Tiffany Johns 11/24/24 Tiffany Johns 11/24/24

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.

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 in the top 5 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.

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 played it on a gig before, though. It is a decent little trumpet - nothing spectacular, but there’s nothing actually wrong with it either. It just…works. I also find the left hand grip and 3rd valve kicker to be more comfortable than they are on normal trumpets, which kind of makes me want a professional trumpet with the pocket trumpet’s valve cluster but with a standard leadpipe and a full-size, un-coiled bell.

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 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 definitely 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 tracks 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 much brighter. It’s like Yamaha forgot which model was supposed to be the British-style one. The upside is that the 231/2310, which looks like yet another worthless student cornet, can be bought for next to nothing.

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.

Kanstul low alto bugle - The low alto bugle is essentially a G French horn bugle 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 KHB-185 French horn bugle - This is the French horn bugle that the low alto bugle was based on, and is a rare bird itself with only 14 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 got it before the low alto, and sold it in favor of the low alto, 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 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.

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.

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

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 played hundreds of amazing small bore trombones over the years, I have yet to find a reason to switch.

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).

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. I acquired this one recently, and it is quite different than the three Kings above. It plays much more “legit” - it feels like it would be more at home playing principal trombone in an orchestra than playing anything commercial. I’m not sure what I will do with this one yet, but it’s definitely a nice player.

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 the garden variety Cleveland 605 with an F attachment. This means it has a .491” bore and a student-grade slide and bell. 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.

2023 Y-Fort YSL-763L - This is my main large bore tenor, which I use for all classical tenor gigs. It is a fabulous horn that I bought straight from the 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 - just like my small bore and bass trombones do. I replaced an excellent Elkhart 88H with this, and I couldn’t be happier.

Early (1990s) Willson 411TA with G valve - This large 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.

Bach 42G with G valve - This is another G valve conversion like the Willson above. It too has an ULTRA rotor, and the valve tubing is the more typical .562”. The handslide is a lightweight nickel Edwards 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 Edwards slide all work beautifully together.

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 good player, but I like the Bach and especially the Willson more.

1962 Conn 88H - This Elkhart 88H was my large bore tenor for quite a few years, until it was replaced by the Y-Fort above. 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.

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 is part of the recipe for why 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 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. I have played dozens of world-class bass trombones and have yet to play any that I would replace this 72H with.

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 Kirchenposaune 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. It is currently in need of a new slide handle, but thankfully the slide itself has good action.

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 first bass trombone, 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 years ago - no small feat considering the prices they go for nowadays. I have owned other flugabones, 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.

Jupiter JVT-528 - A bog standard Bb valve trombone. It has great valves and a nice sound, and is a fun player.

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.

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 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.

Euphoniums & Tubas

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 in the world. 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 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. Nowadays I have a lot more space and would love to own a tuba again, but the cost of a good one is very prohibitive.

INSTRUMENTS I HAVE YET TO OWN, BUT PLAN TO
(IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)

British tenor horn
F contrabass trombone (American tuning)
F cimbasso
Alto, tenor, and bass sackbuts
A good tuba in good shape (big Eb or small C/Bb)
Kanstul KMB-180 G mellophone bugle (early pattern)
Kanstul KMM-280 F marching mellophone (early pattern)
Contrabass trumpet (probably made from parts)
Eb soprano flugelhorn
C cornet
Eb cornet
Conn 6H (Elkhart) tenor trombone
F alto trombone
Natural horn
Double descant horn
Bb and/or C rotary trumpets
Pro-model British cornet
4-valve flugelhorn
Sousaphone
Alexander 103 double horn
Rotary circular alto horn
Mayyyyyyyyyyybe a cheap rotary piccolo trumpet??

Tiffany Johns 11/5/23 Tiffany Johns 11/5/23

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 my 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 much easier to play than most other 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.

Taylor "Phatter Boy" in E-flat

Taylor prototype in E-flat

1937 Selmer Paris, key unknown

Jules de Vere & Co. in E-flat

Henry Distin in F, restored and photographed by Robb Stewart

Schenkelaars in E-flat

Leo Mitsching in E-flat

Bach 1961 "contralto" in E-flat catalog excerpt

Tiffany Johns 8/12/23 Tiffany Johns 8/12/23

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

Tiffany Johns 8/12/23 Tiffany Johns 8/12/23

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.

Low F orchestral trumpet (Thein)

F alto trumpet (Bach 351G)

Eb/D bass trumpet (J. Melich)

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 the Carol Brass CTR-5000L-YLT-Bb/G-L, which is just a normal Bb trumpet with alternate slides to put it in G. 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 the model.

Carol Brass CTR-5000L-YLT-Bb/G-L trumpet in B-flat or G (G slides equipped)

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.

Bach 351G "contralto" trumpet in F

Bach "contralto" trumpet in E-flat (187E?)

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

Holton 56 (E-flat only)

Olds Custom F-10 (F only)

Orsi, in E-flat

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.

Conn 34B (picture from the Conn Loyalist)

Conn 40B (picture from the Conn Loyalist)

Conn 50B (picture from the Conn Loyalist)

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

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. I believe the Chinese low Eb trumpets on eBay are clones of the K&H 599K, but I’m not completely sure.

Kühnl & Hoyer model 599K short model loworchestral trumpet ("fanfare trumpet") in E-flat

Kuhnl & Hoyer model 599 long model low orchestral trumpet ("fanfare trumpet") in E-flat

eBay Chinese low E-flat trumpet (K&H 599K clone?)

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.

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.

Tiffany Johns 7/26/23 Tiffany Johns 7/26/23

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 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’m curious to try the new models to see if more incremental changes from the basic 1120 design are enough to make them truly compete with the Yamaha 204. While I did manage to snag my 1121 for very cheap, I have a feeling it will be a long time before cheap K20s and KMPs start showing up online.

