3. Adams CN1

Flugelhorns:

  1. Adams F2 Selected (gold brass bell)

  2. Taylor Phat Boy

  3. Adams F3 Selected (yellow brass bell)

  4. Yamaha YFH-8315IIG

  5. Adams Sonic

  6. Taylor Phat Puppy

  7. Yamaha YFH-8310ZII

Alto Horns:

  1. Opus top model (Besson style)

  2. Conn

  3. Opus lower model (Yamaha 203 style)

Mellophones:

  1. Opus King clone

  2. there were no other good mellophones :(

Alto Trombones:

  • there were no good alto trombones (though I’m sure if I had tried it again, the Shires Q alto would have won)

Small Tenor Trombones:

  1. Two out of the three Rath small tenors there, one with a nickel bell and one with a yellow bell. There were no labels showing which models they were

  2. Opus C valve trombone

  3. ZO ZTB-2000

  4. ZO Next Generation plastic trombone

  5. Tianjin Master TB-600LS

  6. King 3B

Medium Tenor Trombones:

  1. Rath R3F (nickel bell, Hagmann)

  2. Y-Fort YSL-263GL

Large Tenor Trombones:

  1. Yamaha YSL-882

  2. Shires Rejano

  3. Rath R6

  4. Y-Fort YSL-763L

  5. Courtois Creation Paris

  6. Courtois Creation Florida

  7. Y-Fort YSL-363GL

  8. Tianjin Master TB-686F

  9. Y-Fort YSL-563L

  10. Bach A47BO

Bass Trombones:

  1. Yamaha YSL-835D

  2. Shires Curran

  3. Courtois 551

  4. Rath R9DST

  5. JP Rath 333

  6. Shires Vintage Elkhart

  7. Rath R9

  8. Rath R900

Baritones:

  1. ZO ZBH-800L (it’s the only baritone I tried, but it was fantastic as expected)

Euphoniums:

  1. Besson 969 Sovereign

  2. Yamaha YEP-642TSII

  3. Willson A47

  4. Besson 967 Sovereign

  5. Besson 767 International

  6. Shires Q41

  7. Besson 2052 Prestige

  8. Willson 2950TA = Willson 2900TA = Willson Q90

  9. ZO ZEU-800L

  10. Opus 900SBSM

Tubas:

  1. Adams Solo F

  2. ZO ZTU-F800L

  3. Adams 4/4 C

  4. Yamaha YCB-623S

Best in Show:

  1. Yamaha YHR-872ND double horn

  2. Yamaha YSL-882 tenor trombone

  3. Besson 969 Sovereign euphonium

  4. Yamaha YBL-835D bass trombone

Worst in Show: King KMH611 marching mellophone/horn

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Tiffany Johns Tiffany Johns

A Catalog of Rare Brass Instruments

There are a lot of rare brass instruments out there, and not a lot of information on where to buy them. There is information scattered around the various articles on this website, but this article is an attempt at a one-stop shop to see exactly what is out there to buy, and where you can buy it. This will focus mostly on new production instruments currently offered by instrument makers, but will also include any information about the current used market that I have on hand. If you know of another example of a rare brass instrument in current production, please let me know the details and I will add it to the catalog!

A Cornet and Trumpet

Aida Trumpet

Alto Valve Trombone

  • Schiller American Heritage F ($439), American Heritage Eb ($439) - I have not tried these for myself, but I have heard they are not very good.

  • Used: late-19th/early-20th century instruments, usually in terrible condition

Bass Flugelhorn (fiscorno)

Bass Valve Trombone

B-flat Cornet with 4 Valves

B-flat Trumpet with 4 Valves

Cimbasso

C Cornet

C Flugelhorn

Contrabass Trombone

Contrabass Trumpet

  • Lars Gerdt model GS in F with 4 valves, after Strucel (reportedly around $10,000)

  • Used: I have only ever seen one used contrabass trumpet for sale, a 3-valve Glier in E-flat. There are a few others floating around, like the ones made from parts by Carl Kleinsteuber. But unless you can afford the Gerdt, you’re better off having one custom made from parts, as the original instrument that George Strucel made for Roger Bobo was.

Corno da Caccia (modern)

  • Beck Venatio in Bb - €5690

  • Kromat (special order only)

  • Ricco Kühn C311 (Bb/A, €4800), C311/2 (Bb/A, €4800), C313 (C, €4800)

  • Stomvi Titan TP5500/5505/5510 - $5750-5995

  • Takao Nakagawa in Bb - €3450

  • Thein in Bb/A or C

  • Willenberg in Bb/A

  • Wolfram in Bb

  • Used: corni da caccia rarely show up used, so you’d be waiting awhile for something that will likely still be very expensive. F. Syhre used to make them in Bb, C, and D and they show up used once in a blue moon. The Takao Nakagawa instrument is a new continuation of the Syhre B-flat design.

Corno da Tirarsi (slide horn)

C Piccolo Trumpet

C Trumpet with 4 Valves

Double Tuba

G Trumpet/Soprano Bugle

E-flat Cornet with 4 Valves

E Trumpet

F Alto Trombone

Flugabone

  • Chinese King 1130 copy (Wessex FB24 ($955), Lake City 415) - I haven’t played one of these, so I don’t know how they play. But as far as I know, they are the only flugabones in current production.

  • Used: King 1130, Olds O-21, Reynolds Contempora TV-29, Blessing M-200, Bach 883/MT300, Kanstul 955, Dynasty M565/M566, Weril M567, DEG/Willson; buy the King to use in loud ensembles and for a shouty, punchy sound, buy the Olds for the most refined sound that sounds the closest to a slide trombone, and buy the Blessing to use in quiet jazz settings. But the King and all the Olds-pattern flugabones (Olds, Reynolds, Blessing, Bach) are all good instruments that work for everything you might need a flugabone for.

Large Bore Valve Trombone

Low Orchestral Trumpet

Marching Horn

  • John Packer JP2052 ($1110-1407) and other Chinese Yamaha YHR-302M clones (Schiller at $639)

  • Jupiter JHR1000M/MS Qualifier ($1874-2324)

  • King 1122 ($2399+) - discontinued but still in stock in some retailers. Plenty available used.

  • King KMP411/411S ($1879-2249) - a King marching mellopschillhone with a horn shank, so not really a true marching horn.

  • Otto 207 La Revolución - to my knowledge, the only professional/concert-quality bell-front horn on the market.

  • Schiller Field Series ($569) and other Chinese Holton MH-101 clones

  • Yamaha YHR-302M/MS - $2577-2796

  • Used: Kanstul 185/285/284, King 1122/Conn 134E, Blessing M-400, Holton MH100/101/102, Yamaha YHR-301M, King K-60, Dynasty II/III, Olds Ultratone, Whaley-Royce Concert Imperial, Getzen Titleist, etc.

Normaphone

Ophicleide

Piccolo & Sopranino Cornets

  • Stomvi Titan 4VE in F ($4495-4720), in G ($4495-4720), and in A ($4695-4920)

Piccolo Trombone

Quarter-Tone Flugelhorn

Quarter-Tone Trumpet

Saxhorn

Sopranino Trumpet (F and G - not G piccolo)

Soprano Tenorhorn (rotary flugelhorn in upright oval shape)

Soprano Trombone

  • Carol Brass CTB-1005-YSS-Bb-L - various prices depending on the retailer; $479 at Carol Brass of the Rockies and $900 at Austin Custom Brass. In my opinion, this is the cheap-but-still-good soprano to buy. It’s made by Carol Brass which makes good instruments, and it has tuning in the leadpipe rather than the inferior tuning in the bell receiver that the cheaper Chinese sopranos have.

  • Carol Brass CTB-2005-GLS-GL - a unique soprano trombone in G that uses a flugelhorn bell. I have yet to see this instrument for sale at a retailer, but hopefully it will be soon enough.

  • Helmut Voigt HV-D1

  • Miraphone 63 - $2535

  • Thein

  • Wessex PB455 Bb/F (special order only)

  • Countless cheap Chinese examples, any of which would be good if you just want one for fun. Out of all of them, I would recommend the Thomann SL-5 ($125). It is the same as all the others, easily the cheapest, and backed by Thomann’s excellent customer service and return policy. The Wessex PB453 ($410) is all gussied up with the curved slide brace, nickel slide, and what looks to be a red bell, so if you want something a little more interesting without spending a ton that’s the one to get (especially as Wessex does quality control on their horns).

  • Used: DEG (not good), Minick (very rare), early-20th century American examples (decent and usually not too expensive, sometimes with cornet shank), Kanstul 140/150 (rare and not cheap), Bach Model 10 (enormously rare), Jupiter 314 (cheap and basic, essentially the same as the Chinese sopranos but a bit better quality)

Superbone

  • Schagerl - $5999

  • Wessex PB930 ($975) and other Chinese Holton copies

  • Used: Holton TR395, always with a hefty collector tax

Wagner Tuba

Vienna Horn

Vienna Tuba

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Brass, Alto Brass, G Bugles, Low Brass, Mellophone, Trombone, Trumpet Tiffany Johns Brass, Alto Brass, G Bugles, Low Brass, Mellophone, Trombone, Trumpet Tiffany Johns

All the Brass Instruments I've Ever Owned

Over the years, I have owned nearly a hundred brass instruments. I thought it would be fun (both for me to write, and for the reader to read) to show all of them in one place and give my thoughts. Enjoy!

Horns

1947 Conn 6D Artist - This is a 6D from the era where it was a top-of-the-line professional instrument, long before it became an intermediate horn meant for schools. As such, it has the quality and sound you would expect from a pro-model Elkhart Conn. Unfortunately, most 6Ds this old have had bell transplants due to the original bells getting damaged beyond repair, and this one is no exception. The bell looks to be an early Abilene bell, probably from a 4D student model. It’s a shame the horn lacks its original bell, but despite the transplant it still plays and sounds fantastic. This is the second early 6D I’ve owned, and I’m so glad to have the small-throat 6D sound in my stable again. I do plan on eventually getting a new O’Malley bell for it, along with other modifications.

1990 King 2270 Eroica - This horn is just about the polar opposite from the Conn 6D above. It has a massive bell throat that is even larger than a Conn 8D’s throat, and is extremely free-blowing. Designed by George McCracken, the Eroica is known for being one of the most open-blowing horns of all time and having a huge sound. The Eroica never caught on as a desired horn for professionals like the Conn 8D or Alex 103, but it is a wonderful horn nonetheless and I was able to acquire it for cheap thanks to its relative obscurity.

Yamaha YHR-321 - This is a single Bb horn with stopping valve, and is one heck of a sleeper. Yamaha has a habit of making instruments they market as student models, but are secretly pro-quality gems, and the YHR-321 is no exception. It is a copy of the Alexander 90, a professional single Bb horn historically played by many professionals including Dennis Brain. The light weight and easy high range make this horn a good descant horn substitute for a fraction of the cost.

Selmer Thevet Ascendant - This is a true French horn, built by Selmer Paris as one of the last examples of the French tradition of small bore piston horns with ascending 3rd valves. I’ve dreamed of owning one of these for many years, and while it is not yet in playing condition I am so thrilled to now own one. These are extremely rare and command collector prices, but thanks to the severed leadpipe I managed to snag this one for an unfathomably low price.

Cerveny Vienna horn - This is a single F Vienna horn made by Cerveny, likely in the late-19th century. As you can see it is currently in project shape as it is missing the pumpenvalves. But I will eventually get new valves made for it so I can finally realize my dream of having a (working) Vienna horn!

Josef Lidl double horn: This is a cool double horn made in the Czech Republic, which I bought from Ukraine. It’s a heavy instrument, but plays well.

1975 Holton H180, 1977 Holton H180, and Holton 180 bell: I got these two and a half horns in one lot for cheap. I took them to my tech, who brought them back to life, and now they are ready to move on to their next homes. I had been curious about the H180 for awhile, as it has the large bell throat that the H178 I used to own lacks, but to me the yellow brass H180 is still missing something compared to the nickel silver H179. Interestingly, two of the main tuning slides are yellow brass on the 1977 example, but nickel silver on the 1975. I’m not sure if these are replacement parts from an H177 or H179, or if they’re stock.

1936 Buescher 330 - This is a license-built copy of the famed Alexander 103 double horn. It has the sweetest sound, but unfortunately the rotors are badly in need of a rebuild for it to be usable, so I sold it to a Buescher collector.

Hampson Horns/Jackalope Brassworks corno da tirarsi - The corno da tirarsi, a.k.a. slide horn, is a very rare and unique instrument that J.S. Bach wrote for. I am fortunate enough to own this wonderful modern slide horn, which can be crooked to Bb, A, Ab, or G. It has a lovely sweet sound and is an impeccably-built handmade instrument. I used it extensively in my latest Christmas multitrack.

1938 Conn 6D Artist - This is the first early 6D that I owned, and it was my only double horn for awhile. Despite its totally worn-out valves, it was still possible to make it do your bidding and it had a special sound. I kept it around after getting another horn in hopes of eventually getting it restored, but money dried up and I had to sell it before I got the chance.

1971 Holton Farkas H178 - Nowadays, Holton Farkas double horns are a common sight in high schools, and generally have a reputation for being student-level instruments. But a good one is every bit a professional instrument, and that’s doubly true for the early ones such as this one from 1971. This is the horn I replaced the derelict 1938 6D above with, and it was my only horn for quite a few years before being replaced by my King Eroica. This particular H178 was an exceptional example of the model, and every horn player who tried it loved it. However, the yellow brass medium-throat bell was neither fish nor fowl to me…the sound had none of the qualities of both small-throat (a la 6D, 103) or large-throat (a la 8D) bells that I love. Instead it languished somewhere in the middle, and I was never able to achieve a sound I was truly happy with on it. It was a solid workhorse, but I was happy to replace it with the Eroica.

Holton MH101 - This Bb marching horn has to be one of the most Seussian instruments of all time. Its specs are just as odd as its looks, too; it has a tiny bell throat and a trumpet shank, the latter of which allows you to use a whole variety of mouthpieces with it. With a horn mouthpiece and adapter, it’s a decent little marching horn. But the other mouthpieces far more interesting. Despite being pitched a 5th lower, this horn could scream better than most mellophones with a marching mellophone or trumpet mouthpiece. It is a truly hilarious instrument, but at the end of the day I absolutely didn’t need it for anything, so off it went.

Getzen 383 frumpet - This doesn’t really belong with the horns, but it doesn’t really belong anywhere else either and it takes a horn mouthpiece so I’m putting it here. Anyway, if you’re reading this you probably already know about the frumpet. It is awful. Don’t buy one, no matter how cheap…unless you just want to use the valve block for parts.

Schiller Field Series Elite Bb marching horn (not pictured) - I briefly owned this Yamaha YHR-302MS clone, and it was exactly…ok. Not great, not awful. It was given to me for free, and I gave it away for free.

