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https://reverb.com/item/93035079-kanstu ... ar-lacquer

That tuba has been there for at least 3 years... originally priced higher, and slowly dropping in price over time. It's on consignment, and I guess the seller is just in no hurry.

I've visited the shop a few times, and have played that tuba a few times.

The people at the shop are very nice.

bort2.0 wrote: Tue Nov 18, 2025 1:40 pm That tuba has been there for at least 3 years... originally priced higher, and slowly dropping in price over time. It's on consignment, and I guess the seller is just in no hurry.

I've visited the shop a few times, and have played that tuba a few times.

The people at the shop are very nice.

How did it play?

It’s right near me. And yeah, it’s been there what seems like forever.

It’s priced too high, especially for what it is. Kanstul didn’t make a whole lot of them, and you really roll the dice on how it plays.

If someone is really interested in it, I’d be happy to drive over there and try it out for you. I bought my first euphonium from them in high school. Good people.

Sure is a pretty instrument.

tubatodd wrote: Tue Nov 18, 2025 2:23 pm How did it play?

bort2.0 wrote: The people at the shop are very nice.

Jokes aside, these were the notes I posted here after one of my visits to Horn Stash:

Kanstul 90 CC -- same tuba I played there in October. It's really nice, sounds great, and needs some 4th slide pulling. Very easy to play, and super valves!

I am NOT a slide-puller, so that made it a no-go for me. Some people don't mind pulling slides, and for them, this could be a nice tuba.

I think it was close to $9,000 when I first saw it in 2022, and for that price, there's just too many other options. IIRC, it's also had the bell rolled out, which isn't a major tragedy, but for $9k you start to view those sorts of things a bit differently.

I bet if someone was a motivated buyer with cash in hand, there could be some negotiating on the price.

Would it be unreasonably awkward to play it at the pictured angle? I'll have to try that with my Eb. Seems like the valve tubing would drain a lot better.

I’ve played this horn. The Eastman 4/4 CCs are much better.

I think it's hard to put all Kanstul tubas of the same model in any one particular group. The production numbers were so low, and they were so few iterations, they never really had a chance to work things out on the whole and make them consistent. Some of them were not very good, some of them were much much better. Especially the 5/4, those production numbers really low. A few good ones were extremely good. The others well you know

Sousaswag wrote: Wed Nov 19, 2025 9:24 am It’s right near me. And yeah, it’s been there what seems like forever.

It’s priced too high, especially for what it is. Kanstul didn’t make a whole lot of them, and you really roll the dice on how it plays.

If someone is really interested in it, I’d be happy to drive over there and try it out for you. I bought my first euphonium from them in high school. Good people.

Sure is a pretty instrument.

Would you be willing to drive over and play test it for me? I love the look of both the 90 and the grand but sadly Im not near one at all to play test myself and this is the best option I got

ThatStrangeTuba wrote: Tue Mar 03, 2026 3:23 pm

Sousaswag wrote: Wed Nov 19, 2025 9:24 am It’s right near me. And yeah, it’s been there what seems like forever.

It’s priced too high, especially for what it is. Kanstul didn’t make a whole lot of them, and you really roll the dice on how it plays.

If someone is really interested in it, I’d be happy to drive over there and try it out for you. I bought my first euphonium from them in high school. Good people.

Sure is a pretty instrument.

Would you be willing to drive over and play test it for me? I love the look of both the 90 and the grand but sadly Im not near one at all to play test myself and this is the best option I got

I remember it playing bad.

ThatStrangeTuba wrote: Tue Mar 03, 2026 3:23 pm

Sousaswag wrote: Wed Nov 19, 2025 9:24 am It’s right near me. And yeah, it’s been there what seems like forever.

It’s priced too high, especially for what it is. Kanstul didn’t make a whole lot of them, and you really roll the dice on how it plays.

If someone is really interested in it, I’d be happy to drive over there and try it out for you. I bought my first euphonium from them in high school. Good people.

Sure is a pretty instrument.

Would you be willing to drive over and play test it for me? I love the look of both the 90 and the grand but sadly Im not near one at all to play test myself and this is the best option I got

I’ll check it out this weekend.

