Antoine Courtois' Euphonium information

[joshealejo]

I decided to watch some Melton Meinl Weston 551 euphonium photos and my Courtois A367 matches perfectly.
Furthermore the bell diameter is announced at 310 mm wide and on my Courtois it is 300 mm. You can just guess I found 300 mm bell diameter on Meinl Weston vendors for the 551 version.
It is also mention that the 551 has a Heavy gold brass big bell. What is the point behind this ?
I understand that the metal layer is not thin so that for low pitched sounds the sound quality is great without vibrations.
I can compare to the basic MTP compensated euphonium which low pitched sounds are like tin can sounds.

Also I wander why very few people mention the MMW 551s on the Web site. Is it finally a instrument under Besson prestige, Adams E3, Yamaha 842s in term of quality ?
Or because on this US site people would tend to favor 'local' euphoniums ?

Rob

Can you share some pictures of your Courtois 367? I would love to take a look as your link does not work anymore since you purchased the instrument. I remember that your 367 to have smaller (shorter) valves than the Courtois 267 so than the Melton 551. But the rest of the budy should be the same as the Melton 551. The only differences between the Courtois 267 and Melton 551 are the valve finger buttons. The Melton used their common buttons and Courtois their classic "Courtois shaped" buttons (wich are prettier to me) and also the trigger. The Courtois trigger is pressed by the left middel finger, as I is in the back side of the instrument as well as on the earlier Meltons. The later Meltons used to have the Besson shaped frontal trigger, like, again, Besson, Yamaha, etc.

There was also a special Melton model, The "Melton Culbertson - Merkur- 551" supposed to be designed in consultation with Mel Culbertson, an American Tuba player that stabilished in France and who also dessigned a CC Tuba (Mel Culbertson Neptune) and a couple of F tubas (Mel Culbertson Apollo and Mel Culbertson Vulcano wich evolved to the Melton Culbertson Titan). This special Melton Culbertson had the trigger in the back and an outstanding gold lacquer, yes, like the new Besson, and the Mel Culbertson "Sun" Logo.

A couple of pictures of my 267



A couple of pictures of the Melton Culbertson Merkur

[RobBartom]

Courtois 367 photos

Can you share some pictures of your Courtois 367? I would love to take a look as your link does not work anymore since you purchased the instrument. I remember that your 367 to have smaller (shorter) valves than the Courtois 267 so than the Melton 551. But the rest of the budy should be the same as the Melton 551. The only differences between the Courtois 267 and Melton 551 are the valve finger buttons. The Melton used their common buttons and Courtois their classic "Courtois shaped" buttons (wich are prettier to me) and also the trigger. The Courtois trigger is pressed by the left middel finger, as I is in the back side of the instrument as well as on the earlier Meltons. The later Meltons used to have the Besson shaped frontal trigger, like, again, Besson, Yamaha, etc.

There was also a special Melton model, The "Melton Culbertson - Merkur- 551" supposed to be designed in consultation with Mel Culbertson, an American Tuba player that stabilished in France and who also dessigned a CC Tuba (Mel Culbertson Neptune) and a couple of F tubas (Mel Culbertson Apollo and Mel Culbertson Vulcano wich evolved to the Melton Culbertson Titan). This special Melton Culbertson had the trigger in the back and an outstanding gold lacquer, yes, like the new Besson, and the Mel Culbertson "Sun" Logo.

A couple of pictures of my 267
[ATTACH=CONFIG]6827[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]6828[/ATTACH]

A couple of pictures of the Melton Culbertson Merkur
[ATTACH=CONFIG]6829[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]6830[/ATTACH]

Hello,

I provide some photos I took yesterday.

[jkircoff]

I'd like to see a 'local' pro euph made in the USA today...

Dennis

I think Kanstul is the closest we got before they closed shop.

[John Morgan]

I think Kanstul is the closest we got before they closed shop.

Kanstul is out of business? I didn't know that.

[davewerden]

Kanstul is out of business? I didn't know that.

On the Kanstul website (lower on the home page):

A message to our friends

Effective immediately, Kanstul Musical Instruments is putting a hold on new orders for instruments, parts and accessories. We are undergoing a transition that requires an indefinite halt in production.

In the meantime, the Kanstul family and team want to express our deep appreciation to our customers, business partners and friends for the business and incredible support we’ve received over the 38 years since Zig Kanstul founded the company.

We will update on any further developments.

Please direct any questions via email to sales@kanstul.com.

[adrian_quince]

I'm really disappointed to see the trouble that Kanstul is in right now. I've been absolutely thrilled with mine, and I know tons of players who swear by their flugels. I'm hoping they can pull through and keep making instruments here in the US.

[spkissane]

This felt like the most appropriate thread to mention that I just saw Kanstul reduced their last two euphoniums to $4250 (976 with removable bronze bell) and $4000 (975), which is a steal for that quality of a brand new horn. You can see them on Kanstul's Facebook page.

Honestly if I had the money on hand, I'd buy one of them out of simple curiosity.

[Simes]

If he considers the Courtois the best, then he is certainly the only one. I’ve tried probably every euphonium on the market, and found Courtois instruments ungainly, very suspect intonation wise, poorly built, overpriced, and not conducive to making a big sound.

Certainly they are inferior in every respect to either Boosey & Hawkes, or Besson (unless it’s a 967GS which were dreadful).

[bbocaner]

I really like the early GS Bessons! When they first introduced them in 1993 and 1994 they were really fantastic, and I feel that the quality was good up until about 1997 or 1998 when they started to really cheap out on them. But the design was good. I certainly would rather have a really good GS from 1994 than a round stamp.

[Simes]

Fascinating! I cordially dislike the thin brass, the 3rd slide water key, the floating lead pipe, and the flimsy build. Ergonomically they’re all wrong too - the angle at which I play meant my head gets too close to the bell. The main tuning slide legs are too short as well. For me, too much wasted energy in needless vibration throughout the instrument.

Having said that, my second euphonium comrade loves his. I’d much rather play an Imperial, or even better a round stamp.

However it was good for Besson and UK brass bands as the minimum discount was 30% and they were readily available.

The 994 BBbs were crap as well.