King K20SP

King KMP411

King KMP611

King KMH611

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.

Tiffany Johns 7/11/23 Tiffany Johns 7/11/23

Marching French Horn

The marching French horn is an enigma. Sure, it’s been used by high school marching bands and drum and bugle corps, but there are very few recordings of them on the Internet. They also carry a bad reputation with them…they’re impossible to march with, they sound worse and not as loud as a mellophone, and are generally pointless. Or so people say.

Some of these claims do have some truth to them. Picking out pitches on a Bb or low G single horn with a narrow horn rim while running around a football field is certainly not easy, and the drum corps “Frenchie” lines earned notoriety for lots of cracked notes. The marching horn (regardless of key) also does fall short of the mellophone in terms of raw decibel output. Additionally, band directors often don’t know what to do with them. Do they read Bb parts or F? (The correct answer is F. Always F.) Are they worth the additional expense over a mellophone? Why do some have bent leadpipes and some don’t?

Despite all this, I think the marching horn is unfairly maligned. A good marching horn with the right player and mouthpiece behind it really does sound pretty close to a “real” horn, and you certainly can’t get that sound with a mellophone.

It is also important to understand the marching horn’s integral role in drum corps G bugle hornlines before the legalization of 3 valves. While mid-voice instrumentation in drum corps back then was full of experimentation, French horns were a common choice. Why? Because being twice as long as the G mellophones (or flugelhorns, alto bugles, or meehaphones) meant that they could access many crucial notes in the mid-register that simply did not exist on the other 2-valve alto instruments. This was huge for the arrangers of the time, and a good French horn line added a huge amount of depth and flexibility to a hornline.

Getzen Titleist piston/rotor French horn bugle in G (long model)

Olds Ultratone piston/rotor French horn bugle in G (short model)

Dynasty II 2-valve French horn bugle in G

However, the top corps had begun to streamline their mid-voice to just mellophones even before 3 valves were legalized in 1990. While the tonal colors of a varied mid-voice line were great, unifying to one type of instrument meant tuning and blend was much easier. That said, a few small French horn lines did survive briefly into the 3 valve era, most notably in the Cavaliers and Santa Clara Vanguard. Both lines used the Kanstul KHB-185 3-valve G French horn bugle, with 8 made for SCV and 6 made for the Cavaliers. It is likely that no other examples of the model were made (despite it remaining in the Kanstul catalog for most of the company’s life), which would mean there are only 14 in the world.

Here’s one!

This is the Kanstul KHB-185 I used to own, which was one of the Santa Clara Vanguard horns (it is even stamped as such on the bell!). SCV used these only through the 1992 season, after which they moved to all mellophones.

This horn is a great player. It is certainly not point-and-shoot like a mellophone; you have to work for the right notes just like on a single F horn (which is only a whole step lower). But the reward for your efforts is a bell-front instrument that really does sound like a French horn.

But don’t just take my word for it. Here’s a quick 8-part demo I recorded all on this Kanstul:

While the register of drum corps French horn parts meant that they really did not need a third valve, I certainly enjoyed getting to use the full range of the instrument in this bite-sized piece.

Being fully chromatic also means that an instrument like this could really be the solution for playing French horn into a mic that’s placed in front of you. I have played many gigs where I doubled on French horn, and the only solution with a normal horn is to physically turn 90 degrees to the left and hold the bell up the mic like you’re playing Mahler. It is awkward at best. This Kanstul (which sounds like a horn, but points forward) is the perfect solution for a gigging brass doubler. I do feel that more typical a Kanstul 285 Bb marching horn is a better compromise just for the fingerings; I (along with most brass improvisers) am much more comfortable improvising in Bb than G, and this is the reason why I ended up selling the the KHB-185. I have also played a recording session here in Los Angeles where everyone was on marching instruments and one of the mellophone players also played a Kanstul 285 on some cues, presumably to fatten up the section sound.

The only other non-marching band use of a marching horn I’ve seen is by the fabulous Solo Hornist of the Munich Philharmonic, Matias Piñeira. He has a custom small bell Bb marching horn, which appears to be an Otto 207 “La Revolución”, that he uses for salsa playing in addition to his normal Alexander 103. He uses both instruments in this video:

Otto 207 "La Revolución" B-flat marching horn (right side)

Otto 207 "La Revolución" B-flat marching horn (left side)

Here’s a brief trip through some other interesting types of marching French horns.

First up is the previously-mentioned Kanstul 285 marching horn in B-flat. While you could be forgiven for thinking that the Kanstul 185 marching horn in G above was based on the 285, it’s actually the other way around. Zig Kanstul started his company making G bugles only, so the Bb 285 is actually a derivative of the G. It has the same up-turned leadpipe to allow for a typical downstream horn embouchure while holding the horn above parallel. Other brands’ marching horns do not have this feature. The B-flat marching horn is the most common type of marching horn, and a few manufacturers (Yamaha, King, Adams) each have a model in their current lineup.

Kanstul also sold a high F marching horn, model 284. High F marching horns are not common, but they have been produced by Kanstul, Dynasty, and Blessing. Since Kanstul closed up shop in 2019, I don’t believe there are any high F marching horns currently being produced. The closest thing I know of is the King KMH611, which is basically just a mellophone with a horn receiver and thus not really a marching horn.

Kanstul 285 B-flat marching horn

Kanstul 284 high F marching horn

There have been some very odd-looking marching horns throughout history as well, such as the Holton MH-100, 101, and 102. These Dr. Seuss horns play as oddly as they look, but at the same time they play concerningly well. They have a trumpet mouthpiece shank for some reason, which allows you to put lots of different kinds of mouthpieces in it. Most inexplicably, they have been copied by Jinbao. Every aspect of this instrument’s existence seems like it came out of a fever dream! Unbeknownst to most, Yamaha also made a circular marching horn in the Holton style: the ultra-rare YHR-301M.