Let us know if they have anything else there that's not listed. I've been there 3(?) times, and they always had a few neat unlisted things sitting around. And Jim was always super, super nice. Even when I showed up for the last 30 minutes of the day.

Those of you who have played this horn, what were the issues exactly? I've never seen a Kanstul in person, let alone played one. But they look nice, and the few online sound clips of tuba players on them sound good to me. Rich, beefy, and round. I do think Jack Kanstul should have gotten a real tuba player to show off their contras instead of trying to play them himself. What was he thinking?...

bort2.0 wrote: Wed Nov 19, 2025 2:14 pm
I am NOT a slide-puller, so that made it a no-go for me. Some people don't mind pulling slides, and for them, this could be a nice tuba.

Yet, you've owned old Alexander, Rudi Meinl, Wilson 3050 CC tubas ---- all of which demands slide pulling or alternate fingerings. Double standards, got it

LargeTuba wrote: Sat Nov 22, 2025 8:10 pm I’ve played this horn. The Eastman 4/4 CCs are much better.

How so?

catgrowlB wrote: Tue Mar 10, 2026 9:32 am

bort2.0 wrote: Wed Nov 19, 2025 2:14 pm
I am NOT a slide-puller, so that made it a no-go for me. Some people don't mind pulling slides, and for them, this could be a nice tuba.

Yet, you've owned old Alexander, Rudi Meinl, Wilson 3050 CC tubas ---- all of which demands slide pulling or alternate fingerings. Double standards, got it

Nice to meet you too...? Whatever...

There is a lot of variation in older tubas. One Alexander plays differently than another, etc... The three you mentioned, I had no issues with intonation and didn't do any slide pulling or any strange fingerings. If that had been necessary, I wouldn't have owned those tubas. No double standards, and of all things in the world...

For this particular Kanstul at HornStash, I played it a few times, and found that the 4th valve notes were kind of weird for me to get in tune, without some slide pulling. Some of which was pretty far out. I just didn't like that for myself.

That could have been partially due to my mouthpiece choice not matching up, or could have been me not playing the tuba as it needed to be played (people adapt to instruments -- it's a one way street). But those are smaller changes, and to me, the 4th valve notes were just kinda strange.

This tuba did have some damage that was fixed, I believe the bell was rolled out and maybe something else...? Not sure. It was originally listed around $9k or something, on consignment, and Jim had told me (years ago) to make an offer if interested. After a few years though, you have to figure the person will want to eventually sell it.

Intonation is a big deal, but I think we all tend to forgive things more when the price is right. I bet if this tuba was $5k, it would be gone and as Matt Walters would say "someone will be happy with it."

The bigger issue that I've heard about the Kanstul 90 is projection. Nice colorful sound... But that can come at the expense of cutting through an ensemble, at least not without pushing a bit harder to get the "cut" that you want. And by that point, is this really the most efficient tool for the job?

It's kind of like the super-blatt 6/4 York style tuba sound, just more 4/4ish. That's just not my preference.

bort2.0 wrote: Tue Mar 10, 2026 11:15 am
There is a lot of variation in older tubas. One Alexander plays differently than another, etc... The three you mentioned, I had no issues with intonation and didn't do any slide pulling or any strange fingerings. If that had been necessary, I wouldn't have owned those tubas. No double standards, and of all things in the world...

I had a chance to play your old Alex recently -- silver witth the Bob Pallansch leadpipe, right? That thing is unequivocally the best, most in-tune Alex CC I've ever played.

arpthark wrote: Tue Mar 10, 2026 11:38 am

bort2.0 wrote: Tue Mar 10, 2026 11:15 am
There is a lot of variation in older tubas. One Alexander plays differently than another, etc... The three you mentioned, I had no issues with intonation and didn't do any slide pulling or any strange fingerings. If that had been necessary, I wouldn't have owned those tubas. No double standards, and of all things in the world...

I had a chance to play your old Alex recently -- silver witth the Bob Pallansch leadpipe, right? That thing is unequivocally the best, most in-tune Alex CC I've ever played.

That's the one! I know right? It's a heck of a tuba!