First Horns

[barliman2001]

My first trumpet was a bugle-shaped thing with something faintly resembling a mouthpiece that I won in a raffle. Tried to get some noise out of it, succeeded after closely studying a Maurice André record cover. Next morning, bought myself a "Complete Trumpet Outfit" - Chinese Comet trumpet, mouthpiece, cleaning kit, oil bottle, case, and - yeah - a pair of small white gloves, all for less than 50 Euros. A week later, got myself a Bach Strad 43. Later sold the Bach, but kept the Comet - handy for outdoor marching and sports events.

[edfitzvb]

My first horn was actually my brother's cornet... a King, I think. I played violin and he played cornet, but he WAS my brother, so his stuff was mine also, and I played his cornet from time to time. Then we moved to the mountains of VA and there was no string program, so I picked French Horn. About that time he got his first trumpet, a very fine large bore Selmer Radial 2. My senior year in high school I borrowed a trumpet from somebody (don't remember all these years later) in marching band where I played most stuff up an octave and earned the nickname "iron chops" from our director. Then in college (still a Horn Player as a Major) I bought MY first trumpet (thought I'd never get there, didn't you) a Conn 6B. Since then many many more along the way. Traded the 6B in on a Bach Strad. Great horns both. The Strad was stolen out of my car a few months later. Only those who have had horns stolen can understand the rage and frustration.

[OldSchoolEuph]

My first horn was a 1965 Besson compensating British baritone. It still plays amazing, though it has a lot of wear. Mid-century Besson low brass were the classic Boosey & Hawkes designs. Amazing horns.

[Jolter]

@Kujo20 said in First Horns:

My first horn was a used Yamaha YTR2320.

Served me well for several years until I upgraded to a Xeno. The 2320 was still used as a bad weather marching horn.

Hello, are you me?

I started on the music school's rental YTR-2320 which had trouble with the third valve sticking. Probably impact damage on the third slide. After a couple years, my parents sprung for a used identical trumpet (minus the sticky valve).

I still have that second horn but I'm considering selling it since it is still a decent enough player and I don't do as many marching gigs (or drunk gigs for that part) as I used to, and anyway I mostly play some kind of lower brass when marching, these days.

[fels]

started with a non-descript Conn. By middle school (8th or 9th grade) upgraded to an Olds Recorder. Loved the horn -- it was stolen while traveling.

[Shepherds_Crook]

This thread makes me mad. My first trumpet was a new Conn Director rented by my folks when I was in 5th grade. I had no clue how horrible I was until 9th grade when my teacher told my folks that I was progressing well and needed to get a new trumpet. My dad agreed, and my first trumpet safari began. I played a Clark Terry Olds, Bach Strad 37 and 43, Benge 3x, 6x, and 7x, Conn Constellation, a Schilke (can’t remember the model), and the Getzen SEV that became the winner. Everything I played was light years better than that stuffy, nasty sounding Director. I couldn’t sell that Horn fast enough. I don’t want to ever see one again. I now consider those first 4 years of playing the ‘lost years’ because that horn so crippled my development.

[A Former User]

My first horn in the 5th grade was a beat up mid-60's vintage Getzen Series 300-great playing horn I replaced that with a new Severinsen Eterna a couple of years later. Still have the Series 300....

[Bertie]

My first trumpet was a Bb Jupiter made in Taiwan. Not bad. I sold it to a student.

After about a year, in my first year in the conservatory I got a used Yamaha Custom in C from someone in the Barcelona Symphony (one of the very first Yamaha did, still Schilke influenced), I do not remember the model, only a S in the Bell, large bore, reversed leadpipe, paper thin bell. My Bb trumpet needed to be repaired, plus the yamaha was a better professional model trumpet. So I played since then C trumpet and learned fast to transpose / sight read the Bb parts. That's why I still practice 80% of the time with the C trumpet (and because the strong french school influence then in Barcelona). I sold it too.

[neal085]

My first horn was whatever they were renting out at JT Hutchinson Junior High in Lubbock, TX. After 7th grade, when my parents saw that I actually wanted to play trumpet, they bought me a Jupiter of some description from a music store that was going out of business. Don't remember the model. Several years later I bought my own Yamaha 2335 at a Ft. Worth pawn shop. Played a lot better than its price tag, fo sho.

[tmd]

My first horn was a 1970-ish Olds Ambassador Trumpet. It was a standard school rental, which I got during a summer music program, the summer before starting the 4th grade. In high school, I purchased a lightweight 43 Bach Strad, which is the still my main horn today.

I no longer have my first horn. For sentimental reasons, I purchased a 1957 Olds Ambassador Trumpet, which Kanstul restored back in 2012. And although I wasn't looking for one, I ran across a 1957 Olds Ambassador Cornet in close-to-like-new condition, which I purchased a few years back.

