Alan Kaplan sent us this picture of himself and Bob Payne with their Kanstul trombones on a session for The Simpsons. Bob is playing his Model 1606 and Alan has his Model 1602.

The Kanstul factory was visited recently by local television station Channel 3 Garden Grove to do a feature.

The 121st Tournament of Roses was led this year by herald trumpets built by Kanstul Musical Instruments. Sponsored by NAMM - the International Music Products Association - the trumpet players kicked off the parade amid fanfares and fireworks, then rode atop the Theme float down Colorado Blvd.

The heralds posed for a picture with the very busy Grand Marshall Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger after leading the parade.

The opening ceremonies of the parade were designed by Texas-based Corporate Magic, and featured almost two hundred performers, dancers and, of course, the herald trumpets.

Kanstul herald trumpets will lead the 121st Annual Tournament of Roses Parade this year down Colorado Blvd on January 1st, after first taking part in opening ceremonies featuring a US Navy jet fly-over, pyrotechnics and the introduction of Grand Marshal Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger. The herald trumpets will then board a special float which will carry them as they escort Captain Sullenberger along the parade route. The float - sponsored by NAMM, the International Music Products Association - will lead the parade down Pasadena's famed Colorado Blvd.

The theme of this year's parade will be "2010: A Cut Above The Rest", and according to Kanstul sales manager Charles Hargett, the choice to use Kanstul instruments "couldn't be more appropriate".

The instrument selected by organizers is Kanstul's Model 1100 Bb Melody Herald Trumpet, identical to those used by the US Army Band in Washington, DC.

The Rose Parade will be broadcast on ABC, Hallmark Channel, HGTV, KTLA, NBC, RFD-TV, Travel Channel and Univision. The parade is also seen in more than 200 international territories and countries.

The 3rd United States Infantry Regiment has commissioned Kanstul Musical Instruments to build a set of special single-valve bugles for the famed "Old Guard" Fife and Drum Corps.

Averaging about 2,000 performances annually, The Old Guard celebrates 50 years of service next year.

The Model 975 Euphonium by Kanstul is the only compensating system euphonium built in the USA. Clients include Air Force Band soloist and principal MSgt. Will Jones, TSgt Kenneth L. Buchanan of the USAF Band of the Golden West, Glyn Williams of the famous Foden's Band, and the bands of the 40th ID, the 59th Army and the USAF Concert Band.

Here, Kanstul craftsman Troy Emmons and advisor Ken Berry are making adjustments to a special euphonium with removable bronze bell being built for Dr. Stephen Allen, Professor of Euphonium at Rutgers University. With the removable bell option, this euphonium is referred to as the Model 976, and is available with bronze, copper or red brass bell in addition to the standard yellow brass.

Kanstul Produces Miles Davis Mouthpiece for Sony / BMG - Kanstul Musical Instruments, producer of professional brasswinds and supplier to the industry has been contracted by Sony / BMG Music Entertainment to produce replicas of Miles Davis' mouthpiece to be included in a comprehensive retrospective of Miles' music under their Legacy Recordings label.

"We consider this a very special opportunity to help Sony showcase Miles' genius and his enormous contributions," said Charles Hargett, Sales Manager. "We're proud to be included."

The Miles Davis "Legacy" mouthpiece is produced exclusively for Sony and is an exact replica of Miles' own mouthpiece. Kanstul was chosen because of the attention to detail authenticity that Sony / BMG required, and that any tribute to Miles Davis deserves. These mouthpieces are from a limited run and not available anywhere except with this limited edition Miles Davis Box Set. Only 2,000 mouthpieces will be made.

UPDATE: TIME Magazine dated September 21st, 2009, shows the Miles Davis box set as a new release:

Miles Davis: The Complete Columbia Albums Collection

If this Miles Davis box set lands on your shelves this season, it will probably break them. The collection has everything Davis ever recorded for Columbia: 70 CDs' worth of material. (reprinted from TIME Magazine)

The new MODEL 1088 bass trumpet from Kanstul Musical Instruments is a new professional-quality instrument for players in both jazz and symphonic ensembles. This new addition to the line features a .485" bore, brass body, nickel slide tubes, 7" diameter one-piece brass bell, Monel pistons, and removable mouthpipe. Designed by Zig Kanstul, the Model 1088 bass trumpet has been tested by first-call players in the Los Angeles area.

Although we were unable to attend he ITG Conference in Banff, Alberta, Kanstul Musical Instruments was proud to sponsor artist Richard Carson Steuart, and guest speaker R. Dale Olson. Here are reviews of their presentations, courtesy of Mark Boren, the International Trumpet Guild and www.trumpetguild.org

The theme communicated by Richard Carson Steuart (trumpet) and Daniel Bolshoy (guitar) at their trumpet and guitar recital this afternoon was "have fun making music." Both musicians demonstrated the importance of connecting with your audience through concert dialogue. Through their playful banter with the audience, they set the tone for the recital, put the audience at ease, and allowed everyone to bask in the high quality of their music making. Performing a selection of Latin works, the duo exhibited some of the finest music making at this conference. Bolshoy performed on amplified acoustic guitar allowing Steuart to play with a full dynamic spectrum on a variety of trumpets and mutes. Steuart played passionately in a vocal style and deftly navigated the lyrical and technical lines that were demanded throughout the repertoire they performed. Both musicians played with sensitivity placing musicality above all else.

R. Dale Olson's informative presentation on mutes explored the historical development of mute design and the scientific data he has collected over the years. The scientific data presented was a comparative analysis of the muted trumpet vs. the open trumpet. Different mutes were used to show the variances between mute designs and to set up the rest of the discussion on design elements and experimentation. Olson outlined eight variables in his discussion that players can use in their own experimentation: materials of construction, shape, size, outside diameter of the small end, inside diameter of the small end, corking, cylindrical tubes inside mute, and venting (creating holes in the mute to let the air/sound escape). The presentation included many fascinating historical drawings of mute designs from his U.S. patent research including a picture of the first trumpet mute ever patented in the U.S. in 1865.

Kanstul will be displaying an assortment of trombones at the ITA Festival in Salt Lake City at the end of this month. On hand to answer questions will be Charles Hargett, Sales & Marketing Manager; and Duwayne Yee, Kanstul craftsman and slide maker. We are pleased to announce that LA studio player Alan Kaplan will be there too, demonstrating his new Model 1602 Tenor Trombone! Details on this exciting new trombone to come!