Best Off-brand Trumpets
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@Kehaulani
Yeah, a case in point is the Manchester Brass custom ACB Bb trumpet I purchased as my band horn. I got it at a low introductory price ( $800 USD) at the time but it normally sells for $1300 ( on sale now I believe for under $1000 ) It is a helluva band horn, light and versatile for just about anything I have to play. But for lead playing when jamming with friends, when I want a nice warm tone for ballads, I prefer either the 1952 Selmer Paris or the recently acquired 1999 Conn Vintage.1960s King Super 20 Silversonic, 1940 Olds Recording, 1942 Buescher True Tone 400 ,1999 Conn Vintage One Bb trumpet, A 1952 Selmer Paris, A 2020 Getzen 400 and a Manchester Brass ACB custom pro Bb trumpet, a 1962 Conn Victor 5A Cornet.
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@Tobylou8 said in Best Off-brand Trumpets:
@Vulgano-Brother said in Best Off-brand Trumpets:
@Dr-GO said in Best Off-brand Trumpets:
Oh by the way, here is a picture of my daughters:!
Are they married yet, Dad?
Sooo... back on topic...
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@GeorgeB What if you only had $350 (arbitrary number) to spend?
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I'm not sure if it would be considered an "off-brand" but I believe that Carol Brass offers a lot of bang for the buck. Also, anything sold under the brand of trusted sellers on this forum ACB (Trent) or Jaeger Trumpets (Ivan) though not "major" brands would be good players (because they would not let anything leave their shop that was not) at a fair value........
Bob
Schilke S42
Bach Strad 183 Flugel
(and a modest vintage collection) -
@L-A-Horn Well, I guess you could try one of those new Chinese horns in the marketplace, but I wouldn't expect much for $350. If that is all I had to spend I would try to find something in a used Olds.
1960s King Super 20 Silversonic, 1940 Olds Recording, 1942 Buescher True Tone 400 ,1999 Conn Vintage One Bb trumpet, A 1952 Selmer Paris, A 2020 Getzen 400 and a Manchester Brass ACB custom pro Bb trumpet, a 1962 Conn Victor 5A Cornet.
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I would beware of buying any off-brand trumpet made in Asia sight un-played. Trent Austin has a good video about this someplace..........
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Speaking of Chinese. Some years ago I bought a trumpet for cheap....$35 because I wanted the upholstered case it came in. It was...is... a Austin Bazaar by nameplate but Chinese of the white gloves comes with each one kind. But... What little I've tooted on it the valves don't stick like a Chinese Flugal called a Roy Benson that I bought for nearly three hundred dollars...so, although pretty much a trumpet shaped object... it is probably worth what I paid for it. Austin Bazaar is a full line music store and advertises online out of Austin Texas and must have had it made with their name on it. Austin Bazaar is not to be confused with the guy who posts on here who runs Austin Custom Brass.
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I'm thinking about making a cheap knock-off of the Austin Bazaar and call it "Austin Bizarre."
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My first name is Austin. The perfect trumpet for me!
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@L-A-Horn said in Best Off-brand Trumpets:
@Tobylou8 said in Best Off-brand Trumpets:
@Vulgano-Brother said in Best Off-brand Trumpets:
@Dr-GO said in Best Off-brand Trumpets:
Oh by the way, here is a picture of my daughters:!
Are they married yet, Dad?
Sooo... back on topic...
HAHAHA!!! You may or may not know about VB's weakness.... lol
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@GeorgeB said in Best Off-brand Trumpets:
@L-A-Horn Well, I guess you could try one of those new Chinese horns in the marketplace, but I wouldn't expect much for $350. If that is all I had to spend I would try to find something in a used Olds.
Just to clarify, Taiwan is not China.
Benge 3X
Martin Committee
Getzen Capri Cornet
Adams F-1 Flugelhorn"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn."
Charlie Parker"Even if I could play like Wynton Marsalis, I wouldn't play like Wynton Marsalis."
Chet Baker -
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@administrator I'm sure this Austin is much better and within a tight budget:
https://www.austincustombrass.biz/acb-doublers-student-trumpet-in-polished-lacquer/
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@Kehaulani said in Best Off-brand Trumpets:
@GeorgeB said in Best Off-brand Trumpets:
@L-A-Horn Well, I guess you could try one of those new Chinese horns in the marketplace, but I wouldn't expect much for $350. If that is all I had to spend I would try to find something in a used Olds.
Just to clarify, Taiwan is not China.
Now that's a can of worms!
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@Kehaulani said in Best Off-brand Trumpets:
@GeorgeB said in Best Off-brand Trumpets:
@L-A-Horn Well, I guess you could try one of those new Chinese horns in the marketplace, but I wouldn't expect much for $350. If that is all I had to spend I would try to find something in a used Olds.
Just to clarify, Taiwan is not China.
True. In fact my Manchester Brass, along with Carol Brass horns are made in Taiwan at a well respected factory.
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@L-A-Horn My ACB Cornet doubler is Chinese made and the quality is quite good, though it can't hold a candle to my Conn 5A, nor do I expect it to.
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@Niner at least we know as we grow more folks will try to get some business buy using our name
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@L-A-Horn
For me, the best off brand is Monette - regardless of price. For one of my students it was a used Schilke B1 and B6 (both under $600 used but in excellent condition). My beginning students normally start with a Yamaha 3xxx, which is not an off brand but has incredible bang for the buck - including resale.I have played a bunch of the Carol trumpets that have good value, but little bang if you are going to study classical trumpet (you will end up having to buy a Bach or Yamaha anyway). A B&S Challenger 2 offers most of what a Bach 180 does for far less money. Ivan Hunter visited a while back with some prototypes of his horns and they are glorious and reasonably priced!
So as we see, from my view, bang means suitable for the job, resellable without great loss, in great playing condition (having to get a used horn refurbed before being able to use it is a crap shoot). The price must be justified based on the quality of the tool.
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My DEG Signature C is very fine. It was made at the time when Monette was using Allied parts, and, uhh, Allied may have made some mandrels for Dave, and uhh...
Anyway, it is a great C. Cost me $350, and Walt Johnson and Tony Scodwell picked it out at the factory for me.
Used it to good advantage on one of my weirdest gigs, substituting for the principal trumpet of the New World Philharmonic Orchestra (based out of Florida) in a concert in Big Sky Montana. Just had time to change into my tails, meet the conductor: "The overture is in one, I'll try to cue you." and I sight-read the concert. Anybody else sight read Ibert's Divertimento in concert with a major orchestra? Even got some foot shuffles from the players. After the concert the conductor thanked me and told me I sounded somewhat like Herseth. (Can't trust what conductors say!)
Anyway, great horn.