Holton MH-101 (MH-100 = screw bell, MH-101 = fixed bell, MH-102 = fixed bell, slide kickers)

Yamaha YHR-301M

Feast your eyes on this glorious Hans Hoyer 4-valve Bb marching horn, which is possibly the only 4-valve marching horn ever made, and certainly one of the only professional-quality bell-front horns in existence. My desire for one of these knows no bounds.

Finally, a discussion about marching horns cannot ever be truly complete without discussing the Patterson Hornette project. This was an attempt to create a new kind of bell-front French horn for use by horn players in jazz and popular music, in a similar vein to the Otto 207 referenced above. Unfortunately, despite Conn-Selmer being linked to the hornette project, it has been radio silence since the 2022 IHS Symposium. Hopefully we will get updates soon!

The Low Alto Bugle

Speaking of marching horns with trumpet shanks, Kanstul also made a very odd variant of the KHB-185 3-valve G French horn bugle presented at the beginning of the article. They called it a “Low Alto”, and it is the same as the KHB-185 except for a different leadpipe (trumpet shank) and main tuning slide arrangement. As weird as it is, 6 were built and it did see some drum corps use with the Marauders and later the Kingsmen Alumni.

Kanstul low alto bugle in G (no model number)

Because it has a trumpet shank, the low alto bugle can accept many different mouthpiece types. As I have adapters for both trumpet to horn and trumpet to cornet, I was able to see how it sounds with mouthpieces that use all 3 shanks. As it is a Kanstul G marching horn at heart, if you use a horn mouthpiece with an adapter it plays and sounds pretty much like the KHB-185 French horn bugle. It’s a little harder to play accurately and a little more work to get a centered horn sound (I suspect mostly due to the adapter), but it’s there if you work for it. And unlike the 185, the low alto has a whole toy chest of other sounds to explore by using different mouthpieces.

From my time with the low alto, I found that horn, tenor horn, alto trumpet, and very small trombone mouthpieces worked the best. I do think that a mouthpiece that truly matched the instrument well would have to be custom made. But rather than talking about it any longer, I’ll just let you listen. I recorded a small collection of short, improvised excerpts on 11 different mouthpieces (and adapters when required), each meant for a different instrument.

Lastly, here’s a back-to-back comparison of the 2 marching horns with trumpet shanks: the G low alto bugle with horn mouthpiece (via adapter) and the Holton MH-101 with horn mouthpiece (via adapter).

Tiffany Johns 12/5/22 Tiffany Johns 12/5/22

Nirschl Mellophone

You’d be forgiven if you didn’t know that Nirschl, the esteemed German brass instrument manufacturer responsible for lots of enormous 6/4 CC tubas, once sold a marching mellophone. There is very little record of the instrument on the Internet; its entire presence consists of a Middle Horn Leader review, a discussion in episode 73 of the MelloCast podcast, an old Reverb listing, and a couple of derelict shells of online store pages for the instrument from over a decade ago (listed price was $899!).

The instrument is called the E-102 (E-102SP in silver plate), and while it was not actually built by Walter Nirschl, it is still an intriguing instrument. Even among mellophone enthusiasts this instrument is usually forgotten, if it was ever known about to begin with. It might as well not exist…right?

Well, I suspect the primary reason it gets forgotten as a mellophone is because it’s not very good at being one. In fact, it’s so bad at being a mellophone that I think it being marketed as one was a mistake. The reason for this deficiency is the bell; one of the mellophone’s defining features both visually and sonically is the extra-wide 10” or larger bell flare. Nirschl decided to skip this feature entirely, instead giving it a relatively small 8” bell. In a way, this makes it somewhat of a poor man’s alto flugelhorn or marching alto.

So, how does it work as an alto flugelhorn? The answer is, unfortunately, not very well. Using the mouthpiece from an alto horn or alto trumpet results in a woefully flat instrument - with a Denis Wick, the instrument is so flat it’s almost down a whole step to E-natural (but not quite low enough that you can actually use it that way). This is a problem shared with the Kanstul KAH-175 alto bugle in G, though that instrument is of infinitely better quality. The Kanstul is at least in tune when you use a marching mellophone mouthpiece like a Benge Mello 6, which is what it was designed for. The same cannot be said of the Nirschl E-102, as even with the shallowest marching mellophone mouthpiece it still plays flat with the main tuning slide all the way in!

Weirdly, the mouthpieces I found to work best with the Nirschl don’t even have the right shank: a French horn mouthpiece and an antique Conn circular mellophone mouthpiece. Despite not seating in the Nirschl’s mouthpiece receiver at all, they gave the best sound and intonation out of all the mouthpieces I had, and I gave its new owner the old Conn mouthpiece when I sold it. That mouthpiece never worked well in any of my circular mellophones!

I can see now why the Nirschl E-102 never took off. In its factory state, it is thruthfully as useless as the Getzen frumpet, and bears the odd distinction of being the only marching mellophone (or mellophone-adjacent object) I know of that actually works better with a horn mouthpiece. With marching mellophone or alto horn mouthpieces, your only real option is to get the horn lengthened to E-flat, as the main tuning slide has no room to shorten up to pitch with those mouthpieces.

If you really want a small-bell mellophone in F, I’d recommend waiting to get lucky and find a Kanstul KMA-275 marching alto. It’s everything the Nirschl wishes it was and more.

