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Kanstul 1670 Bass Trombone

When I played some of the prototype Kanstul 1662 double valve bass trombones, I was floored at how well they played, and how light they were. I said to Zig, "I bet George Roberts would love this horn if you made a single valve version." You see, George has been the top dog of commercial bass trombone for a generation. I believe his resume says "everything". He plays a single valve bass trombone. He can play everything on it, and it's a much lighter instrument, so he doesn't wilt under the weight of a heavy horn. A few weeks later appeared the prototype single valve Kanstul 1670 bass trombone. Wow. Stylish and light. I know, I know, you can't play everything on a single valve anymore. Try studying bass trombone, and many of the solos and technical studies are much easier with two valves. But you usually only need one. If you've got long arms, you can stretch out to low C with no problem. And this F attachment has a very long crook to pull out to E, enabling the dreaded low B natural. Or you can just lip it down. Tip: To play a low B on one valve, play it in flat 3rd position, like a low Eb, then just lip it down to B. Works fine, dunno why. Also, try playing a low B in 7th position without the valve, like you would B in the staff.  it can work.  Here's another important tip about the single valve bass trombone: most bass trombones made before 1950 or so only had a single valve, so most music written or arranged before 1950 was WRITTEN for a single valve bass. If a low B natural is written, the best arranger wrote a rest before it, allowing you time to pull the F attachment to E. Check it out. All those old Broadway shows, including West Side Story, were written before double valves came into vogue. What this means to me is that as a working bass trombonist, I can do fine in most every symphony and pit orchestra gig with a single valve. For the modern big band tunes, two valves are the norm, but for everything else, I'm with George - light weight and simplicity is it. George now plays a Kanstul 1670 single valve bass trombone, with a .020" yellow brass bell and a narrow nickel slide, and he calls it the best horn he's ever played. He uses the GR leadpipe, a copy of his 70H style pipe, and a Kanstul GR mouthpiece, and he's as happy as I've ever seen him. Read on for details of George's bass trombone.  Most of the text below is lifted from the 1662 double valve bass trombone page. George's new custom bass trombone is hand built by Zig Kanstul in Anaheim, California. Never heard of Kanstul? He was plant manager at F.E. Olds. He worked for Conn and Benge. He's been making custom trumpets and unusual brass instruments in Southern California for 25 years. Now he's into fine trombones too. This one is fine. It's vintage inspired with a high tech update. Vintage Conn fanatics will be especially pleased with this model. It is one of the very few bass trombones featuring tuning in the slide. Tuning in the slide? Yes, the right hand slide brace and nickel outer sleeves float, and can be moved to adjust the pitch of the instrument. Like this: That way, the bell section can be made with fewer parts. It's much lighter, and is totally conical for true acoustic elegance. This idea is not new. The most famous vintage bass trombone with slide tuning was the old Elkhart Conn 62H. And a fine horn it was, but despite its beautiful sound and excellent response, those old Conns were quirky. Heavy slides, undersized valve ports, poor ergonomics, and unusual valve tuning all contributed to its demise. But despite the poor mechanical traits, the idea was sound, and those old models were updated by some of the best repairmen, including Larry Minick. Many of those old horns are still in high demand on the used market, but they are showing their age. Fifty years of improved instrument technology, including new valves, has upped the standard for how a bass trombone should behave. New models with custom valves and modular bells from small builders are the new high standard. Listen up now. You can hardly do better than a Shires bass trombone. Michael Rath is making some excellent instruments. The Getzen Company makes some fine custom horns. These folks set the standard. But those of us who know of the incredible sound and response from those old horns felt left out. Heavy, big, new, wide, and orchestral has been the rage. How about light, snappy, colorful, commercial? This is it. I have my choice of any bass trombone. I play a Kanstul 1662, and now a 1670 too. When I got my Kanstul 1662, I put my old Minick 62H away and haven't used it or missed it since. This new Kanstul has a beautiful sound, it's very light, easy to hold, responds easily, makes the classic commercial sound that I like, and has style with a capital S. Check it out. I mean, check it out. Super sleek, lightly braced, flawlessly built, and, for frugal guys, reasonably priced. Here are the details, so you can spec your own custom horn.

Slides

Choose classic narrow Conn-style slide, or choose a wider, Bach width slide for more neck clearance and a slightly broader sound. Outer tubes are bronze for a warmer sound, or yellow brass for a brighter sound. Nickel outer tubes are available, which have a fast response without being crass. All outer tubes weigh the same. This slide does have some extra hardware on it, but it's not heavy. The nickel outer sleeves have been turned down to .010" to keep things light. The weight of the 1670 outer slide is within 5 grams of a fine Shires outer slide, and is much lighter than any vintage slide with tuning. You won't notice the weight. Slides include 3 interchangeable lead pipes, from a choice of seven. Lead pipes thread in, and the threads are compatible with Shires slides and lead pipes.

 

Valves

These new oversize CR rotary valves are unlike any other on the market. The slight increase in size allows a full .593" bore through the valves. The rotor is made with a lightweight brass two-part CNC made skeleton, and the airways are enclosed in individual tubes soldered inside. This allows the oversize rotor to be very light, requiring only light spring tension and a short throw. Venting prevents popping, which has been a problem with earlier oversize designs. Also, a light rotor will be more resonant than the solid chunk of brass we're used to seeing inside a valve. I believe a resonant valve produces a sound more consistent with the sound of the open neck pipe. Other advantages of the CR valve include its being nearly maintenance free and ergonomically polite. And, it's open, but not too open. You can still compress the air a bit for the classic commercial bass trombone sizzle without over blowing or playing too loud. The valve wraps are designed for free airflow and proper balance, and are based on a Larry Minick design. This updated version has a slight offset of the valve assembly eliminates several pieces of curved tubing. The F wrap is the most open shape around. And it has along pull to flat E for those few times when you really need to center in a loud low B natural.

 

Bell

Based on the classic Elkhart style taper, the 9.5" one-piece bell and bell branch are available in lightweight .020" bronze (24 gauge) which is my personal choice, standard weight .025" rose brass (22 gauge) for a somewhat darker more stable sound, or yellow brass in both weights. Bronze or rose brass have been the best seller by far. The bell rims are unsoldered for a faster response and a bit more sizzle to the attack, or can be ordered in a soldered version for a smoother, somewhat more modern sound. Note the one-piece bell. Simply superior sound, according to Zig, just harder to make.

 

Kanstul 1670 Cliff's Notes

 

Kanstul Vintage Replica Leadpipes

C - Minick Commercial style L - Minick Legit style OL - Minick Open Legit style H - Burt Herrick style commercial pipe GR - George Roberts (70H) GR2- Burt Herrick style, similar to GR pipe, but longer 62 - Elkhart 62H B - Bach 50 style All these pipes are available separately with Shires compatible threads, and they will also press into Getzen and new Conn bass trombones. Pipes are available with unthreaded rings to press into other horns. Three lead pipes are included with Kanstul 1600 series trombones. Extra lead pipes are $85 each.