I have not played that many different brands of trumpets, but I have benn told by numerous band directors and private teachers that you can't go wrong with a Bach Stradivarius (Don't bother with the student models -aka- TR300). I have also heard that Yamaha makes a very consistent horn - I think the pro model for them is the Xeno. However, investing in a used horn wouldn't be a bad idea either. You can find used professional models for under $1000 and they play just as good - if not better than - new horns. Pick a horn for its sound, not by how shiny it is. Also, probably the best way to go about finding a new trumpet is to just take a day, go around to various music stores, and try out trumpets. Bring someone with you as a set of ears.
If you have any other questions, you can email me at uhhhno@msn.com
Like he said, Bach Straduvarius is standard top notch. I just bought a 1980 pro bach strad for 900. So, if you have any friends that are good with ebay, that is always a good deal.
"Yes, buy a strad! These are definately the best all around trumpets you can buy for their price range."
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA that's some of the worst advice i've ever heard. You need to try a horn before you buy it... especially bachs seeing as how they're so inconsistent. The older Bachs are usually wonderful horns but the newer ones usually suck. They are hard to slot, the sound is weird, and there is no way to find notes in tune in the upper register. Xenos are usually good horns and they're very consistent but lots of people find the sond to be muffled. You should go to all the shops in your area and play every professional horn the have and find out which one you like... you might even need to try more than one of the same model and you should only buy the exact horn that you played. Or look for ads of used ones and play test those... i personally prefer to buy used.
I agree with weedy. Xeno do sometimes sound muffled. {Friend had one.} I like Yamahas better then bachs though. the consicity sp? of yamahas is better.
Buying a particular brand or model trumpet on recommendation alone is a mistake that many trumpet players have made. I won't dispute that the Bach Stradivarius is very popular and generally a very good quality trumpet, but I have read on forums on another website that newer Bach horns suffer inconsistency from instrument to instrument. The best way to find the best horn for yourself is to go to a music store and try every trumpet they have within your budget. This is something you should do using "the" mouthpiece that you plan to use. As with mouthpiece selection, the one trumpet that plays wonderfully for you might be the worst choice for the person in the next chair. I personally play a Blessing ML-1S using a Monette STC1-B4S mouthpiece, and I think that combo hangs pretty well with the Bachs and other more expensive trumpets in the five ensembles that I play in.
"XENOS RULE DEATH TO STRADS"- whoever posted this, it isn't advice and it does not contribute to the topic, it is also rude.
Anyway there are so many brands out there and you really just have to try as many as you can, to name a few, yamaha, bach, getzen, shilke, kanstul, conn, king... Try em all and pick the one YOU like best.
Here's a compiled list of brands of trumpets and models that I have made with help of fellow students, professionals, band directors, and others, including lots of web research. (looking for a trumpet in $2000 price range as well, see my thread) All horns in Pro section are great projecting horns.
Pro: (about $2000)
Yamaha Xeno line: Good trumpets, getting better and better nowdays. Very consistent, so it's less of a danger to mail order.
Some find the trumpet produces a muffled sound. Very free blowing, and the horn looks good. At around the same level as Bach Strads (no matter what some ppl think).
Bach Stradivarius line: (Common in class with serious students) Good trumpets, the new trumpets are worse than the older trumpets. If anyone has a strad, its prob gonna be a model 37. The model 47 and 72 are popular as well.
Some good ones are 180S "Big Apple Edition" (rare) and the 197 "New York #7" (also rare), as well as the 198 "Limited Edition Vintage Strad". The 180M and LT180ML are extremely popular. The TRSOL 100R "Soloist Model" horns are pretty good. But if u find a bach strad, in a shop near u, try it out, u may not like it, but most people like them.
C.G. Conn: VINTAGE I trumpets are the one to get. They are free blowing, up with the Xenos and Strads.
Monette: (One Wynton Marsalis uses) Great horns, best of the best, but EXPENSIVE!!!$$$!!!$$$!!! The Pranas, Aljas, and Flumpets are all top quality, if u can afford them. They are new $8000 min, and can go up to $12000, but they're worth every penny. If ur concerned with looks, they're good plated (most of them). Great intonation and valve action and breathtaking tone. Horns may take a bit getting used to, and are HEAVY.
Lawler: Great trumpets, As close to a Monette as u can get (but never close enough). They are custom, like the Monettes. These are gold, silver, and yellow brass plated, depending on what u want. Very free blowing. Have good intonation and tones, like the Monettes.
Shilke: Good horn (director has one), X series, S series (S42 especially), B series, and the M II are all good trumpets. Tone, and valve action are good. But this is also a HEAVY horn.
Taylor: Dark sounding, good horns. Great tone (friend has one) and HEAVY.