Mike

[OldSchoolEuph]

@Shepherds_Crook said in First Horns:

This thread makes me mad. My first trumpet was a new Conn Director rented by my folks when I was in 5th grade. I had no clue how horrible I was until 9th grade when my teacher told my folks that I was progressing well and needed to get a new trumpet. My dad agreed, and my first trumpet safari began. I played a Clark Terry Olds, Bach Strad 37 and 43, Benge 3x, 6x, and 7x, Conn Constellation, a Schilke (can’t remember the model), and the Getzen SEV that became the winner. Everything I played was light years better than that stuffy, nasty sounding Director. I couldn’t sell that Horn fast enough. I don’t want to ever see one again. I now consider those first 4 years of playing the ‘lost years’ because that horn so crippled my development.

Just imagine if you had been forced to start on an Ceccilio, a Mendini, a $69 Oswal - or a plastic toy masquerading as a trumpet. Suddenly that Director is not so bad. Kids today have not just two strikes against them, but 8 other innings.

[Dale Proctor]

@tmd said in First Horns:

My first horn was a 1970-ish Olds Ambassador Trumpet. It was a standard school rental, which I got during a summer music program, the summer before starting the 4th grade. In high school, I purchased a lightweight 43 Bach Strad, which is the still my main horn today.

I no longer have my first horn. For sentimental reasons, I purchased a 1957 Olds Ambassador Trumpet, which Kanstul restored back in 2012. And although I wasn't looking for one, I ran across a 1957 Olds Ambassador Cornet in close-to-like-new condition, which I purchased a few years back.

Mike

My first trumpet (I posted my first horn, a cornet, earlier) was a 1960 Conn 6B Victor, which I played through my last couple years of high school and sporadically through college. I quit playing for 6 or 7 years after that, but when I picked up playing again, I bought a used Bach Strad (which I still have). Being stupid, and a little financially challenged, I sold the Conn. Years later, I regretted selling it and looked for another one. I eventually found a REALLY nice one on eBay and bought it. Same year, same tweed-covered trapezoidal case with the light blue interior. Just like my old one, but in better condition. I still play the Bach most of the time, but when I need more projection and a bit more ease playing up high, I pull out the 6B and let it sing.

[Kehaulani]

Except for the first-valvev slide trigger, what's the difference between a Conn 6B and a Connstellation?

[Dale Proctor]

@Kehaulani
A couple slide stops, different bell engraving, and more nickel plating are the obvious differences. I’ve heard that some Connstellations had nickel-plated Coprion bells, but I don’t know for sure.

[Kehaulani]

@Dale-Proctor - Is there a difference in tone?

[Dale Proctor]

@Kehaulani
I can't say. Although I've played a Connstellation some in the past (my brother has one), i havent had an opportunity to play the two side by side.

[Shepherds_Crook]

@OldSchoolEuph said in First Horns:

@Shepherds_Crook said in First Horns:

This thread makes me mad. My first trumpet was a new Conn Director rented by my folks when I was in 5th grade. I had no clue how horrible I was until 9th grade when my teacher told my folks that I was progressing well and needed to get a new trumpet. My dad agreed, and my first trumpet safari began. I played a Clark Terry Olds, Bach Strad 37 and 43, Benge 3x, 6x, and 7x, Conn Constellation, a Schilke (can’t remember the model), and the Getzen SEV that became the winner. Everything I played was light years better than that stuffy, nasty sounding Director. I couldn’t sell that Horn fast enough. I don’t want to ever see one again. I now consider those first 4 years of playing the ‘lost years’ because that horn so crippled my development.

Just imagine if you had been forced to start on an Ceccilio, a Mendini, a $69 Oswal - or a plastic toy masquerading as a trumpet. Suddenly that Director is not so bad. Kids today have not just two strikes against them, but 8 other innings.

Would be equally as horrible. It is one thing to not have the funds to buy a decent horn for your kid, but another to give them a junk ‘starter horn’ because you are cheap and just don’t know if they will stick with it. Those kids are virtually doomed from the start.

[Dirk020]


My first horn was an alto saxophone, borrowed from the community band but since I was a very little boy I could not fill it up with air. So the saxophone was swapped by a flugelhorn but my mother didn't recognize this as a horn so I had to bring it back and returned with a trumpet, brand: Schenkelaars, a dutch brand nothing special, not very good either, at least not the model I got.
That trumpet I had to replace for a Schenkelaars cornet (an Olds Ambassador stencil) because there where cornet players needed. It was an useful instrument, not too bad. I could buy it after the band got new instruments, bought it for like $50.-
I still have it, suffering heavy from red rot, leaky valves and stuck mouthpiece

[Dirk020]

Another picture of my Schenkelaars cornet. She is now only for decoration, no use to overhaul it

[Newell Post]

@Dirk020 OK, now THAT's red rot.