Trumpets

Yamaha YTR-737 - This is my workhorse trumpet, and is the only trumpet to leave the house with very rare exception. It was made in the late 1970s, during a period where all of Yamaha’s professional trumpets were designed in collaboration with Renold Schilke. Some, including mine, were even assembled in the Schilke factory! The result is these horns play pretty much like Schilkes, for a fraction of the cost. The YTR-737 in particular is essentially a Schilke B5 with Yamaha written on it. This horn is excellent for the commercial work I do on trumpet. If I ever start getting classical trumpet gigs, I may need to acquire a darker-sounding Bach-style Bb, but until then the 737 does everything I need.

Selman 17001 - I’ve owned this Chinese C trumpet for a long time, even longer than the YTR-737 above. I got it on eBay for $85, and it has exceeded my (low) expectations from day one. It is a perfectly competent C trumpet. Not perfect of course, but really no C trumpet is and the quirks this one has are very manageable. It also doesn’t have the sterling sound of a nice Bach or Yamaha Xeno, but for what I need C trumpet for (mostly just my own multitracks) it is completely fine. Sure, it would be nice to get a better C eventually, but why spend 4 figures when this $85 horn is decent enough?

JinYin JYTR-A688 - This is a Chinese Eb/D trumpet that has same story as my Selman C trumpet above: I got it used for very cheap on eBay, I had low expectations, and the horn exceeded all of them. Again it is not perfect, but it genuinely plays very well and has a nice, light sound. For an instrument that I will literally never need, a really cheap one was the only way I was ever going to own one and this JinYin is good enough that it is a viable option in my arsenal.

Bach 351G alto trumpet - This is one of the coolest instruments I own - a Bach F alto trumpet with a gold brass bell. The Bach alto trumpets were built in very small numbers up through the early 2000s, in both F and E-flat. They are very rare and probably the best alto trumpets ever made, and I have never seen another one with a gold bell. This one is in mint condition and plays like a dream. This is 100% a forever horn!

J. Melich Eb/D bass trumpet - This rotary bass trumpet is also a fairly recent acquisition, and replaced my Bb rotary bass trumpet. It is old and worn, but it has a fantastic trumpet sound and plays very well throughout the whole range of the instrument - down into the pedal register and up through sounding Gb5, the highest note in the repertoire.

Mendini MPT-N - This Chinese Amazon-special pocket trumpet was a Christmas gift, and I love it because it is small enough to keep on my desk and noodle with whenever I feel like. I have actually used it on a gig before though - it was the perfect instrument to pull out for a Raymond Scott composition called “The Toy Trumpet”. It is a decent little trumpet - nothing spectacular, but there’s nothing actually wrong with it either. It just…exists. I also find the left hand grip and 3rd valve kicker to be more comfortable than they are on normal trumpets.

1968 Conn 8B Artist - I never actually took a picture of this horn by itself, which is surprising considering it was my main trumpet for quite a few years. I bought it for $50 via Craigslist from a farmer in the middle of nowhere in Illinois, who had used it as a wallhanger for 50 years. Looking back on it, I really should have prioritized finding a better Bb trumpet sooner, as it really wasn’t an instrument I should have been gigging on. The valves were worn, it was hard to play, and I never got a sound that I really liked on it. When I finally got my Yamaha YTR-737, I realized just how much the 8B had been holding me back.

1965 Conn 6B Victor - I got this years after selling the 8B, entirely because I was curious what a trumpet with the same basic design as the 8B but in much better condition would be like. I still didn’t like it very much, but it was definitely a better player than my 8B had been. I sold it on pretty quickly.

Carol Brass CTR-2000H-YSS - Another horn that I owned and sold long before I started taking pictures of all my instruments, this student-model Carol was my first Bb trumpet, naturally bought for cheap on eBay. It was…almost decent. I definitely wasn’t great at trumpet back then, but the trumpet felt harder to play than even the Conn 8B that I replaced it with. I gave it to my grad school roommate before I moved to LA.

Holton LT101 - The LT101 is a fairly rare lightweight copy of a Bach 37 with a 25 leadpipe. I got this one for very cheap from a friend, and was interested to see if I took to Bach-style trumpets any better than I had when I owned the Carol trumpet above. Despite the fact that this LT101 was a good player, the answer was a resounding “no.”

Josef Lidl Bb bass trumpet - This was my first bass trumpet, which I replaced with my current Melich Eb/D. It was decent and had a real trumpet sound, which is why these Lidls are the gold standard cheap bass trumpets amongst trombonists. But it had plenty of challenges, and my Melich Eb/D bass trumpet played circles around it in every register, so it was an easy decision to sell it off.

Mollenhauer low Eb trumpet - This was a true orchestral low Eb trumpet. Not an alto trumpet or bass trumpet, but a proper long Eb trumpet like the Heldenleben parts were written for. It had a totally different sound that was much closer to a baroque trumpet than a modern one. But it was also very hard to play and had woeful intonation, and though I did manage to sneak a few stems of it onto a TV commercial, it didn’t last long before I sold it. I would love to own a long orchestral trumpet again, but it would need to be a better-quality instrument in F.

Cornets

Yamaha YCR-2310 - This is my current cornet, and by far the best-sounding and playing out of all the Bb cornets I’ve owned. The YCR-231 and 2310 are interesting sleeper models, because although they don’t have Shepherd’s crooks, they have large bores and properly large British-style bell throats. The result is that they have a real, dark, beefy, British brass band cornet sound, despite looking like American cornets. Their Shepherd’s crook stablemates, the YCR-233 and 2330, were actually built with more American specs and sound brighter. A nice upside of this mix-up is that the 231/2310, which looks like yet another worthless student cornet, can be bought for next to nothing. I have used this instrument in a ragtime orchestra and in my multitracks, and have no complaints.

1964 Olds Ambassador - This cornet was decent. It was a nice player and well-built like all Ambassadors, but the sound was too bright and trumpety for my tastes, even with a deep Wick British cornet mouthpiece. That said, it was still a significant upgrade over my Bach CR310. The thing about student-model cornets is that they are basically worthless as they’re not used in schools anymore, so you can get a nice playing cornet for next to nothing. I found both this and the Yamaha above on eBay, without much searching, for about $50. So if you are looking to add a high brass instrument to your stable on a small budget, I would recommend looking for a student cornet rather than a student trumpet. With an American cornet mouthpiece it sounds like a trumpet, and with a British cornet mouthpiece it has a sweeter, mellower sound.

Bach CR310 - I’ve had this student-model cornet (which is a Bundy in all but name) for a long time. It was my first high brass instrument, and I used it heavily in my 2013 Christmas multitrack. I’ve spent a lot of time with this thing, and…it’s not very good. It is currently in the shop having some mad science done to it in order to turn it into something entirely different, which is really the only way forward.

DEG 1220 - This is an alto cornet in F, made for DEG by Willson. The 1220 was marketed in the United States as a “marching alto/French horn”, whatever that means, but is all cornet. These are great players, as you would expect from Willson. Not without quirks, but a totally manageable, giggable, and recordable instrument. I used mine a ton while I had it, but I ultimately sold it during a rough financial patch. I’d happily own one again.

Flugelhorns

Couesnon flugelhorn - This pre-WWI Couesnon flugelhorn is one of my favorite and most-used instruments. Being so old, it is definitely not as easy to play as a modern flugelhorn, even with the GR/Melk leadpipe I had installed. But the luscious sound is more than worth it. I think only a really special modern flugelhorn, like a custom Adams, would be worth replacing this with. And those cost thousands of dollars…this cost $300.

Elkhart alto flugelhorn - This alto flugelhorn is in F, with Eb slide. It is stamped Elkhart, but was made by Couesnon. It was a perfect match to my Couesnon flugelhorn in both sound and feel, and was one of the easier-to-play weird alto brass instruments I’ve owned. But it still had its quirks, and I later acquired a Kanstul KMA-275 marching alto in F that, while technically not an alto flugelhorn, did the alto flugelhorn thing even better than this actual alto flugelhorn. So, I sold it off.

G Bugles

Dynasty G350A soprano bugle - The Dynasty 3-valve soprano bugle (essentially a trumpet in G with a large bore and bell throat) went through a few variations over the years. Some were made by Allied Supply in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, while others were made by Weril in Brazil. The G350A was made by Allied before 1993. Soprano bugles were known to be screamers, and the G350A is no exception. But its secret weapon is its fat sound in the low register; with the right mouthpiece, it is an excellent alto trumpet in G. This is mostly how I used it when I owned it - you can hear it used in this way in my Way Away multitrack.

King K-50 mellophone bugle - Arguably the most legendary mellophone bugle of them all, the 2-valve K-50 is the sports car of mellophones. The bright, crystal clear sound and effortless high register make the K-50 a weapon in the right hands. I had a blast with mine, and would have kept it if money permitted. Two valves isn’t much of a limitation when you have F mellophones to cover lower parts and can keep the K-50 in the upper register, and I used this combination in the Way Away multitrack linked above.

Kanstul KAB-175 alto bugle - The alto bugle is a mellophone bugle with a much smaller bell flare, and while it was much less common than the mellophone or French horn bugles, it did see use in DCI. This early pattern Kanstul KAB-175 is legitimately one of the best instruments I’ve ever played. It was so easy to play, to the point where it was addicting and very difficult to put down. Yet despite this, I ended up selling it because the sound it made (in between a mellophone and a trumpet) was pretty useless. Out of all the instruments I’ve sold, this is the only one I regret selling.

Dynasty III alto bugle - This alto bugle was built for Dynasty by Willson, and is a very different instrument than the Kanstul alto bugle above. This one played and sounded like a big flugelhorn, and despite some odd intonation quirks was a very good instrument overall. It is also one of a handful of brass instruments I’ve owned where there is only one known example in the world. Before I found it on Canadian eBay and bought it, there was no evidence on the Internet of this particular model ever existing, and we still don’t know if any others were made.

Kanstul MFL meehaphone - The meehaphone is the most legendary G bugle of them all. Built for and used by the Blue Devils from 1987 to 1991, it is essentially a field descant horn in G. There is only one meehaphone in the world in private hands, and for awhile I was lucky enough to be the owner. I sold it mainly because, while extremely cool, the meehaphone didn’t have a special sound and wasn’t a great player. Still, I feel very privileged to have owned it.

Olds Ultratone BU-10 French horn bugle - This is the only piston/rotor bugle that I’ve owned. I don’t really have an interest in P/R horns, and least of all these long model French horns (which in my opinion look pretty hideous), but this one was selling for pocket change so I figured at the very least I could use the bell for a silly project. I was surprised to learn that this horn is a great player, sounds like a concert horn, and is easier to play (especially in the high register) than the 3-valve Kanstul 185 below. It’s kind of awesome. And while it is useless in its configuration, the sound and feel are good enough that I now want to have it cut to Bb and get a proper valve section installed.

Kanstul KHB-185 French horn bugle - Here’s another rare bird! By the time 3 valves were legalized in DCI in 1990, the French horn bugle was already an endangered species, and few 3-valve French horn bugles were built. Only 14 of these KHB-185s are known to have been made. It was a fabulous instrument, and may be the closest thing to a true horn sound from a bell-front instrument that’s ever been made. I loved it. I sold it in favor of the low alto bugle below, because with a horn adapter and a horn mouthpiece, the low alto could do the same thing while also having all the other available mouthpieces available.

Kanstul low alto bugle - The low alto bugle is essentially the Kanstul KHB-185 French horn bugle above, but with a trumpet shank. Only 6 were made, and they were used by the Mandarins in DCI. I got this one on eBay for about $100, with a crunched bell and listed as a marching baritone. It’s one of those instruments that I never thought I’d get to even see, let alone own. I’ve been fortunate enough to have many such instruments come through my collection, mostly via eBay. I really enjoyed playing the low alto, especially as the trumpet shank allowed for many different mouthpiece possibilities (like the Holton MH101 Bb marching horn) and the low alto somehow played great with all of them. I held until the low alto the longest out of my G bugles because it played well, made different sounds than anything else I had, and was just a really cool thing to own. But it too eventually got sold off because I had nowhere (other than my own multitracks) to use it.

Kanstul KBB-190 baritone bugle - In my opinion the best of the G baritones, this is an instrument that I would look at on the Kanstul website and dream of owning as a high schooler. (I’ve always been a nerd, what can I say?) Like all of my other G bugles, I found this for cheap on eBay. It was a wonderful player, with a huge yet colorful sound that distinguished it from any Bb marching baritone. But, like all the other G bugles, I eventually just couldn’t find a reason to keep it when there was no real use for it…not to mention that I already owned a flugabone, a British baritone horn, a marching baritone, and a euphonium.

Mellophones

Yamaha YMP-204MS - The Yamaha 204 needs no introduction - it is the gold standard of all mellophones. I finally acquired a 204 of my own recently, and it immediately became my workhorse mellophone. The 204 is not perfect, but it is SO much closer to perfect than most other mellophones. I can’t think of any reason why this would ever leave my stable.

1993 King 1120 - This became my workhorse mellophone the second I bought it in 2023. Its position has recently been usurped by the Yamaha 204 above, and its days in my possession are probably numbered. Still, it is a solid mellophone that was very easy for me to acclimate to after owning its father and grandfather, and I can heartily recommend it to anyone looking for a good marching mellophone for cheap. It is by far the best mellophone that is readily available for less than $200 on eBay, and has served me very well.

King 1121 - The 1121 is what replaced the 1120, and is an incremental improvement. The most notable differences are the angled leadpipe, spring-loaded first valve slide, and re-wrapped 3rd valve slide. I bought this one cheap mainly to compare it to my 1120.

1969 Conn 16E - This is the instrument that started my obsession with obscure brass instruments. I bought it on eBay in 2011, shortly after graduating high school, and it was my gateway drug. I still have it and use it on all my videos, and it’s not going anywhere. Despite its many flaws, this mellophonium is still my desert island horn. I will always love it!

Holton M602 - The M602 was Holton’s second mellophonium model, after the more traditionally-designed M601. Holton marketed the M602 as a “marching mellophonium”, and it really does feel like an instrument that pulls from both mellophoniums and marching mellophones, which were both around at the time. It has the sound and feel of a mellophonium, but with the bore and ergonomics of a marching mellophone. In some ways it’s the best of both worlds, and it really does have a special sound. It is darker than the Conn 16E and perfect for smoky jazz. Do I need a darker mellophonium? Not really…but this is one of those instruments that I want to hold on to, and it’s not worth enough to be worth the effort of selling anyway. So this one is probably staying with me. <3

Kanstul KMA-275 - This is a rare small-bell variation on the marching mellophone called a marching alto. Apart from the size of the bell flare, this KMA-275 is the same instrument as Kanstul’s late-pattern marching mellophone, the KMM-280. The marching alto and marching mellophone have the exact same relationship as the alto bugle and mellophone bugle. Much like the alto bugles I’ve owned, the 275’s smaller flare makes it lose much of the characteristic mellophone sound. However, unlike my Kanstul 175 alto bugle that was far too flat when using a tenor horn mouthpiece, the 275 will happily play in tune with a tenor horn mouthpiece, giving it a dark alto flugelhorn sound. This sound is so flugelly, in fact, that I sold my actual alto flugelhorn shortly after acquiring the 275. It’s also just an excellent instrument in general, with solid intonation, good ergonomics, and a main tuning slide kicker to let you fix any note on the fly. I sold this instrument to a friend, as I found that I prefer my Holton M602 mellophonium for alto flugelhorn duties.