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Yamaha Mellophone Sisters

The Yamaha YMP-200 series of marching mellophones is the standard by which all other marching mellophones are measured. It is well-known to be arguably the best marching mellophone there is, so it often commands significantly higher prices on the used market than any other brand. The current model, the YMP-204M, is the pinnacle of mellophone design; however, even the first YMP-201M is an excellent instrument leaps and bounds ahead of most other marching brass.

However, the YMP-201M was not the first Yamaha mellophone. That honor goes to the rare and mostly unknown (at least in the West) YMP-201 (no M) circular mellophone.

On the left is my YMP-201; on the right is my YMP-201M. They’re sisters!

However, the 201M is not just a 201 re-wrapped to point the bell forwards; there are some significant differences. The 201 has a huge 12” bell and a small .449” bore, while the 201M has a more standard 10” bell and .462” bore. The 201 can play in F or E-flat just by rerouting the two tuning slides built into the instrument - no extra slides needed! (This was also a feature on certain York mellophones.) Meanwhile, the 201M only plays in F. The 201 also has the traditional cornet shank, while the 201M uses a trumpet shank like other marching mellophones. Despite the only difference in designation being a single “M”, the two instruments are completely separate designs.

They play and sound different, too. The 201M sounds like a marching mellophone should, has a fabulous upper register, and can sound like an alto flugelhorn with an alto horn mouthpiece. It is light, balanced, and easy to play. The 201 meanwhile has a smaller yet darker sound that blends with anything. While other circular mellophones have more colorful, interesting sounds (my 1925 Buescher 25 and 1918 Conn 6E come immediately to mind), the 201M could be the ultimate gigging circular mellophone. It plays in tune, it has fast modern valves, it has a transparent, chameleon sound, but it can still light up and is easy to play in all registers. It is not the most glamorous circular mellophone, but it just works.

It is also how modern it feels in comparison to all other circular mellophones that makes it as interesting as it is. It feels modern because it IS modern; it started production in the 1980s! From what I have been told by a Japanese source, French horns were too expensive for many school bands in Japan, so they used the traditional mellophone into the 1990s as a French horn substitute. Yamaha thus made the relatively affordable YMP-201 exclusively for the Japanese domestic market, hence why it is so rare in the West.

If you can find either a YMP-201 or any YMP-20xM for a good price, I would highly recommend it. Both are the most competent instruments of their type and can be played to any standard. I never thought my Conn 16E would step down as my primary gigging bell-front alto brass instrument, but once my 201M arrived I knew it had been dethroned. With a Hammond 5MP marching mellophone mouthpiece, the 201M is unbeatable.

Tiffany Johns 12/4/22 Tiffany Johns 12/4/22

Alto Cornet

The alto cornet in F or E-flat is a rare bird. The easiest way to get your hands on one (at least in North America) is to find a DEG model 1220 from the 1970s. This is tricky to do, because they are usually labelled as mellophones on sale ads. DEG themselves marketed the 1220 as a “marching alto/French horn”, but that is a very inaccurate description of the instrument. It is a true alto cornet in F, with optional E-flat slide. Over the years I have seen several come and go on eBay, and it seems that they were made with at least three different bell sizes. The one I owned had the smallest and most common size that I have seen, at about 6.1”.

The 1220 was manufactured for DEG by Willson, as were many DEG/Dynasty instruments in the 1970s. Willson also sold a (non-DEG-branded) version standing in E-flat in their home market of Switzerland; I would love to know if it was marketed there as an alto cornet, and which model came first. It has a trumpet shank, accepts flugelhorn mutes, and is not much larger than a standard B-flat cornet. Alto horn mouthpieces are the best fit, though I’ve also had good results with an extremely small trombone mouthpiece.

DEG 1220 alto cornet (bottom) next to Bach CR-310 B-flat cornet (top)

It plays very well, and despite overwhelming external similarities to the 1970s Dynasty III alto bugle (also made by Willson), it sounds noticeably different even when both are played with the same mouthpiece. The Dynasty III sounds like a big flugelhorn (which is essentially what it is) with a horn-like edge when pushed, while the DEG 1220 is all cornet. Noticeably brighter and easily colored, with a rocking low register and a secure high register that requires a good deal of effort above written high C (sounding F5). Unlike many uncommon alto brass instruments, the 1220 has lock-tight slots. Intonation is not perfect but easily manageable.

While I don’t believe the 1220 is much of a soloist’s instrument, it is a champion at playing in a brass section. It can blend seamlessly with trombones or flugelhorns, and I have used it very successfully in recording sessions to do just that. In a 6-part horn section consisting of 2 trumpets, flugelhorn, alto cornet, and 2 trombones, the alto cornet is the perfect middle voice. The Yamaha YMP-201 (non-M) circular mellophone has similar qualities, but the DEG 1220 is more convenient to bring to a session due to its very compact size and forward-facing bell. This also makes it an excellent desk instrument for the alto brass player, or even the low brass player.

In short, the DEG 1220 is an excellent instrument that any multi-brass player could find good uses for, especially in the studio. They don’t show up for sale very often, but they usually go for a few hundred dollars. You’ll have the most luck finding one hiding in the mellophone ads.

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Meehaphone

The Meehaphone is an enormously rare breed of 2-valve competition bugle in G, built and used from 1987 to 1991. It was designed by Jack Meehan and Zig Kanstul for the Concord Blue Devils drum and bugle corps, in an effort to streamline their middle voice section from three types of G bugle (mellophone, flugelhorn, and French horn) to one.

The exact number built is not certain, but as the meehaphones were built by Kanstul specifically for the Blue Devils, it is likely that there were only enough made to fill out the corps’ mid-voice section. It seems that at the time the Blue Devils’ mid-voice was consistently 14 players, based on instrumentations noted in this Middle Horn Leader interview with Wayne Downey and my own studying of the relevant footage online. It is thus reasonable to conclude that there were most likely 14 production meehaphones built. There was also at least one prototype built in F with 3 valves, which is now owned by Bobby Pirtle and resembles a giant flugelhorn.

