The Horn Guys

Custom Brass Instruments for the Discerning Musician
 

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About

Hornguys.com is the web presence of Ferguson Music, located in Southern California.  Founded by Steve Ferguson in 2000, the goal was to improve the quality of the musical instrument retail environment.  The focus from the beginning was specialty brass instruments and accessories for the high-end enthusiast market.  Through better design, product availability, sales and technical service, many local musicians could be better satisfied without having to resort to Midwest mail order houses.  We moved to the current La Crescenta location in 2004, and doubled the size of the store in late 2006.  Also in 2006, Ferguson Music purchased the Low Brass Werks from Tony Clements, enabling us to enlarge our tuba department and gain import rights to several European brands.

We try to lead in being a green company.  All lighting is fluorescent for low power usage.  All incoming boxes and packing materials are recycled into outgoing shipments.  We only buy biodegradable packing peanuts, and then only on rare occasions.  All paper is reused or recycled into the City of Glendale recycling program, and aluminum cans are recycled by Robert.  Steve rides a bicycle to the office and to all the local errands, and a daily bonus is paid to any staff member who commutes by bicycle.  All our shopping bags are recycled from other stores.  Our filtered water is delivered by bicycle.

We encourage our clients to recycle any extra packing materials, like packing peanuts, by offering them to your local mailbox & shipping store.  We're positive they'll be grateful.  Any efforts you make to keep materials out of the landfill is worth it.

We also encourage you to buy a cloth shopping bag and bring it with you on all your shopping trips.  Any paper or plastic bag you avoid using is one less to end up in the Pacific Ocean.  We recommend you filter your drinking water, rather than buy it in disposable plastic bottles.

 

Steve Ferguson is a commercial trombonist in Los Angeles. He specializes in bass trombone, but also doubles on all the low brass instruments, including tenor trombone, tuba, euphonium, bass trumpet, and contrabass trombone. He can occasionally be found with an alto trombone or alto horn as well. After growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Steve moved to Los Angeles where he attended California State University Northridge and the University of Southern California. While in school, he performed with the All-American College Orchestra at Disneyworld, the American Youth Symphony, and the Debut Orchestra in Los Angeles.

Steve has toured with numerous artists, including Paul Anka, Brian Setzer, Doc Severinsen, Bobby Caldwell, Michael Crawford, Shirley Bassey, the Modern Aires, and the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. He currently freelances in Los Angeles and performs with many orchestras around California, including the Pacific Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, Monterey Symphony, San Bernardino Symphony, and the San Jose Cleveland Ballet Orchestra.

Steve has performed with such artists such as The Temptations, Rosemary Clooney, Toni Tennille, Dave Brubeck, Freddie Hubbard, Franki Lane, Rob McConnell, Matt Cattingub, Louis Bellson, Ashley Alexander, Roger Williams, Susan Anton, Mary Wilson, and the Pied Pipers. He has recorded with Michael Crawford for Atlantic Records, and on "Cuban Roots Revisited" on Ubiquity Records. He is heard on many jingles and commercials, as well as several big band records by The Southern California Jazz Company and Gary Urwin.

Steve's private teachers include Tony Clements, Bill Booth, Terry Cravens, Jeff Reynolds, and Jim Self.

He is a design and ergonomics consultant to Kanstul Musical Instruments.

Steve's equipment:

Horn Mouthpiece
Shires small bore tenor trombone Ferguson 11
Haag Model 33 medium bore trombone Ferguson 1S
Kanstul 1670 bass trombone Jeff Reynolds L
Kanstul 1662 bass trombone Jeff Reynolds L
Minick bass trombone Jeff Reynolds L
Minick G contrabass trombone Joseph Klier 2A
Olds euphonium Bach 6.5AL
Kanstul F marching tenor horn (MFL horn) Kanstul tenor 2 or Meehan 5
Frank Holton 1908 Eb alto horn Bach 12C
Glassl Sterling silver Eb alto trombone Bach 7C
Minick alto trombone Bach 7C
Kanstul bass trumpet Bach 11C or 7C
Hirsbrunner HB2-P CC tuba Yamaha Replica Roger Bobo Symphonic
Mirafone F cimbasso Joseph Klier 2A

 