Nirschl E102SP - This rare mellophone is the worst mellophone I’ve ever owned. It is so bad it may even be worse than the abysmal Getzen frumpet. Seriously…don’t buy one.

Yamaha YMP-201M - This was my first marching mellophone, acquired in 2022 after over a decade of owning pretty much every other variation of mellophone out there. It was a pretty good instrument, and I used it a fair bit before acquiring my King 1120. The reason I ultimately bought the 1120 and sold the 201M was because the 201M felt very tight and unforgiving to play, and I got tired of dealing with that quickly. It’s a shame because it had a lovely sound that, in some ways, was better than the newer models. But ultimately, there are good reasons why the 201M became the 204M.

Yamaha YMP-201 - The YMP-201 (no M) was the first Yamaha mellophone. It also has the distinction of being the last circular mellophone design, and is arguably the only one that really feels like a modern instrument. It was designed for use in Japanese school bands in the late 1980s, as a cheaper alternative to the French horn (which was prohibitively expensive in Japan at the time). It really plays fantastically well and is a beautifully simple and functional design. However, using the 201 in a big band exposed the circular mellophone’s greatest disadvantage: the downward-pointing bell made it impossible to hear myself at all. This combined with the terrible ergonomics that every circular mellophone (including the 201) has made me realize that I just didn’t want to deal with the severe disadvantages the design brings, and soon after I sold all of my circular mellophones including the 201. But funnily enough, I traded the 201 to my repair tech for a German trombone, and he in turn took the 201 and straightened the bell, turning the instrument into a mellophonium. And now…I also want to do that.

1925 Buescher 25 True Tone - This circular mellophone (in F) has two rotary change valves. One puts the instrument in Eb, the other puts it in D, and both together put it in C. Despite this 25 having worn-out valves consistent with an instrument this old, it was still a great player with a gorgeous, velvety sound - much darker than any of my other circular mellophones. It played well in all 4 keys, and had a unique sound in each.

1930 Conn 8E - The Conn 8E is a ballad horn in C and B-flat. While some ballad horns from the era were more like circular tenor flugelhorns, the 8E was a circular mellophone crooked in C by default with a slide to B-flat - essentially, a tenor mellophone. I enjoyed playing it, and the slanted valves did a lot to improve the usually-terrible circular mellophone ergonomics. It wasn’t the easiest instrument to play, as it felt pretty different from most other instruments (even other circular mellophones in higher keys). But after a short adjustment period each time I picked it up, I found myself unable to put it down. It felt, played, and sounded like an extra-large-bore single C or Bb horn, which I suppose isn’t far off from what it was. A ballad horn, and in particular a Conn 8E, was one of those instruments that I dreamed of playing but never thought I would even get to see one, let alone own one considering the collector prices they usually go for. But one day on eBay, there it was at a shockingly affordable price. When I owned this it was the crown jewel of my collection, and every time I showed it to someone I had a silly grin on my face. I couldn’t hide my passion for this instrument. I didn’t think I would ever sell it, but my brief flirtation with being a collector (at the time I owned 8 mellophones…) eventually wore thin. I’ve never really been a collector, as I hate having instruments I never use. So I eventually let the 8E go. I don’t regret selling it, but I do look back on my time with it fondly.

1918 Conn 6E - This E-flat only mellophone was marketed as a “French horn alto”, in reference to its wider, horn-like wrap compared to the more tightly-wrapped Conn 4E. But it was all mellophone, and also the same exact design as the 8E ballad horn above, just in E-flat instead of C. This instrument had a more familiar feel, and had a gorgeous, colorful sound - probably my favorite sound out of all the circular mellophones I’ve owned. But the valves were worn and I just didn’t need it (like all the other circular mellophones), so off it went.

Alto & Soprano Trombones

Conn 36H alto trombone with C valve - The Conn 36H usually has a Bb attachment, but this one has had the attachment tubing cut to C. I’m not actually sure if the rotor is the stock Conn rotor or not, but in any case, this alto trombone plays wonderfully. The C attachment really makes perfect sense on an alto trombone - to me trill valves are gimmicks, and you really don’t need a Bb attachment when alto trombone repertoire never goes below low A. The C attachment is the most practical tuning for an alto trombone valve that I’ve encountered, and the alto it’s attached to is addicting to play.

Unmarked German soprano trombone - This is undoubtedly one of the coolest brass instruments I’ve owned. This unmarked instrument was likely an exam instrument made by a German brass-making apprentice, and is handmade and the highest quality. It has an old-school leather strap to activate the valve, 4 different slides for the valve that allowed you to tune the valve to A, Ab, G, Gb (via pull), or F, a nickel bell kranz, and about 5 positions on the slide. This instrument is likely the only one of this specific design in the world. With the right mouthpiece it had a real trombone sound, and it was a great player. I sold it because I had no real use for a soprano trombone…and because I got GOOD money for it.

Selman 11303N alto trombone - Somehow this is the only picture I could dig up of this basic nickel-plated Jinbao clone of a K&H Slokar alto trombone. These Chinese Slokar clones used to be EVERYWHERE, as they were the only option for an affordable alto trombone to learn on. Nowadays quite a few retailers who used to stock the Slokar clone no longer do, and there are other cheap Chinese options now. But back in grad school when I owned this, it was this or pay big bucks for a “real” alto. While it obviously was far from perfect, the Selman was good enough to learn on and play the occasional gig with. For the price, I really had no complaints.

Tenor Trombones

1970 King 3B - This is my workhorse tenor trombone, and has been since I bought it in 2015. It sounds great, plays great, can cut through anything, will work with any mouthpiece, and can fit in any style. The 3B is one of the most versatile trombones ever made, especially with an F attachment, and though I have tried dozens of amazing small bore trombones over the years, I have yet to find a reason to replace this 3B. I recently had the bell section delacquered, and I am in love with the dark, uneven finish that came out.

1970 King 3BF - I got this instrument years after the 3B above, but it plays EXACTLY the same. The valve really makes no noticeable difference to the sound or feel. It’s been really nice to have the option of valve or no valve depending on the gig, and I have used this 3BF a ton. However, I don’t REALLY need two trombones that play the same, so it is currently in the shop along with two King 607s below having mad science done to it.

1967 King 607 - The 607 is marketed as an “intermediate” trombone, but in reality it is a King 3BF with a straight bell brace and a yellow brass .525” slide. The result is an instrument that plays the same as my 3B and 3BF, just a little bigger. It has a monstrous low register in exchange for a high register that’s only slightly more difficult than on the 3B/3BF. It also happens to record the best out of any of my trombones - on a mic, the 607 punches WAY above its weight. I’ve used this trombone a lot, and it is about to get even better (see above).

1976 King 605F - The 605F is not the same beast as all the 3Bs or 3B-based trombones above. It is truly a student-level instrument, and is just a garden variety Cleveland 605 with an F attachment. This means it has a .491” bore and a student-grade slide, bell, and leadpipe. It is nowhere near the quality of the Kings above, but it is fairly rare and interesting for being such a small bore with an F valve. However, I really only bought this (on eBay for cheap, naturally) to use as a parts horn for an alto trombone project, which is ongoing.

1978 King 1306 Tempo - The intermediate King Tempo line has included a few different trombone models. The most common by far is the 1305, which is never actually stamped as such and only just as “King Tempo” in slant lettering. This is what is usually thought of when a “King Tempo” trombone is discussed, but it is not the only model. The 607 and 609 were also sometimes called Tempo or Tempo II, and there are a few always-Tempo models in addition to the 1305. The 1306 is the one that has always interested me the most, because it has a reputation for being one of the loudest trombones on the planet. As someone who plays a lot of gigs where I have to compete with amplified instruments, a trombone that cuts through like butter is a useful tool to have. The 1306 is all nickel or nickel plated, with a .500” bore and 8” bell. It retains the curved bell brace of the professional models, but has the narrow chassis of the student model trombones like the 605 and 606. So, does the 1306 hold up to its loud reputation? I’d say so! It is a weapon, and only gets even louder when paired with my 3B slide. But it is also a nice player at normal volumes as well; it feels somewhere in between a 2B Plus and 606 (both of which have the same bore and bell size) and plays easily. I do suspect that the slide is being held back somewhat by the leadpipe, which feels tight and is probably student-grade.

1979 Olds Recording R-20 in C - This is an Olds Recording R-20 (.495/.510” dual bore, .515” valve section, 8.5” bell) that was cut from B-flat to C, with the valve tubing cut from F to A. Tenor trombones in C are very rare, with most being set up to stand in B-flat with an ascending C valve (so not really meant to play in C), like the Yamaha YSL-350C. This one is meant to be fully played in C, with the minor-third attachment providing the same functionality as it does on a Bb tenor (in G) or Eb alto (in C). The A valve also makes the lowest chromatic note E2, the same as a normal valveless B-flat tenor trombone. The slide has a full 7 positions in C, and is ergonomically excellent with 7th position being around where 6th position is on a B-flat tenor. This instrument likes smaller mouthpieces like an alto, and sounds somewhere in between a small (B-flat) tenor and an alto with one. It’s a cool sound and is a very fun horn to play, though as with every Olds trombone with a valve I’ve played, the left hand ergonomics are horrendous. Eventually I’d like to get that remedied, because otherwise it’s a very cool horn!

2023 Y-Fort YSL-763L - This is my main large bore tenor, which I use for most classical tenor gigs. It is a fabulous horn that I bought straight from the Y-Fort booth at NAMM. It eliminates a lot of the headaches I usually have with large bore trombones, and just works everywhere, no matter how long it’s been since you’ve played it. I replaced an excellent Elkhart 88H with this, and I couldn’t be happier. It also came with an excellent Marcus Bonna-style screw bell case, for no extra charge!

Early (1990s) Willson 411TA with G valve - This large bore tenor trombone is extensively different than the standard 411TA you can order from Willson. The most obvious difference is that the valve attachment is in G rather than the usual F, but additionally the valve is an ULTRA rotor (instead of a Rotax), the attachment tubing matches the slide tubing at .547”, and the slide has a Saturn water key. This is a great-playing instrument with a dense, colorful sound, and the G valve allows for much more fluid slide movements in the middle and low registers. It’s also extremely cool, with a unique push-button slide lock and titanium nitride-coated inner slides.

Early (1990s) Willson 311TA with G valve - This is the 411TA’s medium bore stablemate, with a .525” slide and 8.26” bell instead of the 411TA’s .547” slide and 8.66” bell. Like the 411TA above, this 311TA also has a G valve with matched bore (.525”) tubing, this time furnished with a Caidex valve instead of an ULTRA. It plays and sounds very similar to the 411TA, but it has that .525” lightness, agility, and all-around ease that you just don’t get on a .547” horn. The sound is colorful and malleable, the Caidex valve is superb, and the instrument is addicting to play.

Bach 42G with G valve - This is another G valve conversion like the Willsons above. It also has an ULTRA rotor, and the valve tubing is the more typical .562”. The handslide is a lightweight nickel dual bore .547-562” slide, ensuring the lower slide bore matches that of the valve tubing. This is a nice playing example of a modern Bach 42, and the G tuning, ULTRA valve, and dual bore slide all work beautifully together. This horn now belongs to a friend of mine.

Conn 88HT with G valve - This is yet another G valve conversion, with an ULTRA valve and .547-.562” handslide (in this case a Conn SL5462). It is a rock-solid example of a modern 88H with the additional utility of the G valve. This one also now belongs to a friend of mine.

1962 Conn 88H - This Elkhart 88H was my large bore tenor for quite a few years, until I replaced it with the Y-Fort 763L. It had that magic Elkhart sound, and when you were in tune with the horn it was a wonderful player. But if you didn’t play the horn every day, it would really punish you. As someone who rarely gets called to play classical tenor, that meant the horn and I rarely agreed and it was often a struggle.

Yamaha YSL-682G - I bought this mainly out of curiosity, and I learned that it was a solid, dependable large bore with a pleasant sound and no surprises. Nothing super inspiring, but a great workhorse large tenor. If I had still been on my 88H when I bought the 682G, I would have replaced the 88H with the 682G without hesitation. But since I had the Y-Fort, I had no use for the 682G and it was gone quickly.

Unmarked German quartposaune - This German trombone was really in project condition when I got it, but I still used it on a few gigs and a multitrack in spite of that. It had a beautiful dark German sound unlike any other trombone I owned, and sounded full and rich in all registers - a true tenor-bass trombone. However, I was totally unwilling to spend the money necessary to make it comfortable to use, so off it went.

Selmer Largo - The Selmer (Paris) Largo is a fairly rare and very French large bore tenor. It was my first large bore, and in hindsight I probably should have bought the world-beater Holton 156 that I also tried that day instead. But at the time, I was completely enchanted by the captivating, velvety sound of the Largo. It really did have a special sound, and would be fabulous as a classical trombone soloist’s instrument. But I am not a classical trombone soloist, and the totally alien intonation and bright sound made playing in ensembles a losing battle. I later acquired another Largo bell section with 9” bell and F-attachment, which helped somewhat, but was still not enough to offset the horn’s many quirks. So I sold the Largos, bought an Elkhart 88H (see above), and didn’t look back.

1982 King 3B+F - The 3B+F is the real deal .525” 3BF - no sheep’s clothing like the 607. It has a proper nickel slide like the 3B, a gold brass bell, and the signature curved bell brace. It plays very well as you would expect, though it does sound and respond a little differently than my other 3Bs/607s thanks to the rose brass bell. Ultimately, I concluded that I preferred the sound of my yellow bell 3Bs and 607s, so I sold this one on.

1965 Conn 77H Connquest - The 77H is an uncommon Conn model that was sold as an intermediate model, but is essentially a 6H with a half-inch smaller bell. My 77H (which came with a King Cleveland counterweight for some reason) was yet another cheap eBay acquisition to see if the 77H was a hidden gem. I concluded that while it was a nice player, it wasn’t for me as the 6H’s bigger bell (and the bigger sound it creates) is part of the reason that I love the 6H. So I sold it on.

1966 Holton 66 Galaxy - This is the first instrument I ever bought on eBay. I got it for $90 in high school, to use in the school jazz band. It was my only small bore trombone until I bought my King 3B after I graduated undergrad in 2015, and served me well. It had a very bright, cutting sound to match its all-nickel plate construction and .485-.500” dual bore, and was great for New Orleans/second line. But ultimately it was too small for me, and I was very happy to trade up to the 3B.