According to the late Ken Norman, the meehaphone has a bell flare identical to the Olds BU-10 and Conn 92L French horn bugles, mated to a 2-valve .415” bore flugelhorn body. It is essentially a bell-front field descant horn in G. At the time, Terry Warburton made custom mouthpieces for the meehaphones, labelled “Downey BD”. The Blue Devils used an all-meehaphone alto section for the 1987-1990 DCI seasons, and in 1991 they used 4 mellophones and 10 meehaphones. The meehaphones were shelved shortly thereafter when new 3-valve G flugelhorns from Yamaha arrived.

According to all accounts, they were the loudest alto bugle ever created. In fact, on the bell is stamped “MFL”, which does not stand for “Marching Flugelhorn” but “Mother F***ing Loud”! They had a darker sound than mellophones and projected very well, but notes above written G at the top of the staff (sounding D5) were very hard to center. Here’s the Blue Devils’ 1988 show on YouTube, with plenty of meehaphone action to go around. After 1991, the meehaphones fell off the map. Most of them were lost in a single shipment, which has never been found. There are only a handful whose whereabouts are known, and all but one are on display in various states of functionality in drum corps-related museums.

So, that’s the lore…now, here’s my practical experience.

Here is an original Kanstul meehaphone, serial #1028, that I had the privilege of owning for a while. It was previously owned by Ken Norman, and is the single known example not in a museum.

When played softly, it has a French flugelhorn-like quality to the sound, which makes sense considering the .415” flugel leadpipe and valve block. When pushed, it gets bright with a trumpet-like edge, but without what I would describe as the mellophone’s tearing metal zing. It’s a very interesting sound that’s clearly related to my other alto bugles, but at the same time standing apart from them.

But don’t let me just talk about how it sounds. Have a listen for yourself!

These clips were all recorded close-miced into a Cascade Fat Head ribbon microphone and SSL2 audio interface. The ensemble excerpt in particular provides a good summary of the meehaphone’s qualities…both good and bad. The notes above the staff live up to their squirrelly reputation; while I could play them effectively (I suspect thanks to my Conn 16E experience), it is certainly a treacherous register. In general the intonation isn’t the best, but it’s nowhere near the worst I’ve played either.

It’s important to note that I did not have an original Downey BD mouthpiece made by Terry Warburton for the meehaphones. Mine came with a Burbank F mouthpiece with a cylindrical shank, and while it worked I didn’t feel that it was an ideal mouthpiece for the instrument.

For more playing and practical information about the meehaphone, check out this video:

Meehaphone (left) next to Couesnon flugelhorn (right)

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Frumpet

The Getzen model 383 Frumpet, or “French Horn Trumpet” as it was also marketed, is a unique alto brass instrument that can play extremely loud. It also accepts bass trombone mutes, and has decent valves and ergonomics.

That is everything good that can be said about it.

It was made from 1964 to 1985 and was another attempt at a marching instrument for French horn players. It has a .464” bore and plays in alto F or Eb, with the Eb slide playing a little better. It takes French horn mouthpieces, but the length and taper of the instrument are not an acoustic match for that and the result truly horrendous. It has shockingly bad intonation that makes the Conn 16E mellophonium seem amazing by comparison, and its anemic sound doesn’t make up for it. You can find them cheap on eBay, but they are painfully useless except to use as a base for a mildly interesting lamp.

UNLESS…

…you get it modified.

All that’s needed to turn the frumpet from an inconveniently-sized paperweight into a usable and interesting instrument is to swap the leadpipe for either an alto horn or trombone leadpipe. That way you can use bigger mouthpieces that actually work with the bore profile, eliminating the horrible intonation problems. If you take it a step further and also swap the weird bell for a small trombone bell, you have yourself a nice alto valve trombone. You can also lower it to C or Bb (with the new leadpipe/bell) and get a bass trumpet of sorts.

One thing that has not been tried yet to my knowledge is to keep the stock bell and horn leadpipe, but put a bunch of tubing on it to get it down to Bb or even low F, convert it to point up instead of out in front, and see how it works as the world’s jankiest Wagner tuba. I would very much like to try that.

Anyway, don’t buy a frumpet unless you plan to either turn it into a lamp, use it for parts or as soldering practice, or extensively modify it. And don’t spend more than about $100.

Tiffany Johns 12/4/22 Tiffany Johns 12/4/22

Alto Bugle

“Alto bugle” typically refers to a type of competition bugle pitched in G for use in drum and bugle corps. Of the four main types of mid-voice bugle used in drum corps history (mellophone, French horn, alto, flugelhorn), the alto bugle is probably the rarest type. Usually based on a G mellophone bugle but with a much smaller bell, they didn’t make a lasting impression on the field. However, they offer intriguing possibilities for use outside of drum corps as they are essentially big flugelhorns in G. (There were actual G flugelhorns in DCI as well, but those were generally standard B-flat flugelhorns with tubing added.)

Many alto bugles had 2 valves, as that was the rule in DCI until 1990. But there are a few models of 3-valve alto bugle that exist. These are as follows:

Dynasty III alto bugle (late 1970s): Likely the earliest 3-valve alto bugle to be made. As DCI was over a decade away from legalizing 3 valves, the complete Dynasty III bugle line was made (mostly by Willson) for the European market. Surviving examples of any type of Dynasty III bugle are extremely rare today.
Dynasty late-pattern alto bugle: This one was based on Dynasty’s existing mellophone design rather than a separate one, and was made in-house instead of by Willson. (The link calls it a flugelhorn bugle, but the Dynasty 3-valve flugelhorn bugle was a different beast made by slapping longer slides on a DEG Signature 2000 Bb flugel.)
Kanstul KAB-175 (‘90s, early model): This early model Kanstul alto bugle design resembles a smaller King 1120 marching mellophone, and as both instruments were designed by Zig Kanstul, is probably where the King design originated.
Kanstul 175 (late model): The later model used a totally new wrap and was made until Kanstul went out of business in 2019.

