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DECEMBER 2017 THE GLOBAL ISSUE

KANSTUL FAMILY-OWNED BRASSWINDS MAKER CARRIES ON TRADITION OF CRAFTSMANSHIP GLOBAL COMPANY PROFILES

ducing a quality sound.” Trumpets have been arguably KMI’s KANSTUL highest-profile segment since that first contract to build the Besson line, yet Family-owned brasswinds maker carries on many of its other entries have found their tradition of craftsmanship own place in musical lore. KMI’s Model 1531 cornet was used by Doc Severinsen to record his famous Trumpet Spectacu- lar album, while its flagship 1525 cop- per-bell flugelhorn was used on the album Flight To Freedom by Arturo San- doval, who called it “the most incredible instrument I’ve ever played.” Three Kanstul contrabass trombones were used in Disney’s Alice In Wonderland. And as for tubas: the last major project of Zig Kanstul’s career was bringing back the York line sometimes known as the “Great American Tuba.” KMI even de- veloped an Eb tenor horn, used mostly in the U.K., so it could supply British-style brass bands with all their instruments. In one of its newest projects, KMI has re- created the iconic “Committee” trumpet played by greats including Wallace Roney, who plays a custom version of the instrument. In another new entry, it’s developed travel tubas in the key of C or Bb, both sized for modern airline re- WITH THE 1981 CLOSURE of the brasswinds company manufacturing en- quirements but drawing on the DNA of Benge brass instruments factory, a crew tirely in the United States. Although Zig classic models from the Kanstul line. of skilled craftsmen were set to lose their Kanstul died in 2016—after 66 years at “Nothing resonates like a Kanstul,” jobs while several million dollars in ma- the workbench—his tradition has been says Jack. “That doesn’t come by chinery would be sold as scrap. Fortu- carried on by his sons Mark, now CEO chance. It’s the art of instrument making nately, Zigmant Kanstul knew an of Kanstul Musical Instruments, and that’s been passed down from generation opportunity when he saw one. An instru- Jack, vice president. “We’re a musical to generation.” ment maker and technician since 1950, family, and we build for musicians,” says Zig Kanstul was just 21 years old in Zig was already a kind of brasswinds Jack Kanstul. “This is our continuing 1950 when he started working as an in- renaissance man who’d done standout history and the legacy my father has left strument repairman in Kansas City, and work for manufacturers including F.E. us and the music products industry.” not much older when he got his first job Olds and King Musical Instruments, Still based in Anaheim, the KMI factory assembling horns for F.E. Olds. The which was then the owner of the Benge is only about a mile from Disneyland and hands-down prodigy of the department, operation. But when King shut down the not much farther from the annual site of he was known to turn out nearly 40 trum- Benge plant in Anaheim, California to the winter NAMM show—which means, pets—all of them perfect—on days when consolidate its business in Cleveland, as Jack says, “Dealers come from all other workers stopped at 12. Understand- Zig picked up the pieces and converted over the world right to our front door.” ably impressed, plant manager Foster the shuttered factory, along with its best Between its proprietary Kanstul line and Reynolds taught him the technique be- workers, into the newly founded Kanstul OEMH erbproducts Alpert built performing at one time with or an- hind the “tapered tube” that’s among the Musical Instruments. The new company otherhis for custom Besson, Kanstul Cannonball, “Gemini” King, most exacting tasks in brasswind manu- trumpet. became official with a contract from Conn, and more, there isn’t much in the facturing. (Later, Zig would pass down U.K.-based Boosey & Hawkes to re-cre- brasswinds world that KMI doesn’t do. that knowledge to instrument builders ate the famed Besson trumpet. Since One of its hallmarks: using only high- working under him, including Troy Em- then, KMI has developed its own top-to- quality brass and copper sourced within mons, KMI’s top craftsman today.) Zig bottom line of brass instruments while the U.S. “The brass coming out of China went on to run the Olds operation from building on an OEM basis for some of is very brittle due to lack of quality con- Reynolds’ death in 1960 through the end the industry’s most highly respected trol at the brass foundries,” says Jack, of the decade. From there he left to take brands. It’s now the only family-owned “and the metal is very important in pro- a job at King where he was vice presi- GLOBAL COMPANY PROFILES

Founder Zig Kanstul’s son Jack carries Although Kanstul is not the largest on the company’s unique tradition. brasswind manufacturer, its team of craftsmen can produce an unrivaled va- riety of instruments. dent in charge of the Benge division through the ’70s, culminating in its clo- Today, the brothers have 80 years of sure and the start of KMI in 1981. musical instrument making experience Meanwhile, Zig’s children were grow- between them, and Mark’s 16-year-old ing up in the industry. When Mark, Jack, son Alex is learning the family tradition. Kanstul horns have become the fa- and their brother Ziggy played in the Their instruments are sold widely across vorites of leading performers including Anaheim Scouts and Velvet Knights North America, Asia, and both Western Wallace Roney. drum and bugle corps, Zig outfitted them and Eastern Europe, as well as Australia, with quality instruments, once saying, South Africa, and Brazil. Globally speak- “It’s hard enough to play a musical in- ing, it’s not the same industry as their fa- musical instruments attainable. That was strument, without giving a kid a poor in- ther came up in, or even the same one his world. My brother Mark and I realize strument to play on.” Thus inspired, Zig KMI emerged into in 1981: Costs are some things have changed, but what does developed a series of instruments, in- tighter, and competition is stiffer, if not change is the musician’s desire to cluding the Olds 1st G/F/F# bugles and you’re determined to manufacture in the have a quality instrument to make music Bb/F marching brass, that are credited U.S. without outsourcing even a piece of on. The strategy that sets us apart is we with raising the bar in the marching seg- your operation. For Kanstul, though, that are the real deal: family-owned and mak- ment. He later brought many of the same part is non-negotiable. “My father was ing the full line, all in our factory, like techniques over to KMI’s marching line. an old school craftsmen,” says Jack. “He we always have.” By their early 20s, both Mark and Jack concentrated on what should really www.kanstul.com had started careers in brass-making. count: the sound and making the finest