Looking for F trumpet

[barliman2001]

I am looking for an F alto trumpet with normal trumpet shank. Is there such a thing?

[SSmith1226]

If you can’t find a “F Alto Trumpet”, condider the following:
I have seen “F Getzen Frumpets” on Ebay. I don’t know what mouthpiece they use.
F Mellophone is a possible option. Some, I believe accept a trumpet shank. Mellophones also take a dedicated Mellophone Mouthpiece or a French Horn Mouthpiece with an adapter.
Carol Brass makes a G / Bb Trumpet that uses a standard mouthpiece if you don’t mind transposing down a step.

[stumac]

@barliman2001
Ebay seller Gmu-6 often has F alto rotary valve trumpets, some time ago I bought an Amarti piston valve alto trumpet in Eb from him. takes a standard trumpet shank, cut 150mm out of the loop in the bell tail to bring it up into F, one of these days I will shorten the valve slides to finish the job. Regards, Stuart.

[barliman2001]

To make quite clear why I am looking for an F Alto trumpet: Together with a few other people, I've founded an amateur original sound orchestra here in Vienna. We don't go for Baroque original sound - too expensive for amateurs - but rather for Classical and Romantic era music. Lots of the trumpet parts at this time were written for trumpet in F... so any hybrids or weirdos like Frumpets are out of the question.

[ROWUK]

There is such a thing. I have one (not for sale) made in the 1870s. Occasionally they pop up. A friend of mine has a similar Heckel F. They are NOT the alto instruments however. They have the same bore and bell as a soprano Bb trumpet.!
I think that Dotzauer still builds them.
IMG_1298.JPG

[barliman2001]

@rowuk Thanks

[Vulgano Brother]

Eggger makes piston and rotary f alto trumpets.

https://eggerinstruments.ch/historic/trompeten/trompeten-fuer-klassik-romantik/#perinet-courtois

[barliman2001]

@vulgano-brother Thanks for the info; but I am not in the market for a new instrument. Some used beater would do.

[Newell Post]

Schilke and Yamaha both make nice new ones, but I can't find any used right now from the usual suspects....

[administrator]

I recommend you put a wanted ad up on TrumpetHerald. That's the quickest path to success, IMO.

[barliman2001]

@administrator I don't put up an ad on THE OTHER SITE!!

[Jolter]

@rowuk

@rowuk said in Looking for F trumpet:

There is such a thing. I have one (not for sale) made in the 1870s. Occasionally they pop up. A friend of mine has a similar Heckel F. They are NOT the alto instruments however. They have the same bore and bell as a soprano Bb trumpet.!

Yes, I’ve also seen F trumpets pop up on eBay from time to time. They are sometimes in decent condition (but mostly not) and rarely of a make you’d recognize today. A friend bought one on a whim - it was dirt cheap - but so far never used it in symphony. It is not what I’d describe as extremely playable. He transposes well, so unlike me he is not phased by the prospect of playing various keys on an F trumpet.

Edit: An example item… Clearly not something to buy as a player.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/134358394109

[administrator]

https://thein-brass.de/instrument/tief-f-trompete/

[Jolter]

@administrator said in Looking for F trumpet:

https://thein-brass.de/instrument/tief-f-trompete/

Aside from the expense, I've heard some less favorable things about Thein's F trumpets. (Well, I've actually only heard from one player who has access to a Thein.)

This player is employed at an opera house and I regard his opinion very highly. The house furnished him with a Thein F trumpet for low parts in Wagner etc, and he hated it. Apparently his gripe was with the intonation.

This player used to have an account on Trumpetmaster.com but has not found his way over here, else I would have tagged him here.

[administrator]

@jolter said in Looking for F trumpet:

@administrator said in Looking for F trumpet:

https://thein-brass.de/instrument/tief-f-trompete/

Aside from the expense, I've heard some less favorable things about Thein's F trumpets. (Well, I've actually only heard from one player who has access to a Thein.)

This player is employed at an opera house and I regard his opinion very highly. The house furnished him with a Thein F trumpet for low parts in Wagner etc, and he hated it. Apparently his gripe was with the intonation.

This player used to have an account on Trumpetmaster.com but has not found his way over here, else I would have tagged him here.

Interesting.

[ROWUK]

The F trumpet is not popular because of one reason: security. That is the main reason for the ever shorter instruments most used today. Our standard Bb trumpet today used to be called the "high Bb trumpet" by the F trumpet players. They criticised the smaller horns for their "tone".

My F trumpet is in tune. Due to its length however, it does not blend in a section of modern Bb trumpets. The tone is dramatically different.

[SSmith1226]

@barliman2001 said in Looking for F trumpet:

To make quite clear why I am looking for an F Alto trumpet: Together with a few other people, I've founded an amateur original sound orchestra here in Vienna. We don't go for Baroque original sound - too expensive for amateurs - but rather for Classical and Romantic era music. Lots of the trumpet parts at this time were written for trumpet in F... so any hybrids or weirdos like Frumpets are out of the question.

Here is another “out of the question” “hybrid and Weirdo”, the Berkeley Double Bell Bb/F Trumpet. The F side plays through a single bell configuration. The video starts with Bb version and at 1:12 switches configuration and plays on the F Trumpet. Later, it switches bells, I believe back to Bb configuration using a piccolo trumpet bell, playing on a standard Bb length trumpet.
Never the less, since the F Trumpets are quirky at best, generally with intonation and accuracy problems, this should fit right in!

[Newell Post]

@barliman2001 I have a Getzen 300 (low) Eb/F that I think of as a "tenor" trumpet. Don't know what it is officially designated. (Lower than than standard Bb, but higher than a bass trumpet.) Is that what your are looking for or do you want a high-F trumpet? Mine takes a standard mouthpiece.

[ROWUK]

This is the soprano low F-Trumpet that I am talking about:

It takes a "standard" Bb trumpet mouthpiece, preferably with a deep cup. The historic mouthpiece often had a thin "cookie cutter" rim.

[barliman2001]

@newell-post That is the direction I'm thinking of.