At one time I owned the only Dynasty III alto bugle I have ever seen. I haven’t been able to find any record of another individual example on the Internet. As none were made for the US domestic market, it may be the only one in the country. But rare G bugles have a funny tendency to show up in the weirdest places, so there could be others hiding in the States. I bought mine from Canada.

The following picture shows the Dynasty III, and also my DEG 1220 alto cornet in F for comparison, also made by Willson around the same timeframe and also very rare (but much more common than the Dynasty III!). It’s easy to see the family resemblance between the two instruments, even though they actually sound quite different.

Dynasty III G alto bugle (top) and DEG 1220 F alto cornet (bottom)

As the names imply, the alto bugle sounds like a flugelhorn, while the alto cornet sounds like a cornet. The alto bugle has a fat, dark flugel sound; the alto cornet has a brighter, leaner cornet sound. Both instruments play very well.

I also used to own an early pattern Kanstul KAB-175.

This instrument had a fabulous flugelhorn sound with a tenor horn mouthpiece (the same one I used in the Dynasty alto bugle and alto cornet). It was smoother and a shade darker than the Dynasty, and was a really refined sound. Which is not to say the Dynasty was rough; compared back to back with my Couesnon flugelhorn the Dynasty sounded quite close, just with a bit more beef in the sound. But the Kanstul took it a step further and makes the sound a little rounder and sweeter still.

Unfortunately, with this mouthpiece the instrument also played quite flat with the tuning slide all the way in. This is likely because it was designed around the classic Mello 6 marching mellophone mouthpiece. I have one of those, and putting either it or my Hammond 5MP marching mello piece into the Kanstul fixed the pitch and felt like the right match for the horn size-wise…but also entirely lost that lovely velvet flugelhorn sound. With the Mello 6 it predictably sounded like a more focused, direct marching mellophone. Very bright and trumpety, but much fatter than any trumpet (or G soprano bugle). There may be a niche for this sound, but I couldn’t find it and the big flugelhorn sound is really what I want in an alto bugle, so I eventually sold this instrument.

Physically, the Kanstul was fantastic. The valves were the best I’ve ever owned in any kind of brass instrument…lightning fast and whisper quiet. The instrument itself felt like it weighed nothing in the hand, owning to its light weight and great balance. I’m sure it would be a pleasure to march with, as instant horn snaps and moves are a piece of cake. The left hand grip is comfortable, there is a 1st valve slide kicker…it has everything you want. It feels like a massive leap forward in alto bugle design from the Dynasty, although the Dynasty’s super-compact form factor is definitely convenient. It is a shame then that the Kanstul doesn’t work out of the box with the tenor horn mouthpiece that the Dynasty happily accepts without issue; it could be that that early alto design was based around a larger, more tenor horn-like mouthpiece.

Although I never found a real use for the Kanstul and thus sold it, it’s one of the most enjoyable brass instruments I’ve ever played and I do miss it.

To hear the Kanstul meehaphone, Dynasty III alto bugle, and Kanstul KMB-175 alto bugle, check out this video:

The Marching Alto

Just as the mellophone bugle in G begat the marching mellophone in F, the alto bugle in G begat the marching alto in F. And as rare as the G alto bugle is, the F marching alto might be even rarer. Unlike the alto bugle and its limited use in DCI drum corps (especially in the 2-valve era), I know of nobody who ever fielded a line of marching altos. (If your high school or university marching band did, I’d love to know about it!)

These are the types of marching alto I know of:

Kanstul KMA-275 (late model): This is the F version of the late-pattern 175 alto bugle. I have yet to find evidence that Kanstul ever made an F marching alto version of the early pattern KAB-175 G alto bugle, or that any other maker made a smaller-bell version of their mellophone. It could be the only purpose-built marching alto ever made.
Nirschl E-102 mellophone: This horn wasn’t intended to be an actual marching alto, it was just Nirschl’s poor attempt at making a marching mellophone. It also works no better as a marching alto as it does as a mellophone…in fact, there is nothing it is good at. But it technically counts?
Andalucia AdVance Series Alto Horn: This is a current-production instrument in F, based on the Kanstul Meehaphone. The Meehaphone was a 2-valve instrument used from 1987-1991, and while it was built around a French horn bugle bell and was essentially a field descant horn in G, it successfully fulfilled the same role as an alto bugle (darker sound than a mellophone, but more projection than a flugelhorn).

As an aside, although they are not really marching altos, there are also bell-front alto horns, aka “solo altos”. These are mostly instruments from turn of the 20th century meant for alto horn soloists and shaped like large cornets. They are usually in E-flat and have much smaller dimensions and a smaller sound, as they are based on concert alto/tenor horns rather than marching mellophones. The Swedish maker Lars Gerdt had a marching tenor horn in E-flat listed on their website until recently.

Anyway, I recently acquired a Kanstul KMA-275 late pattern marching alto in F. It’s the first one I’ve ever seen in the wild; until it popped up for sale locally I had only ever seen the picture of it on Kanstul’s website all the way back in 2002.

The product page for the KMA 275 from Kanstul’s website circa 2002 (via the Wayback Machine).

While I knew the design had radically changed since the early pattern design, I assumed that this instrument would play pretty much like my KAB-175 did, just in F. But it actually plays quite a bit differently. Although it lacks the uniquely sweet sound the KAB-175 had with a tenor horn mouthpiece, the KMA-275 is actually usable with a tenor horn mouthpiece as it plays up to pitch without issue. In fact, the KMA-275 is happy with most mouthpieces you could throw at it.

