What Kanstul does

Kanstul was an American manufacturer of handcrafted brass musical instruments founded in 1932 by Zig Kanstul and historically known for trumpets, trombones, flugelhorns, and piccolo trumpets featuring hand-hammered bells, precision-fitted components, and designs validated by leading studio and jazz musicians. The factory permanently closed in September 2019 following Zig Kanstul's death, and the company has since operated as a legacy entity rather than an active manufacturer. Today, Kanstul functions as a direct-to-consumer e-commerce marketplace run by Jack Kanstul and a small group of volunteers, selling new old stock (NOS), pre-owned instruments, and replacement parts through the Kanstul website with Stripe-based checkout. Listed products include the 1525 Copperbell flugelhorn, 1520 piccolo trumpet, Alan Kaplan Model 1602-B tenor trombone, 1410 convertible trumpet, gold-plated Eb trumpet, F. Besson piccolo trumpet, and compatible .500/.562 bore slides, priced between roughly $550 and $6,000. The firm's customer base consists primarily of professional brass musicians, advanced students, and collectors seeking instruments associated with Zig Kanstul's craftsmanship and the brand's documented association with artists such as Arturo Sandoval, Doc Severinsen, Herb Alpert, Jerry Hey, Gary Grant, Claudio Roditi, and Alan Kaplan. The company has no external institutional investment, no active manufacturing, and no disclosed revenue.

Name

Kanstul

Legal name

Kanstul

Website

https://kanstul.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1932

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kanstul is the legacy estate of the former Kanstul brass instrument manufacturer, founded in 1932 and closed since September 2019. It now operates a direct-to-consumer marketplace selling remaining handcrafted trumpet, trombone, and flugelhorn inventory to professional musicians and collectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brass Musical Instruments

NAICS

Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (45914), Musical Instrument Manufacturing (339992)

SIC

Musical Instruments (3931)

akta.pro primary industry

Musical Instrument Retail (Guitars, Keyboards, Drums, Band/Orchestra) (CRALAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Used & Vintage Musical Instruments Retail (CRALAEAH), Instrument Parts, Repair & Maintenance (Luthier, Tech Services, Spares) (MPAIAJAG)

Keywords

• Brass instrument manufacturing
• Handcrafted trumpets
• Professional flugelhorns
• Custom trombones
• Piccolo trumpets

Headquarters

HQ city

Anaheim

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Instrument Resales: Sale of pre-owned Kanstul instruments, NOS (new old stock) treasures, Kanstul mouthpieces, and remaining factory inventory through the Kanstul Marketplace website. The Kanstul factory closed in September 2019, making remaining inventory increasingly valuable collector's items.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kanstul was a manufacturer of handcrafted brass musical instruments, including trumpets, flugelhorns, trombones, and piccolo trumpets. The factory closed in September 2019, and the company now operates a marketplace website selling remaining new-old-stock (NOS) inventory, pre-owned instruments, replacement slides, and mouthpieces. Each instrument featured hand-hammered bells, hand-fitted components, and designs played by legendary studio musicians.

