Student trumpets

adc

I've owned 4 Ambassadors, 3 trumpets and one cornet. They are great student horns, but just so-so for higher level playing. I did play one (a 1950s trumpet) in a big band for a few years and it worked pretty well, so they probably do have a place in jazz, swing, and similar types of settings. Legit music, nope.
I played several Ambassadors in the last few years. The King 602? was superior IMHO.

Did you ever play a Conn 36A Cornet?

Bob Pixley

@adc said in Student trumpets:

@Bob-Pixley said in Student trumpets:

I've owned 4 Ambassadors, 3 trumpets and one cornet. They are great student horns, but just so-so for higher level playing. I did play one (a 1950s trumpet) in a big band for a few years and it worked pretty well, so they probably do have a place in jazz, swing, and similar types of settings. Legit music, nope.

I played several Ambassadors in the last few years. The King 602? was superior IMHO.

Did you ever play a Conn 36A Cornet?

No, but I've played a 12A and it was a terrific cornet. Not a student-level instrument, though.

Generally I like Shepherds crook cornets. Of all the I have owed: I liked the Getzen 400 series Shepherds crook cornet. The sound was excellent, it was not mouthpiece sensitive and well designed. Did like having the guide on the valve. Don't like the plastic valve guides that fit into the valves. To me it is a design flaw. As is the 3rd slide adjustable ring.

Other student models I liked were the Bach 300 shepherds crook cornet and the Yamaha 2330 cornet. Liked the compact size of the Bach and the sound. These was my second Bach 300 series cornet. Didn't like sound of the the first one I owed. Also didn't like the placement of the 3rd slide adjustable ring or the valve guides. If my memory is correct, the adjustable ring was on the side not the top of the slide.

The Yamaha 2330 shepherds cornet had an excellent sound, well constructed. All the Yamaha's cornets I have owed were very consistent in sound. Just didn't have the sound I wanted.

The difference between the Bach and Yamaha was slight, but I preferred the second Bach cornet over the Yamaha cornet. Sounded much better to me.

Then I decided to abandon the student cornets and move on to the intermediate, semi professional and professional instruments.

Bob Pixley

I've owned a few Conn Director cornets (15A and 17A) and one Director 15B trumpet over the years, and the cornets played surprisingly well. Easy to play, with good intonation. The only drawback was they were too bright. The trumpet was just so-so. It was kind of lifeless. The Director cornets were better trumpets than the Director trumpet...lol.

I gave this one to one of my nephews when he was starting band in 6th grade. He played it all the way through 10th grade and then got a trumpet. The Conn was then passed down to his sister, who played it until a couple years ago when she got a trumpet. Nice little cornet.

flugelgirl

I just gifted one of those same cornets to a local school band program. Solid little horn, but I certainly had no need for it.
As for nylon valve guides, it’s funny that the trumpet world can see them as a detriment, but they are an absolute necessity in the low brass world. A tuba with brass valve guides - that clacking would be projected across the concert hall. In a trumpet the click is barely noticeable to the player, so we can be a bit more (or less) picky about our guide material. This was something I never really thought about until apprenticing in a shop that specializes in tubas! The plus side to nylon is that they are quiet, the downside that they wear out a little faster.