Kanstul Musical Instruments, Inc

09/03/2026

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For this week’s In the Studio, I’d like to share something especially meaningful to me.

Like Paul Cacia, I had the opportunity to study trumpet with the legendary Claude Gordon. Through those years of study, I also came to know Paul and witnessed firsthand the extraordinary influence Claude had on so many players.

Claude was about much more than developing range. He believed in developing the complete musician—technical ability, musicianship, discipline, and a commitment to reaching one’s full potential.

Paul once described Claude’s approach to his trumpet studies this way:

“He approached my trumpet studies as if he were preparing me in the same manner to become a world class concert pianist like his son Steven Gordon, the world champion of the Tchaikovsky Competition in Russia.”

That says so much about Claude Gordon. His expectations were high because he believed his students were capable of achieving more.

Today, Paul pays tribute to his teacher with his recording of the famous Carnival of Venice variations—a wonderful reminder of the lasting connection between a great teacher, his student, and the music that continues to carry their legacy forward.

I hope you’ll take a moment to listen and enjoy this special tribute. 🎺 Gordon

08/31/2026

A legendary legacy deserves legendary style—the Kanstul Legacy T-shirt series starts here, and this one is Bad to the Bone. 🎺🔥

08/25/2026

As Eddie settles into his favorite chair and relaxes for a little quiet reading, he’s ready to dig a little deeper into The Legacy of Craftsmanship.

And what better way to accompany an evening of reflection than with the soothing sounds of Louise Baranger playing “A Trumpeter’s Prayer.”

For a moment, the world slows down.

A comfortable chair.
A good book.
Beautiful music in the background.
And perhaps a little time to appreciate the artistry, dedication, and craftsmanship that live between the pages.

Eddie seems to have discovered that some legacies are best enjoyed one quiet chapter at a time. 🐾📖🎺

08/24/2026

morning, everyone.

What happens when a great trumpet virtuoso comes to a master craftsman with a very specific idea of what he wants an instrument to do?

If that craftsman is Zig Kanstul, the answer can be something extraordinary.

This week’s In the Studio features the great Paul Cacia and a custom trumpet Zig built for him in 2005.

Paul knew exactly what he was looking for. He wanted a trumpet that would slot a Double A using the first two valves rather than an alternate fi*****ng.

Zig listened—and then took the idea even further.

The result was an instrument Paul described through his playing, and one you can still hear today on his most recent album, Legacy — The Last Sessions.

This week, we’re sharing a little of that story and a chance to hear Paul’s remarkable range soar on “Nessun Dorma.”

Sometimes the best stories in the Kanstul Legacy begin with a musician asking, “Can you build this?”

And Zig answering, “Let’s see.”

🎺 Jack Kanstul Kanstul.com KanstulRegistry.com

08/21/2026

Today’s From the Workshop takes us back to the 1960s, when I was surrounded by some pretty extraordinary people and instruments at the F.E. Olds factory in Fullerton.

One of those people was the legendary Rafael Mendez.

Rafael had a larger-than-life personality, and you never quite knew when he might walk through the factory doors. Zig had built instruments for him, and there was always a story that seemed to follow wherever Mendez went.

This photograph captures one of those moments—and the story Zig told about how the factory always seemed to know where Mendez had been is one of my favorites.

Let’s take a look back at Rafael Mendez, the instruments he helped make famous, and a little piece of the history Zig was fortunate enough to witness firsthand. Kanstul.com KanstulRegistry.com

08/20/2026

🔐 FROM THE VAULT

Sometimes innovation begins right at home.

When my brother, Zig Jr., joined Boy Scout Troop 72 in Anaheim, California, their drum and bugle corps played the traditional G bugles of the day, with a single horizontal piston in D.

My father, Zig, understood keyed brass instruments and immediately recognized the musical limitations of that combination. He knew there had to be a better way to give the players greater musical flexibility.

So he went to work.

He changed the piston to F and added a rotor in F♯. In effect, the first two valves now functioned like the first two valves of a trumpet—opening up far greater musical possibilities while retaining the character of the bugle.

That idea became much more than an experiment.

My father eventually developed an entire range of these keyed bugles for the Velvet Knights Drum & Bugle Corps, of which he was a founding member. The Knights premiered the new instruments for Olds at the Chicago Opera House in 1968 at Drum Corps Digest’s Fantasy in Brass.

The following year, Olds made these instruments available to drum corps across the country.

What began with a Boy Scout corps in Anaheim ultimately helped move the entire activity forward musically.

This is one of the stories behind the instruments that changed the sound of drum corps.

From the Kanstul Archives.

Preserving the past. Inspiring the future. Kanstul.com Kanstulregistry.com

08/18/2026

Love the Kanstul G ceremonial copper bugle standing on its bell.

08/17/2026

08/17/2026

Good morning, everyone.

This week on In the Studio, we’re featuring a musician whose career has touched some of the most influential sounds in contemporary music—Greg Adams.

As a founding member of Tower of Power, a Grammy and Emmy-winning trumpeter and arranger, and a musician who has worked with artists including Santana, Madonna, and Elton John, Greg has spent decades helping define the sound of modern brass.

Throughout his career, Greg has also developed a deep appreciation for Zig Kanstul’s craftsmanship, particularly the unmistakable voice of the Kanstul 1525 flugelhorn.

Today, Greg continues to perform and arrange with East Bay Soul, the group he founded in 2009, where the 1525 has remained an important part of his musical voice.

It’s an honor to feature Greg Adams and his many years of playing The Best.

Even Eddie stopped to listen to that unmistakable sound. 🐾🎺

Welcome to another In the Studio.

🎺 Jack Kanstul. Kanstul.com

08/14/2026