1940 Holton 63 - This is a rare Holton small bore model (.480-.495” dual bore, 7.5” bell) that I owned briefly during grad school. It was a nice player with a very pretty sound, but ultimately I concluded once again that it was too small for me, and sold it on.

Bass Trombones

1963 Conn 72H - This is my main bass trombone, and has been since I bought it in 2017. It has an independent valve set from what looks to be a Yamaha YBL-830, and I bought it in that configuration. I bought it after having used a stock single-valve Conn 72H bass trombone as my only bass trombone for awhile, so it was the perfect upgrade. This bass trombone is a wonderful instrument that can go toe-to-toe with anything out there. It is perfect for big band playing, but I have also used it in big orchestras, opera pits, recording sessions, and chamber music and it fits beautifully in every situation.

Early (1990s) Willson 551TA - Willson bass trombones are rare and interesting, and this is possibly the most unique Willson bass trombone out there! This is a 551TA that heavily departs from the stock configuration. Most importantly, the valves are pitched in G and E instead of F and Gb, and the valve tubing is wrapped really beautifully, with the E tubing flanking the G wrap on both sides. This tubing is also .562”, matching the slide bore. Everything else is standard: .562” nickel slide with unique titanium nitride inners, push-button slide lock, and a huge, dense sound. This instrument is an excellent complement to my 72H, as two instruments’ sounds are very different and best suited to different musical situations. Even in these pictures you can tell just how much larger the Willson’s bell throat is than the 72H’s. The G/E/D valve tuning is very different to play than the usual F/Gb/D, but it works well.

1964 King 1480 Symphony - While some people think of the King 1480 as a large tenor, it is really a small bass trombone, and Bart Varselona played bass trombone in the Kenton orchestra on one. This is actually the second 1480 I’ve owned, and it is a great instrument with a beefy yet compact bass trombone sound. Sadly I have yet to have an opportunity to use it, but I’m hoping that opportunity comes before I decide to sell it!

1939 Boosey & Hawkes Artist’s Perfected - This is a traditional small-bore (.484”) British bass trombone in G. It has a full-length slide with handle, no leadpipe, and all the bark the G bass trombone is famous for. Unfortunately, the handslide is currently barely usable, but I hope to rectify that and eventually add a valve or two, because the sound is worth it.

1937 Julius Rudolph F bass trombone - This is the other side of the long bass trombone coin - a heavy German bass trombone in F. It has a massive bell throat and the biggest difference in bores between the upper and lower slides I’ve ever seen - .510-.590”! Despite being designed as a bass trombone, it has an enormous sound that sounds as broad and powerful as a modern contrabass trombone to my ears. I’m so glad I got the chance to own this, but I was searching for a true bass trombone sound rather than a near-contra sound, so I sold it to a friend who will make better use of it.

196x Conn 72H - This is the stock (apart from the valve slide stopper, which I never used) single-valve 72H I was playing on when I found the double-valve 72H. This came with a modern Conn SL6262 slide when I bought it, which really wasn’t a match for the bell as it was too short, but I made it work. Once I got the double 72H, I sold the SL6262 and just swapped single and double bell sections with the proper 72H slide. I kept that up for awhile, but eventually sold the single valve bell section as it didn’t provide a big enough difference in sound compared to the double valve section to be worth keeping around.

1972 Olds S24G - The Olds S24G was the first production independent bass trombone in history, and this one came to me with these modified open wraps. It was a great player, with a dense, colorful sound that I really loved. Unfortunately, the small rotors made the trigger register stuffy, and the trigger paddles were the most uncomfortable setup I have ever tried on a bass trombone - my left hand would be in pain within 30 seconds. If I had had a boatload of spare cash at the time, I might have had new valves and linkages put on it and had a world-beater. But I also still liked my indy 72H more, so I sold it.

2006 Getzen 1052FD - This was my first bass trombone, and it took me all the way through my undergrad. It was a great starter bass that was made even better when I eventually got a BrassArk leadpipe for it.

1960 King 1480 Symphony - This was my first King 1480, which I owned many years before I got my current one. Note the different F wrap compared to the 1964 model.

Valve Trombones

1985 King 1130 flugabone - This is the classic flugabone, and the model that coined the term. I got this on eBay for a whopping $67 many years ago - no small feat considering the prices they go for nowadays. I have owned several other flugabones (as well as a valve trombone and a trombonium), but the King is the one I kept. It has a shouty sound and is much louder than the Olds design, both of which are advantages for the situations I use it in (mainly cumbia). I’d love to get another one and cut it to C. I recently had this instrument delacquered, and as you can see the results are spectacular.

Blessing Artist M-200 flugabone - This flugabone is the same basic design as the Olds O-21, an instrument I briefly trialed but didn’t buy. The two are similar, though the Olds is more suited to classical flugabone playing (if such a thing existed) while the Blessing is more suited to smoky jazz flugabone playing (something that can actually exist in specific situations, including the quiet jazz trio gigs I used the Blessing on when I had it). Both cannot match the projection of the King 1130, but are great players in their own right. I enjoyed owning and playing the Blessing M-200, but ultimately it was destined to lose to the King.

1940 King 1140 trombonium - This is the original trombonium, and the same one that J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding played on occasion. I bought it out of curiosity, but I was not prepared for just how good this instrument is. Seriously, the 1140 blew even the King flugabone out of the water in both sound and playability. It was an excellent instrument and great fun to play. However, I could not get past the bad ergonomics, hugely inconvenient form factor, and awful factory case (with no available aftermarket replacements), so I made the tough call to sell it.

Jupiter JVT-528 - A bog standard Bb valve trombone. It has great valves and a nice sound, and is a fun player. This valve trombone now belongs to a friend of mine.

Baritones

Jinbao JBBR-1240 - This British-style baritone horn is one that I had tried many times at conventions before buying one. I have tried all the big name baritones - Besson Prestige, Besson Sovereign, Yamaha Neo, etc…and this little Jinbao (I think a Sovereign clone?) is as good or better than all of them. So when this one showed up on eBay for cheap, I was quick to snap it up. I have used it quite a bit since then, and it still impresses me as much as it first did.

Blessing Artist M-300 - This is the same model of marching baritone that I used in high school marching band. My high school had a couple of these old Blessings, and a few newer Kings. The Blessings were traditionally given to the freshmen, while the upperclassmen got the shiny Kings. But I quickly found that not only did the Blessings play better than the Kings, they were genuinely good instruments in their own right and not just by marching band standards. When I eventually became section leader, I assigned myself a Blessing while everyone else got the Kings. I liked it enough that I tried to buy mine from my band director when I graduated, but she wasn’t allowed to sell it to me. 13 years later, I finally have my own Blessing M-300, and this one is sticking with me.

Tubas & Euphoniums

Kanstul 902-4C tuba: This is a 3/4 C tuba that, while looking very worn, plays wonderfully. It is very easy to play in all registers, has good intonation and easy slide pulling, and sounds bigger than its small size would suggest. I also got it for an absolute steal of a price, so it really checks all of the boxes for a tuba doubler like me.

Schiller Elite IV - This is yet another weirdly-great Chinese clone - in this case a clone of the Yamaha YEP-642. I actually replaced a Sterling Virtuoso with this, because it was more consistent between registers and because I could no longer justify owning a fancy $3k+ euphonium when it never leaves the house. Such is the plight of most euphonium players after college. But this Jinbao model is hardly a bad instrument - it is a good euphonium by any standard. Would I like to have a nicer euphonium? Of course…but how could I justify it?

V.F. Cerveny Eb althorn - This althorn is essentially an alto tuba, and sounds like it. It makes a very dark, euphonium-like sound, but in the alto register. I eventually plan to either add valves or put on a totally new valveset to make it better, and maybe finally realize my dreams of having a 4+-valve alto euphonium.

2007 Sterling Virtuoso - This is a very early Sterling Virtuoso euphonium, and is one of the coolest-looking euphoniums I’ve ever seen. It played great, too - in the upper register it had the colorful, lyrical sound of a Besson, while in the middle and low register it had the broad, dark sound of Willson. It was an interesting combination, and a great overall result. But despite everything I just didn’t gel with this instrument, so I eventually replaced it.

2008 Kanstul 975 - This is a very early Kanstul 975 - likely a prototype. It was my first euphonium, and I had it for 11 years. It served me very well especially in my undergrad, and there was a lot to like about it. It remains the most comfortable euphonium to hold that I’ve ever played, which is a huge deal when most euphonium designs apparently don’t consider left-hand comfort at all. It had a nice sound somewhere in between the Besson and Willson extremes, and it had a monstrous low register. But it also had the usual intonation quirks present on every euphonium, and a few additional quirks not present on others. The worst one was that F in the staff was very sharp played open, so you had to play it with the 4th valve, which changed the sound a lot. It also had very heavy pistons, which were hard on the fingers when played for long periods. It was those two quirks that were the primary motivation for me to find a replacement after 11 years, and the 975 was eventually sold to a local high school band program.

Pelisson bass saxhorn in C - This early-20th century French bass saxhorn had a lean, compact euphonium sound. Being in C meant it was a pretty different experience from playing euphonium, which I liked. However, the valves were totally worn out and it really needed a full restoration to be worth keeping, so I sold it on.

Boosey & Hawkes Imperial Eb tuba - This is a classic 15” bell British compensating Eb tuba. It had a sweet sound and was essentially a big euphonium, which was exactly what I wanted. Unfortunately, it didn’t stick around too long for three important reasons. First, the pistons were totally worn out and the instrument really needed a total restoration to be usable. Second, I pretty much never used it. And finally, I lived in an absolutely TINY bedroom at the time, and a massive tuba that I never used was the last thing I needed. It was a very easy decision to sell it.

Instruments I have yet to own, but would like to

  • Natural horn

  • Parforce horn

  • Double descant horn

  • Alexander 103 double horn

  • Kanstul 284 high F marching horn

  • Kanstul 285 Bb marching horn

  • Dynasty II 2-valve G French horn bugle

  • Wagner tuba

  • Cheap rotary piccolo trumpet (maybe)

  • High F trumpet

  • Bb and/or C rotary trumpets

  • Kanstul 3-valve G soprano bugle

  • Contrabass trumpet (probably made from parts)

  • Eb cornet

  • C cornet

  • Pro-model British Bb cornet

  • British tenor horn

  • Rotary circular alto horn

  • A nice Bb oval tenorhorn

  • Eb soprano flugelhorn

  • C flugelhorn

  • 4-valve flugelhorn

  • Kanstul KMB-180 G mellophone bugle (early pattern)

  • Kanstul KMM-280 F marching mellophone (early pattern)

  • Harry B. Jay Columbiaphone

  • Large bore Bb soprano trombone

  • G soprano trombone

  • F alto trombone

  • Conn 6H (Elkhart) tenor trombone

  • F contrabass trombone (American tuning)

  • F cimbasso

  • Superbone

  • Alto, tenor, and bass sackbuts

  • F tuba

  • Sousaphone (maybe)

  • Valved ophicleide

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Listening Project Tiffany Johns Listening Project Tiffany Johns

Listening Project Chapter 7

We continue the listening project with a flurry of Japanese artists.

Makoto Matsushita was an easy inclusion into the project for me, as his beautiful album First Light (1982) is my favorite city pop album. But he also made three more albums, so I checked them out. The Pressures and Pleasures (1982) and Quiet Skies (1983) were more of the same soft city pop style is First Light, but to me none of their songs reached the same level as most of the songs in First Light, which are pillars of the genre for good reason. In 2019, Matsushita-san released a very different album from his previous work. Called Visions, it is an ambient album. I do like some ambient, but this particular album wasn’t for me, except for the first track “M 31 Andromeda”.

Mariya Takeuchi is the artist behind the legendary “Plastic Love”, the most famous and iconic city pop song. That song is most peoples’ first exposure to the genre, and is a wonderful track. Takeuchi-san has quite a few albums, and while most of the songs therein lean more towards just pop rather than city pop, I found a few gorgeous songs that I love - 3 from Expressions and 2 from Request.

Miki Matsubara is another well-known city pop artist, thanks to her hit “Stay With Me”. But like Mariya Takeuchi and most city pop artists, she has an extensive discography besides. Sadly, she is no longer with us as cancer took her far too soon in 2004, but she left behind plenty of great music. Out of her songs that I’ve added to my library, the most unique is probably “Touhikou”, which has a very dark, almost Bond vibe in the choruses.

microstar is an interesting artist that I don’t really know how to describe, as every album/EP has a different sound. While most of it wasn’t my cup of tea, the album She Got The Blues is where all of the microstar tracks I like come from.

Satoshi Bandoh is a drummer and composer who has played with T-Square since 2004, maintains a solo career, and also played on the soundtracks to Gran Turismo and Mario Kart 8. So basically, everything that’s right up my alley. I’ve known and loved one of his songs as an artist (“Every Moment”) for years, so it was no surprise to me that I found several more to love in his 3-album discography. Funky, modern jazz fusion at its best!

It’s hard to think of an artist that I would be guaranteed to love more than Masahiro Andoh. In addition to being the founding guitarist/composer/leader of T-Square, Andoh-san also wrote some of the soundtracks to the early Gran Turismo games, which were the sound of my youth and one of my biggest musical inspirations. His discography is only two albums, but they are strong albums. Winter Songs is a precious little pearl of joy and warmth.

Akira Jimbo is a drummer who most notably played in the band Casiopea, but he also has an extensive library as a solo artist. For me, while I did really enjoy a few songs, most were tarnished by Akira’s overly-showoffy drumming. It often sounded like I was listening to a drummer performing at a drummer convention, showing off as many hip polyrhythmic fills as he could in order to impress his fellow drummers. Drummers might hear it differently, but to me these constant random fills ruined the groove and never felt like they were serving the music.

TRIX is a newer Japanese jazz fusion band in the same vein as Casiopea and T-Square, formed by former members of those two bands in 2004. After listening to the complete libraries of all three bands, if I had to compare their styles in general terms it would be as follows:

  • Casiopea: Gran Turismo

  • T-Square: Mario Kart

  • TRIX: Sonic the Hedgehog

Especially with the synth patch choices, TRIX got a heavy Sonic vibe going in quite a few tracks. Otherwise, it felt like their sound was somewhere in between Casiopea and T-Square.

Based on how much I love the music of those two bands, you’d think TRIX would be a slam dunk for me. But while the arrangements and playing were just as tight, there was something off about most of TRIX’s library to me. Most of the time it was the mix that felt lifeless to me…bass too quiet and everything above sounding empty and flat. Sometimes it was the melodies, which were often boring, even amateurish. Sometimes it just felt that the band was playing it very safe. Other times it was all of the above. I did find a few songs that had none of those problems and were great listens, and those are now saved in my library alongside the many Casiopea and T-Square songs. But I expected to love a lot more going in. Oh well! We move on.

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Listening Project Chapter 6

As we move into fall 2024, I’ve listened to enough artists for this listening project that I’ve come across a few that I just didn’t like. These won’t receive a write-up, but will eventually be included in the final list of artists I listened to in this project. With that clarification out of the way, we move right along.