Product overview

Kanstul is a manufacturer of premium brass instruments, primarily trumpets, trombones, and flugelhorns. The company operated a brass instrument factory until September 2019 when it closed. The current Kanstul Marketplace sells remaining inventory including new old stock (NOS) instruments and pre-owned pieces. The product portfolio centers on handcrafted brass instruments featuring specialized designs such as the Copperbell flugelhorn (1525), piccolo trumpets (1520, F. Besson), convertible trumpets (1410), and signature trombones (Alan Kaplan 1602-B), along with replacement slides and parts. Products are known for their use by top Hollywood studio musicians and jazz artists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kanstul 1410 Convertible Trumpet A convertible trumpet designed to offer versatility for professional players by combining two instruments in one configuration. Reviewed positively by trumpet professionals including Brian Douglas on Trumpet Herald in 2011.
• Kanstul Alan Kaplan Signature Tenor Trombone (Model 1602-B) A signature model tenor trombone designed for Alan Kaplan, featuring a .500 slide, lightweight construction, and three removable mouthpipes including replicas of an original N.H. White, an Alan Kaplan signature pipe, and a Jiggs Whigham-style pipe. Kanstul's lightest .500 slide ever made, with matching lighter outer sleeve tubing and lightweight ferrules for fastest slide action.
• F. Besson Piccolo Trumpet An original F. Besson Bb/A piccolo trumpet restored and offered through Kanstul. Features a .460 bore and monel pistons, historically played by top European symphony musicians.
• Gold Plated E-flat Trumpet A gold-plated Eb trumpet featuring a 239 one-piece hand-hammered bell, .460 bore with 25 leadpipe, and 24kt gold plate finish. Designed for classical repertoire including Haydn-Hummel and Arutunian concertos.
• Kanstul .500 Bore Slide A lightweight brass tube slide silverplated for tenor trombone models 750, 1500, and 1550. Hand-fitted for silent action by Duwayne Yee. Sold at reduced price due to factory second silverplate finish.
• Kanstul .562 Bore Bass Trombone Slide A lightweight nickel-sleeved wide slide for bass trombones with silverplate finish. Features removable mouthpipes compatible with Shires and Kanstul mouthpipes, threading to Bach bass trombones.
• Kanstul 1525 Copperbell Flugelhorn The legendary Kanstul 1525 6 1/2" Copperbell flugelhorn featuring a copper bell design that produces a rich, dark, warm sound. Played by renowned artists including Arturo Sandoval, Doc Severinsen, Herb Alpert, Jerry Hey, Gary Grant, and Claudio Roditi over four decades.
• Kanstul 1520 Piccolo Trumpet A piccolo trumpet designed by Zig Kanstul with Byron Autry using TRUMPET mouthpipes (unlike the 920 which uses cornet mouthpipes). Plays in Bb/A/G with multiple configurations including 3 sets of mouthpipes, 3 sets of slides, and 3 interchangeable bells—effectively 3 horns in 1.

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Schilke: Long-standing U.S. manufacturer of professional brass instruments with deep studio-player adoption. Directly comparable in product category (trumpets, flugelhorns) and target customer (top-tier professional brass players).
• S.E. Shires: American maker of premium custom brass instruments (trumpets, trombones, flugelhorns) competing in the same high-end professional niche that Kanstul occupied. Closest functional peer given shared custom-build, artist-engagement, and direct-to-player distribution model.
• King (United Music Merchants): Historic American brass brand (now under UMI) producing professional brasswinds. Comparable in heritage and product category to Kanstul's pre-closure lineup.
• Getzen: Family-owned American brass instrument maker producing trumpets, trombones, and flugelhorns. Highly comparable business profile (independent U.S. manufacturer serving professional players).
• Bach (Selmer / UMI): Iconic American brass manufacturer (Vincent Bach) under Conn-Selmer/UMI. Comparable in product category and historical pedigree; broader distribution footprint via dealer network that Kanstul lacks.

Emerging players

• Stomvi: Spanish boutique brass manufacturer producing handcrafted professional trumpets, flugelhorns, and trombones. Comparable as a small, design-driven European/American niche brand competing for premium brass market share.
• Adams Brass: Dutch brass manufacturer producing premium professional trumpets and trombones. Comparable in craftsmanship positioning (hand-built instruments) and professional player focus.
• XO Brass (UMI / Jupiter): Boutique professional brass line developed within the Jupiter/UMI family. Comparable as a premium-tier brass brand targeting working professional musicians with custom-style offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Yamaha: Global musical instrument manufacturer with broad brass portfolio (Xeno, YTR professional trumpets). Operates at much larger scale across many instrument categories, but its professional brass line directly competes with Kanstul's addressable market.
• Besson (Buffet Crampon): Historic French brass brand owned by Buffet Crampon Group, with brasswinds ranging from student to professional. Directly comparable in heritage (Kanstul also restored/sold F. Besson instruments) and product category.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kanstul-musical-instruments

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kanstul