Marcinkiewicz: Hard to come by, but some of the best horns around. They have great valves, and are the best, in terms of tone. Heavy and expensive.
Phaeton: (some are good, others aren't) Try 'em all. The good horn series is the PHT series.
Smith & Watkins: Great Bb horn. Pretty much all to say about it.
Stage 1: Great trumpets with AWESOME VALVES (the best) These trumpets are custom designed, with a emphasis on valve action. The trumpets are great looking, and some popular models are the California Light and the New York Bb. Around $4000-$5000 new, $3000 used (if u can find one).
Eclipse: Expensive, good horns. Try the trumpets.
Edwards and Getzen: Get the valve action with these valve-oriented horns. These are good Pro horns, and are known as sister corporations, as Edwards was a Getzen family member. Similar designs are in both trumpet companies.
Exbrass: Shark #9, Referenz 2001, Eleganza, and others are good models. Good trumpets and good looking. Rare and pricey. Custom, great intonation and sound, as well as a great valve system. These are expensive, tho $5000.
B&S: Haven't got much, except that they're good trumpets.
Eastman: Try trumpets.
Bel Canto: 54 Severinsen model is good.
Baumann: Bb trumpet is good. Try it out.
Wedgewood: Try the horn out.
Stromvi: Try instrument, mostly good, good intonation and projection.
Straub: Almost all the horns are good, pretty consistent. Try the horns out.
Harrelson: TRY trumpet.
Courtois: Try horn.
Brasswerks: Hard to come by, expensive, and are good trumpets.
Callichio: Try the trumpets, are Great horns.
Burbank and BSC: try the trumpets. Old Trumpets that are Pro-quality: Are normally a bit cheaper, but are almost as good, just as good, or better than newer pro horns.
Olds: Get "older" Olds trumpets, not "newer" Olds trumpets, the Olds 1960 models are good. (Super, Mendez, Recording, Opera, and Studio)
King: Silver Flair are great trumpets. DON'T GET NEWER SILVER FLAIR, IT IS A MEDIOCRE INTERMEDIATE TRUMPET.
Burbank and LA Benge: 1960-1970 models.
C.G. Conn: 1960 CONNstelation trumpets are good.
*****But hey, use this as a guide so u don't buy the crap under. DON'T EVER BUY A HORN WITHOUT TRYING IT. IT WILL BE A HUGE MISTAKE. A TRUMPET IS NOT ALWAYS GOOD BECAUSE THE BRAND IS GOOD. SOME JUPITERS ARE GOOD, WHILE SOME BACH STRADS SUCK TO HELL... SO TRY THE HORNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!******
CRAP HORNS TAT LOOK LIKE PRO HORNS:
ALL BLESSING (no matter what u think)
Besson
New King silver Flair
Bach TR300's
New Conn CONNstellations
and many others .... just to avoid buying one of the many others, try the horn first, and try others, the one that sounds the best is the best for u.
Hope this Helps,
DESERT_STORM
<Added>
Umm ... by the way, STAY AWAY FROM Store Brand instruments, like the sears harmony trumpets. THEY LAST FOR A WHOLE DAY!!! Then they SHATTER!!!!!! Stay away from begginer trumpets, but only stupid ppl need to know that from me...
I have played on xeno's and strads. They all come with their ups and downs. I think bachs have a darker sound...for me at least they do. I play on bach instruments. But i love the xeno c trumpets. You want a good horn? Go to a music store that sells trumpets. You wanna gather like....as many strads and yamaha xenos as you can and try all of them out to see which one plays the best. You might wanna thro in a benge or somethign too to see if you like that. But go with the strad or the xeno...TRY THEM OUT BEFORE YOU PURCHASE THEM! good luck finding a horn. there are a lot of good ones out there, but thre are also crap ones. find a good one. my Bb trumpet is my favorite horn ever...i'm never going to replace it...it plays amazingly.
sorry to double post. it's also good to play on a horn with the same mouthpiece brand. the principal trumpet in a symphony i play in says that when he plays on his yamaha mouthpiece on his yamaha horn, it's a entirely new instrument. i play on larger monette mouthpieces B1-5 B1-1 C-11 and i think they work great for me. I'm a monette person, what can i say. But yea, i'm a bach person too. If you're looking for a piccolo trumpet....ide go with schilke.
sorry to double post. it's also good to play on a horn with the same mouthpiece brand. the principal trumpet in a symphony i play in says that when he plays on his yamaha mouthpiece on his yamaha horn, it's a entirely new instrument. i play on larger monette mouthpieces B1-5 B1-1 C-11 and i think they work great for me. I'm a monette person, what can i say. But yea, i'm a bach person too. If you're looking for a piccolo trumpet....ide go with schilke.
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