PROTODOME is the artist name of Dr. Blake Troise, a researcher and musician who makes funky chiptune fusion music. Protodome’s library was a refreshing change from…well, pretty much everything else in my listening project. Four tracks really stood out to me. “Hotline Coldcall” and “New York Cheesecake” are delightful, groovy chip fusion that just makes you smile. “Nostalgia Breaks Hearts…” is a little gem that’s surprisingly poignant. Finally, “4000ad” is a real triumph - an 8-minute epic made entirely with 1-bit synthesis.

Electro Deluxe is a French fusion band that isn’t as well known as they should be. I initially discovered them through their fabulous cover of “Staying Alive”, but their library has a lot more to discover. Most notable to me is the album “Live in Paris”, where they are joined by a full big band. To me the band really comes alive in this format, and this album is an absolute jewel - like the perfect cocktail of Tower of Power and European big band jazz. I gushed about it when I first heard about it and I’ll gush here again - in my mind this album is a must-listen.

Chappell Roan has been taking the world by storm, and has become something of a patron saint for lesbians everywhere. I had friends recommending Chappell’s work very highly, so I bumped her library up the list and listened to all of it twice. The word I would use to describe Chappell the most is refreshing. It is refreshing to hear pop music with a great voice, great songwriting, great lyrics, and heart. Most pop music nowadays all feels like the same bland, formulaic drivel designed specifically to print money and nothing else. Well-produced and engineered yes, but memorable? Absolutely not. Chappell’s music is fun to listen to, it is memorable, and (most importantly) it makes you feel things.

For me, the slow songs were really what drew me in, especially on the second listen. In fact, out of my 5 favorite songs, “Red Wine Supernova” is the only one that is up-tempo. The rest (“Bad for You”, “School Nights”, “Coffee”, and “Kaleidoscope”) are slow heartbreakers or sensual love letters. When you’re in a more melancholy mood, those four songs are enchanting. They draw you into your own emotions in the exact way that you want.

With a start like this, I can’t wait to heart what Chappell Roan will create going forward.

Sadly, Sabrina Carpenter to me is more of the usual bland pop that is the vast majority of the genre. However, I did find one song to love in her library with “In My Bed”.

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Listening Project Chapter 5

We continue the project with ABBA, an artist near and dear to my heart.

Like everyone, I knew ABBA for “Dancing Queen” since I was a kid. I had also heard “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme” several times and liked it. But I never explored further until one random day in 2022, as I was working the early morning shipment shift at Banana Republic and the default Spotify playlist we had going played “Lay All Your Love On Me”. Once I got off work I HAD to hear that song again, and began exploring ABBA’s library.

It turns out that “Lay All Your Love On Me” is one of the tracks on what instantly became one of my all-time favorite albums, Super Trouper. I absolutely adore that album and listen to it often. At the time I also listened to every album before it, comprising all of ABBA’s mega hits. I found other songs to fall in love with, including three from “Voulez-Vous” and three others (including “Dancing Queen”, of course).

But I stopped there, figuring I’d listen to the few albums after Super Trouper at some point. Well, with my listening project in full swing, “at some point” has come and gone and…I have to be honest, nothing in “The Visitors” or “Voyage” was worth saving to me. There were a couple of decent songs (“Head Over Heels”, “No Doubt About It”) but I wasn’t a fan of anything else.

A shame, but I have all I need with Super Trouper and all my other cherished ABBA songs.

After this short jaunt was complete I turned my attention to an artist brand new to me: Sophie Ellis-Bextor, an English pop artist. She was the lead vocalist for indie pop band Theaudience (whose music is majorly not my vibe) in the late-’90s before going solo.

Sophie’s music is all very well-made and refined with catchy vocals - the perfect pop formula. As with most pop music there was a lot that I didn’t care for, but I found quite a few songs that I really enjoy. She started out strong with the first track on her debut album “Read My Lips”, “Murder On The Dancefloor”. This song is ultra-catchy, has a great vibe, and sounds like it should be on GTA V’s Non-Stop Pop FM radio.

Chances are I’m going to keep a song around if I find myself randomly singing it, and since I went through Sophie’s library I’ve noticed that happening with “Murder On The Dancefloor” and “Me And My Imagination”, my two favorite songs from this library. Those two songs along would make this listen worth it, but there’s plenty of other songs to love. “Heartbreak - Make Me A Dancer”, “Love Is Here”, “Bittersweet”…as I write this I’ve been going back through all of my favorites and playing them on repeat.

If you like modern dance-y pop, I can heartily recommend giving Sophie’s entire library a listen.

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Listening Project Chapter 4

After listening to 3 artists with massive libraries and similar styles, I wanted to take a left turn for the next few artists.

First up was Opolopo, a Hungarian/Swedish dance producer with a hefty library of funky, disco-y, house-y dance tracks. I ended up saving 15 tracks. If you like funk, disco, house, and dance music you’ll probably find something to like by Opolopo. My favorite track was definitely “In the Thick of It - Opolopo Dub Remix” by Joey Negro, The Sunburst Band, Angela Johnson, Dave Lee, and of course Opolopo.

Next up was the Spice Girls. I’d only ever heard the hits and figured there was more to the group than just the hits everyone knows from back in the day. The Spice Girls’ library is quite small, and I only ended up saving 3 songs: Too Much, Saturday Night Divas, and Holler. Most pop (no matter how good the group is) doesn’t do anything for me, so this is not a surprising result. With every artist in this listening project, if I find even one song I like enough to save and put in my library, it’s worth it…but this is especially true of pop artists and rock bands.

Speaking of rock bands, after the Spice Girls I took another turn and went to Van Halen. Also a fairly short discography, but plenty of hits throughout. I saved 7 songs, some hits but others not so well known.

After Van Halen I felt like continuing the rock kick, so I turned to Boston next. The first album (self-titled) turned out to be one of the best albums I’ve ever heard. It is genuinely a masterpiece, and in my opinion a truly perfect album. I was blown away. Sadly, not a single song after this first album did much for me, but the exceptional first album is more than enough.

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Listening Project Chapter 3: INCOGNITO

Incognito is a British jazz funk/acid jazz band that started in 1979. Compared to the previous two bands I listened to, Incognito's 18-album discography was a welcome change from the 70+ album juggernauts. I had never heard of Incognito before, but discovered them through music-map.com (really great site to find new artists, check it out!) and added them to the project.

I found Incognito's music to be consistently well-written and performed, with nice grooves and a solid horn section. But while I didn't find much to DISlike, most of their library didn't really grab me. It was good enough to listen to, but didn't make me want to save it or listen a second time.

That said, sometimes the band really hit me where I wanted it to, and I saved 21 exceptional songs that have me coming back again and again. My regular playlists have definitely been enriched by these songs and this band, and their best is as good as anyone's.

My favorite Incognito albums:

Tribes, Vibes + Scribes (1992)
Amplified Soul (2014)

My favorite individual tracks:

Need to Know - Tribes, Vibes + Scribes (the horns on this!!!)
Magnetic Ocean - Tribes, Vibes + Scribes

On to the next!

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Listening Project Chapter 2: T-SQUARE

Unlike CASIOPEA, I had never listened to T-Square before I started this project. When I saw the size of T-Square's formidable discography, I knew I would be in for a ride.

78 albums (!!!) later, I am finally done.

Funnily enough, the 78th album (a double live album) released literally YESTERDAY, the day I finished everything else! I thought I was done, and then saw by chance on T-Square's main Spotify page that they had just released a new album. So I started it right away, and finished it this morning. Now I am TRULY done (at least until the next album comes out). Out of those 78 albums, I saved 109 songs.

T-Square is a Japanese jazz fusion band much like Casiopea, with the same keys/guitar/bass/drums but with the important addition of a saxophonist. While the alto saxophone (and EWI) is a signature part of T-Square's sound, the first like...40 albums are essentially solo alto saxophone with rhythm section accompaniment. With apologies to my saxophonist friends, I do not like the alto saxophone enough to listen to it play all the melodies and solos for 40 straight albums.

The band's writing is consistently excellent from their first album in 1978 to the one from yesterday, but I found myself often wishing that the great melodies were played by a horn section rather than one saxophone. The other downside of this saxophone-oriented music is that it gave no room for the other 4 members, all fabulous musicians, to shine. This becomes particularly evident in later albums where you do start to hear guitar and keyboard solos, which are always excellent and make you wonder why the band waited so long to give them even a melody, let alone a solo.

All that being said, this band has made some incredible music that I really love, and I am so thrilled to have gone on this journey.

My favorite T-Square albums:

  • 夏の惑星 (Natsu no wakusei) (1994)

  • 宝島 (Takarajima) (w/Munich Symphony) (1995)

  • Wordless Anthology II (1999)

  • 33 (2007)

  • Wings (2012)

  • Crème de la Crème (2020)

Honorable mentions:

  • Truth (1987)

  • New-S (1991)

  • Impressive (1992)

  • Brasil (2001)

  • Groove Globe (2004)

  • Nine Stories (2011)

  • City Coaster (2018)

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Listening Project Chapter 1: CASIOPEA

CASIOPEA is a 4-piece Japanese jazz fusion band that is one of the giants of the genre. They are one of my favorite bands of all time, and they were who I decided to start my listening project with. Because although I had already listened (and re-listened) to a few Casiopea albums, that is but a drop in the bucket that is their full discography of well over 50 (!) albums. This band has been extremely prolific since they released their first album in 1979.

After listening to EVERY Casiopea album in order, and most of them for the first time, my love for this band has only increased. I had a lot of emotions when I finished the very last song: first sadness that there were no more Casiopea songs to discover, then happiness and relief that I had finished the library, and finally a feeling of being hugely enriched. This is the feeling that has persisted. It was a wonderful journey, and it made me so excited to continue this project and ultimately see it all the way through.

If you decide to check out Casiopea, the first track that you should check out is “Take Me”, from the album Mint Jams (1982). This was my favorite Casiopea track before I started this project and it is still my favorite. It is a jewel of a song that perfectly encapsulates the magic that is Japanese jazz fusion.

My favorite Casiopea albums:

  • The Party (1990)

  • Answers (1994)

  • 20th (2000)

  • Living On a Feeling ~ Casiopea Night Selection (2009)

  • Make Up City (1980)

  • Mint Jams (1982)

Honorable mentions:

  • Asian Dreamer (1994)

  • Places (2003)

  • Full Colors (1991)

  • Casiopea (1979)

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The Tiffany Johns Listening Project

Finding new music to love is hard.

In an era where an impossible amount of music is at your fingertips via Spotify and other streaming services, it feels harder than ever to find music that you really love. The weeds you must wade through to find a gem are thick and stretch beyond the horizon. I spend quite a lot of time and energy trying to wade through these weeds, but it’s slow going. It’s very rare that I find even one song that I really like, let alone an entire artist.

In January 2023, I began using Spotify’s fleet of discovery tools every day, in a much more dedicated effort to find new music to love. Over the course of that year I did indeed find some amazing music and artists that I never would have come across otherwise, and I added a lot to my library. However, I eventually got to the point where any of the discovery tools kept showing me the same songs they had already shown me before, so I moved on.

About a year later, in early 2024, I had the idea to dive more into artists I already know in a methodical manner, rather than attempting to discover new songs and artists by chance or via an algorithm. I realized that even my favorite artists have a lot of music I’ve never listened to; in fact, I can only think of two artists whose entire library I had listened to before I started this project: Moonchild and Dirty Loops. Along with this, I have massive holes in my knowledge of more popular music (in case you weren’t already aware, I was a turbo nerd in high school) and have intended to fix that for a long time.

So, with all that in mind, I decided to start an ambitious listening project that would take years to complete. I went to Spotify and added the entire discography of every artist I like or want to discover into a few colossal listening playlists sorted by genre. Each of these playlists has thousands of songs, and a couple of them reached the Spotify playlist limit (9,999 songs) so I had to start a second playlist for that genre. These playlists include my favorite artists, artists who have a few songs I really like but I never explored further, artists that I feel like I should know based on the genres I listen to, and artists that I feel like I should know as a Millennial.

I will make a post for each artist when I finish their library, giving general thoughts and my favorite albums. I will also be buying physical copies of the albums I really love - support artists directly! I will also be doing a summary post when I finish each genre, and years in the future maybe an overall summary of the project when I finish them all. All of these will be linked at the bottom of this post.

One final note: I’m writing this after having already finished one artist and nearly finished another. I’ll detail this more in the individual artist posts, but I feel that it’s important to also state here that I have already felt incredibly enriched from this project, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone.

Here are my favorite albums from the artists I’ve discovered ( * = I knew the album beforehand):

  • ABBA - Super Trouper (1980)*

  • Akira Jimbo - 29 NY Red (2021)

  • Alex M.O.R.P.H. - Hands On Armada (Mixed Version) (2011)

  • Boston - Boston (1976)

  • Casiopea - Make Up City (1980)*

  • Casiopea - Mint Jams (1982)*

  • Casiopea - The Party (1990)

  • Casiopea - Answers (1994)

  • Casiopea - 20th (2000)

  • Casiopea - Living on a Feeling ~ Casiopea Night Selection (2009)

  • Electro Deluxe - Live in Paris (2012)

  • Incognito - Tribes, Vibes + Scribes (1992)

  • Jimsaku - Dispensation (1996)

  • Killer Mike - MICHAEL (2023)

  • Masahiro Andoh - Winter Songs (2010)

  • T-Square - 夏の惑星 (Natsu no wakusei) (1994)

  • T-Square w/Munich Symphony - 宝島 (Takarajima) (1995)

  • T-Square - Wordless Anthology II (1999)

  • T-Square - 33 (2007)

  • T-Square - Wings (2012)

  • T-Square - Crème de la Crème (2020)

  • Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue (2003)*

  • Yellowcard - Southern Air (2012)

Chapters:

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Alto Flugelhorn

There are alto trumpets, alto cornets, alto bugles, and of course alto horns, along with many other alto-voice brass instruments that have more interesting names. But what about an alto flugelhorn? This would be an instrument a 4th or 5th below the standard flugelhorn, still with a flugelhorn bore profile. This instrument does exist, but it’s not very common. It’s even rarer than alto trumpet or alto cornet, but it seems to bring more to the table than either of those do.

Here’s an alto flugelhorn - an “Elkhart”-stenciled Couesnon alto flugelhorn in F or E-flat:

This instrument has a gorgeous low flugelhorn sound that matches my Couesnon flugelhorn very well. In my opinion the sound is so purely flugelhorn that if someone heard an audio sample without knowing what instrument was playing, I’m guessing most brass players would immediately guess a 4-valve flugelhorn or maybe some other kind of flugelhorn. It does have a subtle hint of euphonium to the sound as well.

This alto flugelhorn plays just as well as my fabulous pre-WWI Couesnon flugelhorn, and is one of the better-designed/easier-to-play bell-front alto brass instruments that I’ve owned and played. It’s wonderful, and the sound is creamy smooth.