Noah Gladstone is a professional trombonist in the Los Angeles area. Noah specializes in the orchestral aspects of the trombone, including the large bore tenor, alto and bass trombone. He also performs on the sackbut, bass trumpet, tenor horn, serpent and euphonium. Born in Miami, Florida, Noah moved to Los Angeles in the mid 1990's. He attended the University of Southern California for his Bachelors and Masters degrees, both in trombone performance. He is a student of Byron Peebles and Ralph Sauer of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Terry Cravens of the Los Angeles Opera.  Noah performs with many of the local professional orchestras, brass ensembles and various recording dates. Additionally, he is an early music specialist playing sackbut in The Los Angeles Loud Band, an alta capella ensemble of shawms and sackbuts performing wind band music from 1400-1650, and in the Los Angeles Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble playing brass music of the Renaissance on period brass instruments. He collects and performs on vintage Conn trombones and Vincent Bach New York mouthpieces and instruments and is always looking to expand his collections. Some of his instruments: Conn 8H (1921), Vincent Bach Mt. Vernon 42B (1960), Earl Williams Model 6 trombone (1970), Conn Minick 62H (1970), Geert jan van der Heide Sackbut (2008), Pfretszchner alto trombone, Willson Marzan euphonium (1970), Russ Kaiser serpent (2006) and a Vincent Bach bass trumpet (1965) to name a few.

 

Dylan Hart French hornist Dylan Hart was born and raised in Los Angeles. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of  Southern California while studying under Vincent DeRosa. While pursuing his undergraduate degree, Dylan won the Brass Chamber Music Award in 2003 and 2006 and the Vincent DeRosa Scholarship award for outstanding horn playing in both 2005 and 2006. He is currently pursuing a Graduate Certificate in French horn performance under the instruction of James Thatcher. He has studied with many wonderful teachers such as Kristy Morrell, Richard Todd, Peter Kurau, and Charles Kavolovski. Dylan currently plays principal horn in the American Youth Symphony, an orchestra made up of young professionals in the Los Angeles area. He has held principal positions in the Debut Orchestra, Colburn School for the Arts, The Culver City Chamber Orchestra , the USC Symphony and the USC Chamber Orchestra.   He has also performed with Opera Nova of Los Angeles, Erato Philharmonia, the Collegiate Neophonic Orchestra and various Los Angeles studio sessions including some television appearances with Burt Bacharach, Gladys Night, Chris Botti, Bill Buchanan, Jill Scott, and Sting. Dylan is a devoted and loving teacher. He has been an instructor for Pasadena Young Musicians Orchestra, Idyllwild Arts Academy, and has a private teaching studio.  Dylan is also a founding member of the professional brass quintet called No Strings Attached. Dylan plays a 1938 nicekl silver Kruspe Horner model .

 

Robert Coomber is a local professional bass trombone player. He graduated from the Eastman School of Music with a Masters Degree in bass trombone performance under the tutelage of Dr. John Marcellus. He has worked with numerous professional organizations and is an active freelance player in the Los Angeles area.  He can be heard with the New West Symphony and San Bernardino Symphony among many others.  Robert plays on two really great Shires bass trombones and a Jeff Reynolds L mouthpiece.

 

Mike "Mama D." Davis is a professional trumpeter in the Los Angeles area. He is a graduate of the Oberlin School of Music and holds a masters degree in trumpet performance from the University of Southern California. He is a longtime student of Roy Poper at the Oberlin school and Boyde Hood of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Additionally, he has studied with Rob Roy McGregor, Louis Ranger, and Kevin Brown.  He has performed with the American Youth Symphony, Debut Orchestra, Riverside Symphony, USC Symphony and Chamber Orchestra and recordings for movies and TV. He has also written, orchestrated and performed music for Devendra Banhart and other pop musicians.  Mike was a member and founder of the Tappan Brass Quintet.  He has attended the Aspen Music Festival and Eastern Music Festival. Mike also maintains a large studio of private students in the Los Angeles area. Some of his instruments include a Vincent Bach New York Bb, Schilke B5, Ken Larson GFT C, Yamaha D trumpet, Schilke E2L, Schilke P5-4, and a Yamaha Flugel.  Mike loves mouthpieces and has a huge collection of rare mouthpieces. You will usually find him using Bach, GR and Reeves mouthpieces.

Brad Close is a graduate of Indiana University and the University of Southern California.  He is professional trombonist, playing in many symphony orchestras, including San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, New West, Riverside, Inland Empire, Downey.  He is a degreed paralegal, and is a specialist in brass instrument repair.  Brad plays the Bach 42T tenor trombone, Bach 50B2O bass trombone, King 2B tenor trombone, Shires alto trombone, and Jurgen Voigt alto trombone.  He uses Denis Wick mouthpieces, and is an expert on all things Star Trek.