Rather than describe all of these, here’s a short demo of some of the mouthpieces that work well:

I have to admit, although this instrument is very cool and as well-built and easy to play as you would expect, I would really love to find an early-pattern version of the 275. The KAB-175 was one of the most fun, satisfying instruments I’ve ever played and while this KMA-275 is excellent, it hasn’t made me unwilling to put it down yet. We’ll see if I get there.

Until recently I couldn’t find any existence of the early pattern mellophone/alto design in F at all, and I wondered if Kanstul only started making things other than G bugles after the late-pattern design was introduced. But an early-pattern Kanstul F mellophone recently showed up on eBay (for way too much money, or else I would have bought it already), so the early pattern in F has been proven to exist. But I am still in search of evidence of the smaller-bell 275 F marching alto in the early pattern.

The early pattern Kanstul 280 F marching mellophone from the eBay listing - stenciled as a Besson.

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Mellophonium

The mellophonium is the primary ancestor of the modern marching mellophone. It is a traditional circular mellophone with the bell straightened out, and usually has a cornet shank. Even many brass players don’t know what a mellophonium is, and those that do (mostly Stan Kenton fans and alto brass nerds like myself) can be forgiven for thinking that “mellophonium” = Conn 16E. In fact, while the Conn 16E is by far the most famous model of mellophonium thanks to its use in the Stan Kenton Orchestra from 1960 to 1963, it is not the only one. There were lots of mellophoniums (mellophonia?) at the time: Holton M-601 and M-602, Reynolds ML-12, Courtois, Couesnon, Vox Ampliphonic, Glier (in E-flat), and more. You can even still buy a new mellophonium in 2022, courtesy of Amati Kraslice and their 16E-like AMP-203.

The mellophonium has a cool sound that is related to, but not quite the same as, a mellophone (either the traditional circular or bell-front marching variety). Stan Kenton’s electric 4-man mellophonium section inspired the creation of the mellophone bugle in G for use in competitive drum and bugle corps, which in turn directly led to the modern marching mellophone. The marching mellophone was also the mellophonium’s grave digger, because even the early Olds-pattern marching mellophones were much better instruments.

While not the only kind of mellophonium, the Conn 16E was the first (beginning production in 1957), is the most common to find today, and is the quintessential example of the type. Despite this, it is objectively a terrible design. It was built in F with an E-flat crook, so Conn decided to build the valve slides somewhere in between…too long for F, too short for E-flat! (It actually plays best in tune in E with the main tuning slide all the way out…I’ve played gigs with it that way!) Its intonation is a great struggle, it has extremely wide partials that are tricky to center, it has mediocre long-travel pistons, and it has a whiny and difficult upper register that requires tons of alternate fingerings to get anywhere near in tune. It is also an ergonomic nightmare, and every mellophoniumist has to find a grip that isn’t painful. The “standard” (as much as that word can be applied to anything mellophonium-related) grip is to hold it by the 3rd valve slide, like so:

This is the grip that most of the Kenton section used, although they typically canted the instrument less than I do. Some of them grasped the top of the valve block while others cradled the bottom bow. There are a few ways to do it and it really depends on the individual player, but if you’ve just acquired a 16E and haven’t figured out how to hold it yet I recommend trying my canted 3rd valve slide grip as pictured above.

There is also the issue of mouthpieces. The best mouthpiece for a 16E is unquestionably the Conn 1 that came with it. However, while abused and neglected 16Es can be found easily, the Conn 1 is significantly more difficult to find. If your 16E didn’t come with its Conn 1, the only way to get one is usually to find another 16E for sale that comes with it. The same is true for the E-flat crook, which used to be available through Allied Supply (part # C-06028-5) but is not anymore.

If you are a trumpet or horn player that is used to mouthpieces on the smaller side, the Legends Scodwell Mello mellophonium mouthpiece is a great option. That is a new production mouthpiece from Legends Brass that plays as well as the Conn 1, but is equivalent to a trumpet 5C in size. Too small for many players (including me), but you can likely custom order it in a bigger diameter. The Conn 1 has an inner diameter a touch over 18 mm, the same as a Schilke 22 trumpet mouthpiece.

The third option is a Bach traditional mellophone mouthpiece, which has the right cornet shank for the mellophonium. Before I got my Conn 1 I used a Bach 5 of this type, and it was decent but not great. The low and middle registers are nice and beefy, but the high register is very difficult. The beauty of the Conn 1 is that it works well from the lowest F# (sounding B2) all the way up to the scream register (E above the staff and beyond), while the Bach only works well in the staff and below. The Bach really is much better suited for circular mellophones.

Of course, cornet mouthpieces do fit. But deep British-style cornet mouthpieces don’t do anything well on it, and shallower American-style cornet mouthpieces only work for screamer mellophonium parts. They do hilariously well at that (which is why the Kenton section used them when they wanted to be disruptive), but the mellophonium becomes much more of a weapon than a musical instrument when equipped as such.

So, can the 16E be tamed? Oh yes. The Kenton section had it figured out by the end of its time in 1963, and exceptional players like Ray Starling made it sing (it’s this video that made me want to get a 16E of my own back in 2011). And as someone who has played numerous live gigs and recording sessions on mine, I feel qualified enough to say that I have tamed it. It took years of effort, but I feel that the result was worth it.

Now, the more important question. Should you buy one?