Couesnon alto flugelhorn (left), Couesnon flugelhorn (right)

These Couesnon alto flugels used to grow on trees on eBay, but in the past decade or so they sort of disappeared. I was surprised when this one showed up, and this time I didn’t let it pass me by. I enjoyed owning it and used it on my 2023 Christmas multitrack, but I no longer own it. First, I realized that my Kanstul 275 marching alto was actually better at being an alto flugelhorn than this actual alto flugelhorn…and then I realized that I didn’t even need that as my Holton M602 mellophonium is equally as good at being an alto flugelhorn as the Kanstul 275, while also having much more character. So off both went.

I have owned an alto trumpet, alto cornet, alto flugelhorn, and 2 alto bugles, but sadly none at the same time (so no back-to-back demos). But this alto flugelhorn sounded VERY different than the alto cornet did. It had that velvety flugelhorn darkness that the alto cornet just didn’t have, much more like the Dynasty III alto bugle in G (which is essentially an extra-large G flugelhorn).

Here’s a quick back-to-back comparison I did of my Couesnon flugelhorn and the Elkhart (Couesnon) alto flugelhorn. Hopefully, despite the phone microphone, you can hear the subtleties in each instrument’s sound.

Lastly, here are some photos of other types of alto flugelhorn out there. Most are in E-flat, which makes sense as the even rarer soprano flugelhorn is also in E-flat.

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B-flat Tenor Brass: What's the Difference?

Bass trumpets. Flugabones. Trombones in various bore sizes. Baritones in various shapes and sizes. Euphoniums. There are so many different kinds of 9-foot B-flat brass instruments that broadly function in the tenor register, so how do you justify them all?

Easy: they all sound different! Admittedly sometimes the differences are small, but the differences ARE there. Each was designed for a different purpose, but how do they compare when you put them head to head? Time to find out!

What follows is a cornucopia of audio files from various 9-foot instruments that I owned or had access to long enough to sit down and record for a while. This is by no means complete yet; I have a bunch more instruments and instrument/mouthpiece combinations to record, and I will continue adding to this as I gain access to different instruments. It is a forever work in progress, but hopefully before long it will be a comprehensive archive of most of the B-flat low brass out there. I may add tenor brass in other keys as well, but I’ll have to rework the excerpts to accommodate their ranges.

For now, let’s take a brief look at the instruments I’ll be demoing.

1970 King 3B Concert tenor trombone (.508” bore)

This is my main gigging commercial tenor trombone. It is extremely versatile, equally at home knocking down buildings on a funk or salsa gig or playing in a brass quintet. I use two mouthpieces with this instrument - a Warburton 8S/4* (very shallow lead mouthpiece) and a Hammond 11M (normal-depth V-cup general purpose mouthpiece).

1979 Conn 5H tenor trombone (.500” bore)

This is an Abilene Conn 5H, which is a lightened 6H. It tends to have a bright sound with lots of core, great for pop work. I only trialed this instrument and ended up not buying it, but I had it in my possession long enough to use it on these demos as well as a few other things. It didn’t like my Hammond 11M, so I used it only with my shallow Warburton 8S/4* (which it liked very much).

1985 King 1130 flugabone (.500” bore)

The source of the word “flugabone”, and a very good player. I’ve gigged on this a ton and its shouty sound is a great asset to have. Gotta be careful with mouthpiece choice though!

1973 Olds O-21 flugabone (.515” bore)

Another flugabone (or “marching trombone” in Olds-speak) that feels more refined and restrained than the King 1130. The better choice for classical flugabone playing (???). This is another instrument that I trialed but ending up not buying, though I ended up owning a different example of the same model later.

Josef Lidl rotary Bb bass trumpet (~.440” bore)

An old-school bass trumpet with a very small bore, that makes up for its difficulty with its piercing trumpet sound.

Blessing Artist M-300 marching baritone (.562” bore)

An older model of marching baritone that plays very well with a nice, colorful sound. I used this model baritone in high school marching band! This model also has a Bauerfiend valve set for some reason???

The Excerpts

I’ve prepared five contrasting excerpts to showcase the differences in all the instruments that will be playing them. (And by “prepared”, I mean “improvised on the spot when recording the first instrument”.) They are all very short, but give some good information. All instruments were recorded close-mic’d into my Cascade Fat Head ribbon microphone. I generally left intonation foibles in rather than re-taking until it was perfect, as tricky intonation is an important part of playing each instrument.

First up is a short marcato excerpt with 3 parts. I divided up the takes into 1 part solo, 3 parts (1 on a part), and 3 parts tripled (3 on a part).

Solo first:

3 parts (1 on a part, no doublings):

3 parts tripled (3 on a part) and panned to simulate a large section:

The next excerpt is a very short, softer triadic statement that starts high and ends low. As with the last excerpt, this one has 3 parts and was recorded the same 3 ways.

Solo first:

3 parts (1 on a part, no doublings):

3 parts tripled (3 on a part) and panned to simulate a large section:

The next excerpt is quick, high, and loud. 3 parts, nothing else. Very simple.

This one is a brief jazz excerpt in a typical 4-part big band trombone section style.

The last excerpt is a short 4-part chorale on the softer side. Starting with just the 4 parts, we’ll go through some fun variations later.

4 parts, no doubling:

The same stems as above, but this time drenched in some nice reverb:

This time each of the 4 parts is doubled, making for 8 total players.

Now we take the doubled parts and bring the reverb back.

Just for fun, after I finished recording the first 6 instruments, I unmuted all tracks on the chorale and exported that result too. This makes 48 players on 4 parts - 12 on a part, 2 per instrument. Just in case you ever wanted to know what a massed choir of bass trumpets, trombones, flugabones, and marching baritones sounded like.

Finally, I thought the massed chorale sounded so good that I decided to try pitch shifting the whole thing to see how it would sound in different ranges. I started by pitching down, but I was not prepared for the heavenly trumpet sound I got when I pitched up!

That’s all for now. As mentioned at the top of the post, there are still more instruments to record. At the very least, I have 4 trombones, possibly a bass trombone or 3, British baritone horn, and euphonium to add to the pile. In time!

In the mean time, if you’re interested in more comparisons, I uploaded some quick phone mic comparisons of some of these instruments on YouTube a few days ago.

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Brass Instruments That Don't Exist (But Should)

It goes without saying (especially on this particular website) that there are a lot of brass instruments out there. Some probably shouldn’t exist, and others are probably not distinct enough to really deserve their own name. But they exist nonetheless, and going down the rabbit hole to discover and make sense of all of them is an endeavor that takes years.

But even though the concept of a mouthpiece attached to a metal cone has been tried hundreds or even thousands of ways, I believe we have not explored all that is possible in the brasswind medium. More to the point, I believe there are some brass instruments that should exist…but don’t. That’s what I’m going to discuss here, and hopefully inspire intrepid makers to make them a reality. (I can dream, ok?) Naturally, these are just my personal opinions, and if you have a different idea of a non-existent brass instrument that you wish was less non-existent, I’d love to hear about it.

Alto Euphonium

This might be the instrument I wish existed the most - a true F or E-flat alto tuba in the British euphonium style, with 3+1 compensating valves, a much larger bore and bell throat than an alto horn, and a small trombone mouthpiece shank. Technically, an alto euphonium does exist: the Yamaha YEH-901ST, which was made in a very limited (14 or 15) run in 1984-85 for Yamaha artists. It only had 3 valves, none of them have ever been for sale, and Yamaha no longer has the tooling to make any more. So although it technically does exist, practically speaking it might as well not. But this is the idea.

Yamaha YEH-901ST alto euphonium in E-flat (picture from Hidekazu Okayama’s website)

I plan to get an alto euphonium custom made for me from parts, as I really believe in its potential. Hopefully that project might inspire makers to give the concept a try. If my alto euphonium project is successful, I may then think about trying a soprano euphonium as well.

(Compensating) Euphonium in C

A similar (but less radical) instrument I’d like to see more of is a professional compensating euphonium in C. This did exist as the Besson BE765C, a special order instrument available until the company moved to Germany in 2006. That tooling is also likely long gone, and the picture below is the only evidence I have ever seen of the model. I can’t imagine more than a handful were ever made.

Besson BE765C-2 euphonium in C (left), Besson BE765-2 euphonium in B-flat (right). Picture from Hidekazu Okayama’s website.

C euphoniums do exist and are used in some parts of the world, but apart from the Besson above there are none that I know of that are British-style professional instruments. C tubas are a standard for orchestral tubists…I see no reason why a British-style compensating euphonium in C couldn’t also have merit, especially as a doubling instrument for tubists used to C fingerings.

6/4 American-Style Tenor Tuba

There have been some extra-large compensating euphoniums in the past, but what I’m proposing goes a step further. Massive 6/4 York-style C tubas are very much in vogue…why not try that same blueprint an octave up? Give it 4 front-action pistons with a 5th rotor and orchestral tuba players will flock to it as a doubling instrument even more than the C compensating euphonium mentioned above.

Bass Euphonium

I know what you’re thinking: “Isn’t a bass euphonium just an F tuba?” And I don’t blame you for thinking that, especially when small bell British F and Eb tubas that look and sound like big euphoniums exist. But my thought for an instrument called “bass euphonium” would be to take the dimensions of a modern compensating euphonium (.590” starting bore size) and use them to build an instrument in low G. The goal is an instrument somewhere in between a euphonium and bass tuba in sound. I will admit, this one isn’t that important to me, but I think it would be an interesting experiment. I have seen a few very small bass tubas for sale that have seemed like really good candidates to cut down into a bass euphonium. I’ve even seen a piston F tuba with a 12-inch bell!

Soprano Mellophone/Mellophonium

A custom Holton Bb soprano mellophonium, made from parts

A soprano mellophone in high B-flat is something I’ve wanted for a long time. A couple have been cobbled together from parts using trombone bells (see the above picture), but that’s not really the real deal. I’m talking new mandrels and tapers that match a modern mellophone, just a scaled down for an instrument a 4th higher. I would suggest still using a trumpet shank and the same bore size as an F mellophone, as you still want it to feel like a mellophone. Truthfully, I would love a soprano mellophonium with a .500” bore, the same as the Conn 16E mellophonium. But as no maker makes a bell-front mellophone that large anymore, you’d have to do that first and then make the high Bb version. Which…I would also welcome with open arms. I love my 16E, but that design leaves a ton of room for improvement by a modern maker.

Lower Mellophones

If the mellophone formula can be expanded upwards, why not downwards as well? I used to own a Conn 8E ballad horn from 1930, which is essentially a tenor mellophone in C or B-flat. But (to my knowledge) a modern bell-front tenor mellophone is not something that anyone has ever attempted. I even think a bass mellophone in F (an octave below the standard mellophone) would have a lot of potential.

I have been fascinated by the idea of a complete mellophone or mellophonium family for a long time, and even drew freehand sketches of what I would imagine some of the non-existent members could look like.

An old sketch of mine for a bass mellophonium in low F. I figured for an instrument of this length, an upright design was much more practical as a normal mellophonium is already an ergonomic challenge.

An old sketch of mine for a soprano mellophonium in high Bb.

I even sketched a little sopranino!

A Real Bass Horn

I’m not talking about the “bass horns” out there that are basically just rewrapped tubas. I’m talking about a proper double horn a 4th or 5th below a normal double horn, with a small bore proportionate to that of a normal horn, playable by a horn player or trombone/euphonium player, with a dedicated mouthpiece that’s a deep horn mouthpiece scaled up to around big alto horn (~19mm) or small trombone size. Much like modern descant horns usually use the same bells as double horns, the bass horn could use standard XL-throat double horn bells, like those from a Conn 8D or King Eroica.

Endangered Instruments

This category is for instruments that do exist, and you can even order them in some cases, but they are FAR too rare - often nearly impossible to find and/or prohibitively expensive. These are instruments that I would like to see someone step up and make more widely available. I think rare, odd instruments like these are the perfect specimens for Jinbao/Wessex/etc. to take on. They’ll be playable enough, but also affordable enough that many players can try them out, and maybe get a boutique maker to make them a better one if they like it enough. If you start with the ultra-expensive handmade custom horns, nobody will ever buy one and the market won’t materialize. But if you start cheap, it just might. Certainly, these instruments would make more sense and have more merit than some of the odd instruments Jinbao has chosen to clone.

  • Soprano flugelhorn (they are always in Eb, but I would love one in F as well)

  • Flugelhorn in C (with pistons and a 3rd slide trigger, just like a normal flugelhorn)

  • Martin-style jazz flugelhorn (the Miles Davis horn)

  • Alto flugelhorn (G, F, or Eb, a la the Couesnon)

  • Alto cornet (G, F, or Eb, a la the DEG model 1220)

  • Alto trumpet (G, F, or Eb)

  • Bass cornet (C or Bb)

  • Double trumpets (Bb/low F, Bb/high Eb, C/high F)

  • High F and G trumpets, especially with 4 valves

  • 4-valve C and Bb trumpets

  • 3-valve Bach-style piston bass trumpet in C (with main tuning trigger)

  • Contrabass trumpet (F or Eb)

  • British-style alto horn with 4 valves (most recent example: Kanstul ZAT-1540)

  • British-style 3+1 compensating baritone horn

  • Double bell alto horns, baritone horns, and tubas

  • British-style 3+2 non-compensating euphonium

  • Large bore (.500") soprano trombone (with valve and tuning-in-slide)

  • Large bore (.547”) alto trombone (with Bb valve, possibly tuning-in-slide)

  • Alto trombone in F

  • Alto valve trombone (F or Eb)

  • Large bore, bell-up trombonium (a la Conn 90G)

  • Bass trombonium (3 valves, in low F or E-flat)

  • Sopranino trombone in Eb

  • Tenor trombone in C

  • Tenor or bass trombone in Bb/F/ascending C

  • Double valve (Bb/F/Gb) tenor trombone (in .508”, .525”, and .547”)

  • Modern bass trombones in low G or F (hey pBone, please make a straight F bass. I’d love you forever)

  • G contrabass trombone (a la Jeff Reynolds)

  • Tuba-shaped F cimbasso (a la Kalison)

  • Tubas in G and D (G = shortened small F, D = shortened 4/4 rotary C)

  • Valved ophicleide (I would LOVE to try an F bass valved ophicleide in a brass quintet)

  • French ascending piston double horn (a la Selmer Thevet Ascendant)

  • Ascending double horns in general

  • Bass Vienna horn (F/C)

Other Pie-in-the-Sky Ideas (that I’m not actively hoping for, but would be fun)

  • Alto superbone

  • A superbone with 2 valves and a 4-position handslide, requiring you to use both in tandem constantly to play chromatically

  • New sizes of corno da tirarsi (slide horn), and corni da tirarsi with a valve or two

  • New sizes of Wagner tuba (alto in Eb, contrabass in C, high double in Eb/Bb, low double in F/C)

  • French ascending piston triple horn and double descant horn

  • Soprano trombones in G and C

  • Soprano valve trombone (in a shape and taper that distinguishes it from a trumpet)

  • 3 and 4 valve trumpets (not alto trumpets, or soprano bugles) in G

  • Contrabass cornet in F or G

  • 4-valve compensating flugelhorn

  • Tubas/euphs/baritones/tenor horns/cimbassos with echo bells (like an echo cornet)

  • A Bb contrabass trombone that doesn’t suck (the most unrealistic idea here)

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Brass, G Bugles, Alto Brass, Low Brass Tiffany Johns Brass, G Bugles, Alto Brass, Low Brass Tiffany Johns

G Bugles

If you’ve been wandering around my website and have noticed a fair bit of content regarding a bunch of weird bugles in G and want to know what that’s about, if you’re interested in G bugles and want to know which ones could be the most useful, or if you’re deep into the G bugle game and you just want to consume as much G bugle content as possible, this article is for you.

