In the last six months, two percussion companies took a leap forward toward creating an all-around instrumental solution for the marching arts activities. Continuing its partnership with Adams Musical Instruments, Pearl Corporation announced the release of a new Adams Marching Brass line. Similarly, Tama formed a new relationship with Kanstul Musical Instruments to release co-branded marching brass products.
Pearl and Adams have been in partnership for more than 15 years, but at the Midwest Clinic in December 2012, Pearl announced its distribution of new Adams Marching Brass instruments.
Since 2005, Adams has had a high-end Custom Brass Series. Building on this success, the company developed a new marching line in hopes of creating a complete package of high-quality instruments.
“We really felt there was a need for a higher quality of horn that matched the high quality you find in the Adams front ensemble equipment and Pearl battery,” says Shawn Lafrenz, senior marketing manager at Pearl.
Every part of each instrument is designed, created and assembled in Thorn, Holland. “They make every part of the instruments from the ground up; that’s a consistency in the Adams story,” Lafrenz says.
In every effort, Adams focuses on being “performance elevated” and strives toward complete quality sound, Lafrenz says. “It is a refreshing approach to what many people see as a commodity product.”
Pearl and Adams hope to see the marching brass line used not only at the university level but also by drum corps.
Tama by Kanstul Marching Brass
In early 2013, Tama announced its new relationship with Kanstul to become the sole U.S. distributor of a lineup of marching brass instruments, branded as Tama by Kanstul Marching Brass.
Since 1981, Zig Kanstul has not only overseen Kanstul Musical Instruments in Anaheim, Calif., but he has been hands-on and deeply involved in the process of making the instruments.
“People wonder where Kanstul went,” says Tama product specialist Greg Flores. But, he says, they never went anywhere. Kanstul traditionally has not marketed its instruments, believing that the quality would speak for itself.
However, with the new partnership, Kanstul will benefit from Tama’s user-friendly website and marketing efforts. The website allows buyers to build their orders with drums and brass together. “Band directors will have a much easier time to go online and shop,” Flores says.
The Kanstul company has been impressed with Tama’s ability to market to the marching activity. “It’s been a long time since we’ve been a player in the marching band and drum corps community,” says Charles G. Hargett, Kanstul sales and marketing manager. “[Tama has] made such inroads in a short amount of time.”
With only minor updates since the original marching products were launched, “the Tama by Kanstul instruments are just the straight Kanstul designs, the tried-and-true,” Hargett says.
Both Tama and Kanstul agree that the companies will benefit from their similar ideals and complementary strengths. While Kanstul will focus on manufacturing, Tama will handle marketing and distribution. “[Tama is] a large company known for quality and no compromise,” Hargett says. “We’re known for those things too. So it’s really good to be associated with them.”
According to Flores, Tama hopes to create something all-inclusive, similar to The Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps’ System Blue, which is a mixture of products, educational live events and publishing.
Available instruments in both the Adams Marching Brass and Tama by Kanstul lines are the marching trumpet, baritone, French horn, euphonium, mellophone and tuba. Tama by Kanstul also offers the marching trombone. For more information, visit www.adamsmarchingbrass.com and www.tamamarching.com/Kanstul.