The first thing you should know is that you can get them dirt cheap. They were used in high school and college marching bands for years, and Conn didn’t actually didn’t stop making the 16E until 1979, so there are a lot of them still floating around. As they are completely obsolete, when they get found they are put on eBay and bought for a pittance. The only issue is that you can also get similarly-abused ex-school marching mellophones, including the best-of-the-breed Yamahas, for dirt cheap on eBay. And as much as I love my 16E, my cheap eBay find King 1120, Yamaha YMP-201M, and Yamaha YMP-204M were/are much better instruments.

All that said, I do think neglected 16Es and other mellophoniums (except for the Reynolds, which is apparently even worse than the 16E) deserve to be played and loved, or at the very least turned into cool lamps, rather than left to rot or get scrapped. If you want an unusual brass instrument for your collection, need a dirt cheap alto brass instrument and find a suitably-priced mellophonium, or just think mellophoniums are cool, I would encourage you to head to eBay and pick one up. It’s also an excellent choice for someone interested in multitracking, as it records well and adds a unique sound to any instrumentation. (It also accepts trombone mutes!) If, however, you want a gig-ready dirt cheap alto brass instrument, wait for a good deal on a Yamaha or King marching mellophone.

Just, whatever you do, don’t overpay for one. Nobody should be paying $500+ for a 16E. They are worth $200 at most…maybe $300 in pristine condition with a Conn 1 and E-flat crook. I’ve been noticing 16E prices steadily increasing in the past couple of years and I feel bad for whoever is spending that kind of money on an instrument as problematic as a 16E. I got mine for $100 and I feel like that was the right price.

Now that all that exposition is out of the way, here are a couple of videos I’ve made that make extensive use of my Conn 16E mellophonium in a 4-person section a la Kenton:

Here are some more videos of mine that make use of the 16E in combination with marching mellophones (plus a 5-person Conn 16E soli in the Christmas multitrack):

If you’ve made it this far and want to hear more mellophonium, here’s my work-in-progress attempt at a complete list of albums that include mellophonium. I would assume that all of these were Conn 16Es - the Kenton ones definitely were, and the most recent 4 non-Kenton albums were me on my 16E.

Stan Kenton - The Romantic Approach (1961)
Stan Kenton - Kenton’s West Side Story (1961)
Stan Kenton - A Merry Christmas! (1961)
Stan Kenton - Sophisticated Approach (1961)
Stan Kenton - Adventures in Jazz (1961)
Stan Kenton - Adventures in Blues (1961)
Stan Kenton - Mellophonium Moods (1962)
Stan Kenton/Tex Ritter - Stan Kenton! Tex Ritter! (1962)
Stan Kenton - Adventures in Time (1962)
Stan Kenton - Artistry in Bossa Nova (1963)
Lighthouse - Sunny Days (1972)
Stan Kenton - By Request - Volume VI (1973)
Stan Kenton - The Uncollected 1962 Vol. 6 (1983)
Towson State University Jazz Ensemble - Jazz 1985 (1985)
Stan Kenton - Mellophonium Magic (1989)
Finn Mickelborg - Mellophonium Jazz (1990)
The Silencers - Dance to the Holy Man (1991)
Stan Kenton - More Mellophonium Moods (1995)
New York Sound Stage One Orchestra/New York Neophonic Orchestra - Alternate Routes (1996) (solos in “Royal Flush” and “Come Rain or Come Shine”)
Tubby Hayes - Voodoo Session (2009)
La Orquesta Sinfonietta - Canto América (2016) (2 in “El Caldero de Ogun”)
Stan Kenton - Mellophonium Memoirs (2017)
Bootsy Collins - The Power of the One (2020) (1 in “Creepin’”)
Sammy Haig - Cucumber (2021) (1 in “Basement Famous”)
Hollywood Film Noirchestra - Dark Passages (2023) (1 on “I’d Rather Have the Blues”, “Intrigue”, and “Street Of No Return”)

Of course, as mentioned earlier, the Conn 16E was far from the only mellophonium. While it is understandably the one that has seen by far the most use and notoriety thanks to its use in the Kenton band, the other mellophoniums can also be useful instruments. And some of them easily exceed the 16E’s very low bar for playability.

A great example of a refined mellophonium design is the Holton M-602.

The Holton M-602 was the only instrument to be sold as a “marching mellophonium”. Presumably this was to differentiate between the M-601, which had a different wrap. In any case, the M-602 is a much better design than the 16E. It was one of the last mellophonium designs (possibly THE last - mine was made after 1980!), and it shows. It is comfortable to hold, it has slide kickers for the first and third valve (even the renowned Yamaha YMP-204M marching mellophone only has one kicker!), it is easy to play, and it is much more in tune than earlier designs like the 16E. Holton never made a marching mellophone, so it seems that the M-602 was their attempt to compete with the new breed. The result is what I believe to be the only mellophonium that truly feels like a modern instrument. It feels like a cross between the practicality and playability of a marching mellophone, and the sound and feel of a mellophonium.

Now, does that mean it is a replacement for the Conn 16E?

I personally don’t think so. For one, the M-602 is very rare. I’ve only ever seen one turn up for sale online, which is the one I bought. The M-601 is much more common, but it has a much more traditional wrap so it loses a lot of the advantages of the M-602. In terms of ease of acquisition, neither hold a candle to the Conn 16E, which was made in huge numbers and thus grows on trees. But also, the M-602 just does not do the same things the 16E does.

The M-602 has an absolutely gorgeous sound. It is dark, creamy, velvety, chocolatey, and more. Playing it feels like curling up in a warm blanket on a cold winter day. But that exquisite sound does not like to be pushed and it does not like to play high. The Conn 16E invites you to frolic in the upper register and bury a big band, while the M-602 insists that you do nothing of the sort. The M-602 is reserved and polite, and it will not allow you to compromise its elegance. It is an absolute sweetheart, but if you want that Kenton sound you will not get it.