I’ll start with a very brief history lesson and a definition of what exactly a G “bugle” really is.

Civilian drum and bugle corps in the United States began after World War I, initially using actual valveless military bugles for the brass line. Eventually they started adding valves to the bugles, which were only allowed to be in the key of G. First came a single horizontal piston, then 1 piston and 1 rotor, 2 pistons, and finally 3 pistons. Each change came after a long and laborious process of arguing for and against The Tradition™, a drum corps pastime that continues to this day.

Along with valves, new brass voices were gradually added to the allowed instrumentation, and while many of them were not at all bugles, they were still called bugles. (For this reason I like referring to the “family” as a whole as competition bugles, rather than just bugles.) This resulted in fun names like “French horn bugle” and “trombonium bugle” that sound like they came from a Dr. Seuss book. Weird naming scheme aside, drum corps instrumentation was rife with experimentation until the year 2000, when the rules were changed to allow brass instruments in any key, instead of just G.

Drum corps is a pretty insular activity, and as a result most brass players who aren’t into drum corps don’t know much (if at all) about the G bugles. I myself never marched, and so my main interest in G bugles has always been “which of these instruments is useful outside of drum corps?”, and that’s mainly what this article is about. I have been fortunate to own a smattering of ultra-cool, ultra-rare G bugles in the past few years, and have used a few of them in very not-drum-corps environments, so I feel like I can answer that question pretty well at this point. If you are a G bugle collector, this information and advice probably does not apply to you. Let’s dive in!

Soprano Bugle

King K-20 soprano bugle

The soprano bugle was the top voice of the G hornline. These are essentially trumpets in G with an extra large bore and bell throat, and they are SCREAMERS. If that sounds appealing, you would probably enjoy a 2-valve soprano. The 2 valve horns are extremely light and extremely free-blowing, and if you’re playing screamer parts you don’t need the 3rd valve. Look for a King K-20 or Dynasty II.

However, I believe the soprano bugle’s real niche outside of drum corps is the LOW notes. Put an extra-large mouthpiece into a 3-valve soprano and you have an excellent G alto trumpet. With the huge scarcity of real alto trumpets in F or E-flat, a 3-valve G soprano bugle (which you can easily pick up online for around $200) is a legitimately useful tool for a trumpet player, or an interesting left-field choice for someone looking to add a high brass instrument to their stable.

Dynasty G350B soprano bugle

While I would definitely recommend holding out for a 3-valve for the reasons above, an ultra-cheap 2-valve soprano is not a bad pickup either. It is fully chromatic at sounding E4 and above, which can still be useful (especially if you already have a trumpet). Just don’t spend very much!

Piccolo Soprano Bugle

Benge piccolo soprano bugle

These are an octave above the G soprano bugle, and are very rare. Almost all of them have two valves, making them chromatic only down to sounding E5. An interesting curiosity yet ultimately not worth looking for, especially as if one does show up for sale it will not be cheap.

Flugelhorn Bugle

Dynasty II flugelhorn bugle

Flugel bugles are not a common type of bugle, but they did see quite a bit of use in the 2-valve era. As the flugelhorn’s strength is the middle register and not the high register, I tend to think 2-valve flugel bugles are not very useful. That said, if you really want a flugelhorn and can’t find a dirt cheap one in Bb, a 2-valve G flugel bugle might be your cheapest way into a playable, nice-sounding flugelhorn. Do not show up to any kind of gig with one, but for home use and multitracking it can be a great option for the right price (no more than $200). You get the same lowest note (sounding E3) as a Bb flugel and just have 4 missing notes (Ab3-Bb3, Eb4) above that, but if you have any other mellow alto instruments that’s easy to write around. For 2-valve flugel bugles, look for the King K-30 or Dynasty II.

As for 3-valve flugelhorn bugles, they barely exist. Dynasty had one model, but it’s just a Signature 2000 Bb flugel with tubing added, which is not a good recipe. Kanstul did make at least one, but it was not a standard part of their catalog. Yamaha made a full set for the Blue Devils in 1992, but they were just modified Bb flugels. If you want a 3-valve flugel-like instrument, look to the alto bugle instead.

Alto Bugle

Kanstul KAB-175 alto bugle

The alto bugle is usually a mellophone with a smaller bell, but the older ones (particularly the 2-valve Dynasty II Alto/Symphonic or the impossibly rare Dynasty III 3-valve version) are essentially big flugelhorns in G. A bit more horn-like when pushed, but otherwise all flugel. However, as the 2-valve is missing the same notes as a 2-valve flugel bugle (and is very rare), and the 3-valve I used to own is the only example I’ve seen of that model ever existing, these older (1970s) Dynasty alto bugles are not something to bet on.

The more common smaller bell mellophone type (King K-40 2-valve, Kanstul 175, later Dynasty II, later mellophone-wrap Dynasty III), is an interesting beast. With an alto horn mouthpiece, they sound like an even sweeter flugelhorn. However, they were usually designed around a marching mellophone mouthpiece, which means they can play far too flat to be usable when you use an alto horn mouthpiece. My early-pattern Kanstul KAB-175 was this way. I could only use a marching mellophone mouthpiece like it was designed for, and it played exceptionally well with that, but no longer sounded anything like a flugelhorn. Instead, the sound you get with that combination is more like a cross between mellophone and trumpet. It is certainly a unique and interesting sound, but not one that I would call useful. I’d love to hear it in a jazz combo or pop horn section, though.

Mellophone Bugle

King K-50 mellophone bugle

The G mellophone bugle was originally inspired by the Conn 16E mellophoniums used in the Stan Kenton band, and the modern F marching mellophone was developed from the G mellophone bugle. With great F mellophones like the Yamaha YMP-204M readily available, is the G mellophone useful?

In my opinion, a G is useful only if you play a lot of screamer mellophone parts. I used to own a King K-50 2-valve G mellophone, the screamiest of all mellophones, and it was great fun to play screamer parts on. It is the sports car of the mellophone world. I eventually sold it because it didn’t offer enough of a difference from my other mellophones, but I had a ton of fun with it. If you can find a K-50 for a great price and want to give it a shot, I can guarantee you’ll have a great time with a K-50 or a 3-valve G mellophone (Dynasty or Kanstul) if you like playing very high on mellophone.

What I would not recommend is buying a G mellophone as your only mellophone. Get a good F marching mellophone, like a cheap King 1120 from eBay, so that you can have a workhorse that you can read existing mellophone or horn parts with. Then, if you want, pick up a G mellophone (2 or 3 valve) to add some more brightness and high note security to your mello arsenal.

Meehaphone

Kanstul MFL meehaphone

The meehaphone is the most famous of the weird and ultra-rare G bugles. Made for Kanstul for the Blue Devils in 1987, the meehaphone is essentially a bell-front descant horn in G with 2 valves. I was fortunate enough to own the only known meehaphone not in a museum for a while, and while it was very cool it was not very useful. The instrument’s forte is its middle register, with the high register being weak and unstable. But since it only has 2 valves, that middle register is only fully chromatic for less than an octave! A 3-valve meehaphone built from parts would be interesting, but if you’re doing that you’re in pretty deep.

French Horn Bugle

Dynasty II French horn bugle

The French horn bugle was one of the standards of the DCI hornline in the 2-valve era, partly because it unlocked a lot of the missing pitches the mellophones had. Because it was built an octave lower than other mid-voice bugles, it was the only kind of bugle that really never needed 3 valves on the field. The lowest chromatic pitch (sounding E3) on a 2-valve “Frenchie” is far below what you would see in a typical drum corps French horn book.

However, because the French horn bugles were nearly as long as a single F horn, they were very easy to crack notes on while running across a football field. But are they useful off the field?

If you’re playing a live gig on multiple brass instruments where you are playing into a mic and need to cover some French horn parts, a marching horn is exactly what you need as the bell points the right way for the mic. But Bb marching horns exist and are plentiful, so why go for the G? Most of the time I would say you don’t need to, especially as 2-valve Gs don’t typically go for any cheaper than 3-valve King Bbs on eBay. However, the G really does sound very close to a concert horn, and the Bb is not as close. So if you want a really convincing horn sound for a mic placed in front of you, the G French horn bugle (King K-60, Dynasty II) could be your best bet.

While 2 valves is more than enough for field use, if you happen to come across one of the enormously rare 3-valve G French horn bugles (Kanstul KHB-185, Dynasty III) at a good price, that 3rd valve is obviously nice to have. That said, on the only gig I’ve had where I would have used my G French horn bugle if I had it at the time, I actually would have only needed 2 valves.

Low Alto Bugle

Kanstul low alto bugle

The low alto bugle is one of the oddest and rarest G bugles out there. It was made by Kanstul at the start of the short 3-valve era, and so few were made (6 total) that it didn’t even get a model number. It is essentially a Kanstul KHB-185 3-valve G French horn bugle with a trumpet shank, which sounds like it would just be a 185 but worse. However, the truth is much more interesting. Many kinds of mouthpieces will fit (trumpet, mellophone, alto horn, small trombone, French horn w/adapter), and the horn works very well with ALL of them. Each mouthpiece gives it a unique sound, like a cross between a French horn and whatever type of mouthpiece it is. Out of all the G bugles I’ve owned, the low alto might have the most potential. But since only 6 were made and at least 3 are spoken for, you’re very unlikely to come across one. If you want something like this, you might look into a Holton MH-100/101 Bb marching horn, which also has a trumpet leadpipe for some reason.

Trombonium Bugle

Dynasty II trombonium bugle

The award for the silliest name easily goes to the trombonium bugle, and it is also one of the silliest looking. It was made by Dynasty in 2 and 3 valve versions and small and large bells, and I can’t find any reason to recommend one over a normal Bb valve trombone or flugabone. They are also extremely rare, so you probably won’t have that choice to make anyway.

Cellophone

Dynasty II cellophone (catalog ad)

The cellophone is another impossibly rare G bugle. Essentially a Dynasty flugabone in G, only 4 2-valve models were made, all for the Phantom Regiment. However, 3-valve Dynasty III models were also made for the European market, but only 4 of those are known to exist. You’d have much better luck taking a Bb flugabone from King or Dynasty and lengthening it to G, or just playing a Bb flugabone.

Baritone Bugle

Olds Ultratone II baritone bugle

This is the low brass G bugle that you want. Originally called a “bass baritone” to distinguish it from the older and smaller type of baritone bugle, this kind of baritone bugle was the standard type of low brass in DCI hornlines from its inception until the end of the G bugles (at which point it was just replaced by the same thing in Bb). Most of them have 2 valves, and in my opinion they are not worth it for someone looking to use it in non-drum corps situations. You can get used Bb marching baritones very easily, and they will be much more useful. However, if you can find one of the much less common 3-valve G baritone bugles (Kanstul KBB-190, Dynasty III, Dynasty M371) for an affordable price, it can be an interesting purchase.

BAC (Kanstul 191) baritone bugle

As your only low brass instrument for home use, the 3-valve G bari would be a nice option as it can play as high as a Bb instrument but can also play chromatically down to Db2. However, I would usually only recommend purchasing a G baritone as a second instrument to a Bb instrument (regardless of type), and it doesn’t bring THAT much new to the table. It has a nice fat sound that is different enough to a Bb marching baritone that it could be interesting to own both, but between baritone and euphonium I don’t think there’s much of a need for that G baritone sound. I think the most sensible use would be if you don’t want to put down the money for a 4-valve euphonium (and/or no $500 Yamaha YEP-321s are for sale at the time), but want something that can play lower than your 3-valve Bb instruments. But it would have to be a very good price on the G baritone, like $300 or less.

Euphonium Bugle

Dynasty M376 euphonium bugle

The G euphonium bugle is the baritone bugle’s big brother, and is one heavy beast. Pretty much everything I said about the baritone bugle above also applies to the G euph. I will say that Bb marching euphoniums are not nearly as common to find used for cheap as Bb marching baritones, so if you need a bell-front euphonium to play into a mic and happen to find a G euph bugle for cheap it could be a good solution. That said, G euphs are also not as common as G baritones (ESPECIALLY the rare 3-valve models by Kanstul or Dynasty), so it would have to be a lucky situation.

Contrabass Bugle

BAC (Kanstul 201) contrabass bugle

Generally, contrabass bugles are just Bb tubas that point forward and are crooked down to G. A 3 or 4-valve G contra is a cool beast, but not a cheap or useful one. In my opinion the only reason to buy a G contra would be if it was an older piston/rotor or 2 piston model being sold for nearly nothing, that you could get converted to a concert tuba with a front-action valve set in the same bore that you happen to have lying around. Otherwise, a normal tuba is a much better purchase.

Closing Thoughts

Sadly, the door is nearly shut on the G competition bugle. G bugles were quickly phased out of DCI competition after the any-key rule change in 2000, and the list of groups that still use G bugles is not a long one. The most notable is the United States Marine Band Commandant’s Own Drum & Bugle Corps, which very recently moved from 2-valve Kanstuls to 3-valve BACs. Other than that, there are some alumni and lower-level junior corps that are still on G, as well as a handful of small G-faithful corps in Japan, such as the Yokohama Scouts.

The only place to buy a new G bugle is from BAC in Kansas City. BAC acquired the Kanstul G bugle tooling when Kanstul shut its doors in 2019, which is why they made the new bugles for the Commandant’s Own. They do advertise the G bugles on their website catalog, but they price them at nearly twice what Kanstul did, making them far out of reach for most people who might be interested in one. Additionally, they only offer 4 out of Kanstul’s 10 bugle models, so if you want anything other than a soprano, mellophone, large baritone, or contra, you are probably out of luck.

Fortunately, the common types of G bugle were made in large quantities to outfit all the corps’ hornlines, so there is no shortage of used soprano, mellophone, French horn, baritone, and contrabass bugles to be found. Additionally, as they are all essentially obsolete and only desirable by DCI alumni and G bugle collectors, they usually go for very affordable prices. The 3-valve horns and less common types (alto, flugelhorn, euphonium) are harder to find, but if you are patient it is still doable. If you are diligent, you may even come across one of the ultra-rare models for a very low price. There are still unaccounted-for examples of nearly every kind of bugle ever made out there waiting to be found.

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Brass, Trumpet, Alto Brass Tiffany Johns Brass, Trumpet, Alto Brass Tiffany Johns

Alto Trumpet (and other low-ish trumpets)

Without a doubt, the alto trumpet is the black sheep of the trumpet family.

Built in low F or E-flat, this instrument was allegedly invented by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov…at least, that’s what he claims in his treatise on orchestration. Regardless, he wrote for it often and his Russian contemporaries followed suit. But what is it really, and why is it essentially extinct?

The first and most important thing to note is that the alto trumpet is NOT the same instrument as the older orchestral trumpets in low F or Eb, which are direct descendants of the long natural trumpets that came before and were written for by many popular orchestral composers (Mahler, Strauss, etc.). Those are true trumpets, rather than the mostly-cornet instruments we call “trumpets” today.

Although both the low orchestral trumpet and the alto trumpet are the same length and you might think the distinction is unnecessary, they are completely different instruments. I have experience with both types, and they could not be any more different in sound, feel, and function if they tried. The difference is as large as a modern tuba compared to an ophicleide.

As if two instruments in the same family that are the same length but are completely different was not confusing enough, there is actually a third instrument to throw into the mix: the F or E-flat bass trumpet.

These instruments have a larger bore and bell than alto trumpets and take a trombone mouthpiece, and function essentially the same as the more common C and Bb bass trumpets. Once again, these instruments are entirely removed from either the low orchestral trumpet or alto trumpet in sound, feel, and function. Eb bass trumpets are most often seen nowadays in German folk music, for example as the middle voice between a rotary flugelhorn and a large Bb bass trumpet or bass flugelhorn. Here is a great example:

These three instruments are all trumpets in low F or E-flat, but they are completely different. To summarize:

  • F/Eb low orchestral trumpet: meant to be played in the same register as a Bb or C trumpet. It’s a natural trumpet with valves, and it plays and sounds as such. Uses a small mouthpiece.

  • F/Eb alto trumpet: meant to be played a 4th or 5th below the Bb trumpet. Designed from that instrument, rather than from the natural trumpet. Does what the name implies. Uses a mouthpiece in between trumpet and trombone in size (~19mm).

  • F/Eb bass trumpet: meant to be played roughly an octave below the Bb trumpet, like a C or Bb bass trumpet. Plays and sounds like any other bass trumpet. Uses a trombone mouthpiece.

While none of these instruments are particularly common, low orchestral trumpets are still made by Kuhnl & Hoyer and a few boutique makers (Thein, Egger, Dotzauer), and F/Eb bass trumpets still have a market (Thein, Meinl Weston, Helmut Voigt, Lars Gerdt, likely many more small German and Austrian makers).

This is not the case for the alto trumpet, which is currently made (to my knowledge) by nobody. Why is that?

The easiest explanation is the repertoire.

Eb bass trumpet does have a few important parts in the orchestra such as the Rite of Spring, but the bass trumpet in C is the orchestral standard for all bass trumpet parts so you’re not likely to see an F or Eb bass trumpet in the orchestra. However, it has an established role in German folk music, and thus will always have a use and thus a market.

While the low orchestral trumpet is sadly totally extinct in the world of modern orchestral trumpeting, a massive portion of the standard orchestral canon was written for it, so there will always be a small interest in them for players that value authenticity or regularly engage in historically-informed orchestral performance.

The alto trumpet doesn’t have any existing use like that to rely on. There is some Russian repertoire for it, but all of those parts were deliberately written within the range of the Bb trumpet so that the part could still be covered if no alto trumpet was available. This is a logical move, but the unfortunate result is that there is zero incentive to get an alto trumpet for those parts. Mahler-style low orchestral trumpets suffer from the same issue; with a few notable exceptions, everything is well within the range of a Bb or C trumpet.

Scythian Suite (Prokofiev) - Movement 2, Trumpet 4 (F alto)

But suppose an intrepid player wanted to honor Rimsky-Korsakov’s intentions and get an F alto trumpet. The player might also point out that there is some research to indicate Wagner’s 3rd trumpet parts might have been intended for a similar instrument, in order to further justify their purchase. Where can they buy one?

Unfortunately, alto trumpet buying options are nearly nonexistent. As previously mentioned, nobody (to my knowledge) makes a new one. The closest thing is a trio of Carol Brass B-flat trumpet models that have alternate slides for G, and in two cases also F: the CTR-5000L-YLT-Bb/G-L, the Tri-KEY PRO, and the Saxy Trumpet Bb/G/F - L. To get one of these you’d also have to find a dealer that would be willing to get one for you, as I haven’t found any online store that stocks them.

You might find some luck with Italian brass makers, as Italian military and police bands are the only place I know of where the alto trumpet has seen regular use, with the 3rd trumpet part often played on F altos instead of Bbs. Those bands are anomalous in other ways too, though - cimbasso, bass trumpets, and Eb soprano flugelhorns are standard features of those bands (though the Eb flugelhorn isn’t so common anymore, usually being substituted by Eb cornet).

The 3 alto trumpeters of the Banda dell’Arma dei Carabinieri, from their 2016 performance at the Kennedy Center. This ensemble also had 2 bass trumpets and a plethora of other uncommon instruments.

As an aside, alto trumpet does have some further history with concert bands. In the spectacular 1923-1924 roster for the University of Illinois Concert Band, one alto trumpet player is listed:

Okay, so what about buying an alto trumpet used? Well, here is a summary of the used alto trumpet market, from my experience:

Bach “contralto” trumpets (made in either F or Eb): enormously rare, and when they do show up for sale they have the Collectible Bach Tax™ and are very expensive. Not that they were cheap when they were new, mind you. I am fortunate enough to own one of these with a gold brass bell (model 351G) - something I’ve never seen another example of. Over the years this instrument was designated either 187F (and presumably 187E for the Eb model, though I have no proof of that) or 351, with the bell mandrel always being 351.

Holton 56 (Eb only) and Olds Custom F-10: both ultra rare, and usually expensive.

Conn 34B, 40B, 50B (all Eb only): very rarely show up for sale. If you do manage to find one, beware: everything I have read about them says that they are very stuffy and generally bad to play.

Getzen 389 (F with Eb slide): By far the most common used alto trumpet to show up, but still not common at all. Plus, it’s a student-level instrument that by all accounts is not that great. Make sure to not mistake a Getzen frumpet for one, as they look similar.

Getzen 389 alto trumpet in F and E-flat (E-flat slide installed)

A page from a Getzen catalog showing the frumpet, alto trumpet, and bass trumpet

Amati Kraslice ATR-262 (E-flat): I’ve only seen these show up for sale a handful of times, and there’s no other information out there that I can find. But it appears to be an alto trumpet with a bell big flare.

Kühnl & Hoyer low Ebs (model 599/599K): I include these only to warn you that these are not actually alto trumpets. They look like they should be as they have piston valves and a very normal wrap (in either the short (599K) or long (599) variety), but they are actually long orchestral trumpets like the old rotaries in terrible condition that live on eBay.

3-valve G soprano bugle: The old drum corps G soprano bugles were basically trumpets in low G with an extra-large bore and bell throat. This means that with a suitably large mouthpiece, they actually work very well as a G alto trumpet. As a bonus, the Dynasty 3-valve sopranos show up on eBay quite frequently at very affordable prices (usually $150-250). While these are not in F or Eb and you would thus have to transpose (or get slide extensions made), they can play down to concert Db3, which covers every extra low note in the repertoire except for the low C in Mozart 41 (which is not an important note anyway). Used Kanstul sopranos are less common and more expensive, but generally regarded as the better instrument. You could also buy a brand new Kanstul-pattern one from BAC if you really wanted to.

Dynasty 3-valve soprano bugle in G

My conclusion is simple: every orchestral trumpeter should own a 3-valve G soprano bugle. It costs nearly nothing, plays well, and covers all your extra-low needs. Use it on parts intended for alto trumpet (Rimsky-Korsakov 3rd trumpet parts) even if they don’t go below the range of a Bb. Use it for Carmen, use it for Heldenleben, use it for trumpets 4/5/6 in Mahler 6. Use it for all those old 2nd parts written for natural trumpet that throw in a random 2nd partial note or two (Don Giovanni and Manfred Overture for example).

Do I wish alto trumpets in F or E-flat were easier to get? Very much so. I would really love to have an F alto, and I’d also really love to be able to write for F alto. But until somebody decides to make a new one (hello, Wessex? ACB?), at least there is a readily-available alternative in the 3-valve soprano bugle.

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Brass, Alto Brass, Mellophone, G Bugles Tiffany Johns Brass, Alto Brass, Mellophone, G Bugles Tiffany Johns

The Lineage of the King Marching Mellophone

King’s marching mellophone has been one of the most popular mellophones since its introduction. While the Yamaha YMP-204M is the current standard of the mellophone world, the King 1120 and 1121 still see a lot of use in marching bands, most notably HBCUs. But the story of this design did not begin with the King 1120 - it actually has direct ancestry back to the bad old days of the drum corps G bugle.

L-R: King K-50, Kanstul KMB-180 (early pattern), Kanstul KMM-280 (early pattern), King 1120, King 1121 Ultimate

All five of these instruments share the same basic design, and all (except possibly the 1121) were the brainchild of the same person: Zig Kanstul.

These instruments are pictured in chronological order from left to right: King K-50, Kanstul KMB-180, Kanstul KMM-280, King 1120, King 1121 Ultimate.

This design began with the King K-50 mellophone bugle in G, a legendary mellophone that was the best of the 2-valve mellophones. Zig Kanstul designed the full line of King K-series 2-valve G bugles, and while all were good, the K-50 mellophone is one of the most revered models of the line. And it’s easy to see why - the K-50 is the sports car of the mellophone world. It plays easily, sounds great, and screams better than anything.

When Drum Corps International legalized three valves in 1990, Zig Kanstul came back to the K-50’s basic design and updated it with a 3rd valve, but this time under his own brand. The early Kanstul KMB-180 mellophone bugle in G was the next step in this design’s evolution. You’ll notice that the KMB-180 deviated slightly from the K-50 design by having the leadpipe enter the 1st valve from the other side, rather than angling to get around the 1st valve slide and entering the valve from that side. The leadpipe is also shorter than the K-50’s, with that length moved to the taper after the valves. This instrument also introduced the unique 3rd-valve slide wrap that remained a distinguishing feature of the design until the King 1121. I’ve never played a KMB-180, but I did own an early-pattern KAB-175 alto bugle, which is the same instrument as the KMB-180 with a smaller bell flare. That instrument was an incredible player that felt effortless in the hands, much like a K-50.

The unique 3rd-valve slide wrap on the King 1120 (and the early-pattern Kanstuls before it)

It didn’t take long for the Kanstul brand to branch out from G bugles, and the KMM-280 marching mellophone in F was this design’s next iteration. It was the same instrument as the KMB-180, just with a longer leadpipe and valve slides to bring it down a whole step to F. This was the real blueprint for the King 1120, and I would love to get my hands on one to compare the two. After this, Kanstul redesigned their mellophones and altos (in both G and F) into a completely new design, so the Kanstul Musical Instruments branch of this design’s lineage ends here.

Next up was the King 1120, which came about when King hired Zig to help design at least some of their marching brass. (The 1122 Bb marching horn is likely another, as it looks to be the same design as the King K-60 French horn bugle. I also wouldn’t be surprised if the 1124 marching baritone is also Zig’s work, being as it has the same wrap as the Kanstul 290 marching baritone.) Visually, the 1120 looks the same as the Kanstul KMM-280, apart from the leadpipe. The 1120’s leadpipe returned to the K-50’s design, with the longer wrap and routing around the 1st valve slide. The 1120 became one of the most successful marching mellophones ever, used by many high schools and colleges for many years. I used my 1120 as my gigging mellophone until I got my Yamaha 204, and the King never let me down. Because so many were made and used, they can easily be found for very cheap (around $100) on eBay. In my experience, out of all of the dirt-cheap ex-school marching mellophones out there, the 1120 is by far the best option. The 1120 has also been stenciled as the Conn 132E and Bach B1105.

Eventually, King updated the long-running 1120 and created the 1121 Ultimate. This is mostly the same instrument but with an angled leadpipe, re-wrapped 3rd valve slide, and 3rd-slide finger ring. Early 1121s also had a spring-loaded 1st valve slide, but the current ones do not. I’m unaware if Zig was involved in the 1121’s design, but it was only a minor update anyway. The 1121 was recently succeeded by a few different mellophone models that have made everything much more confusing. Based on what I can tell from product pages, these are the models and their differences from the 1121:

  • K20: no angled leadpipe or 3rd-slide finger ring, nickel-silver pistons (instead of Monel), half-inch smaller bell (10” vs. 10.5”), sometimes (but not always) with a brace on the bottom bow, already discontinued

  • KMP411: no angled leadpipe or 3rd-slide finger ring, half-inch smaller bell (10” vs. 10.5”), more open 3rd-valve slide wrap, notched main tuning slide, adjusted valve cluster location, sometimes (but not always) 1 or 2 braces on the bottom bow, apparently designed by the Blue Devils

  • KMP611 Ultimate: no angled leadpipe, half-inch smaller bell (10” vs. 10.5”), .466” bore instead of .468”, nickel silver leadpipe, and a redesigned bell

  • KMH611 Ultimate: a KMP611 with a French horn receiver and angled leadpipe, which appears to be the end result of the King/Patterson hornette project

The three KMP/KMH models are already out in the world, but there are still K20s and 1121s in stock at some retailers so the transition isn’t entirely complete. I haven’t tried the K20 or KMP411, but I have tried the KMP611 and KMH411, and unfortunately I think they are a step backwards. The KMP611 plays pretty much like my 1120, but is much worse above high C - difficult and uncentered, to the point where it evokes how the Conn 16E feels up there. The KMH611 is even worse…it is laughably bad! Adding a French horn leadpipe/receiver to and instrument with a taper not compatible with that is how the awful Getzen frumpet came to be, and the result is pretty much the same with the KMH611. While it does play better than the frumpet (what doesn’t?), it sounds very similar. I never thought I’d have to hear that terrible, anemic sound from another instrument, but the KMH611 proved me wrong. And sadly, I’m sure Conn-Selmer will sell loads of them.

As an interesting final note, the Yamaha line of marching mellophones was based on the cornet-wrap design of the Olds A-42 marching mellophone (which was stenciled by quite a few makers including Bach, Blessing, and Reynolds). The Olds marching mellophone was the first F marching mellophone, derived from the G mellophone bugle and designed by…you guessed it…Zig Kanstul!

So, the two mellophones that have dominated the marching arts for years are either an actual Zig design or a derivative of one. In fact, as the Jupiter mellophone is also essentially the same design as the Yamaha, the only current marching mellophone that isn’t a Zig Kanstul derivative in some way is the Adams MM-1, which bears a closer resemblance to the Dynasty mellophones.

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