@Gendreauj said in Student trumpets:
Haven't played any student trumpets made in the 21st century. Playing a Getzen 590 step up cornet and soon a Getzen 700 trumpet.
Just bought a Bach 700 trumpet and a Calicilo trumpet. Interesting to see how they compare with the Getzen.
May we know your comparisons?
Can anyone recommend anybody who repairs the older, wooden cases?
Thanks.
Excuse, if this link is posted somewhere else. It's a scientist's explanation of no air.
Great replies. Thanks.
[My internet disconnected while starting this post. So now for my own "method".]
My criteria are build quality, tone, ease of play. Build quality is by visual and tactile. The horn must be comfortable in my hands and balanced in my arms. All parts must be solid and fit/operate perfectly.
For tone, I test with a Bach 3C. I find the 3C gives me a good balance for tone. If core, sparkle, etc are present with a 3C, I know what to expect for a 1.5C and a shallower "lead" m/p.
I start by playing low C, D, E. I am determining the intonation of the D. Next is upper E, F, G, A, Bb. If I must use excessive slide to attain intonation, I reject the horn. Then comes a Bb scale from bottom to top, again for intonation.
Then comes Clarke 2, 47, 48, 49. If the valves are not to my liking, I reject.
Then comes my own variation of Schlossberg 28, 34. I am determining how easy or difficult is the horn to play intervals and range. I focus on the harmonics of mid C, to E, to G, to the harmonic Bb, then upper C. This is an acid test. Only very good horns will permit easily the slur to upper C. Then comes lip trills. If the horn resists, I reject.
Lastly, I will play a tune in the key of Bb, as I find a Bb horn sounds best in this key. Usually it's my own version of Impossible Dream, starting on low D. I will start 'pp", and then work to "fffff" to determine whether consistent tonal quality and intonation, and whether the horn will permit me to develop full power.
This permits a quick assessment. If passed, the horn goes on my wish list.
When choosing a new trumpet, what are your criteria? What do you play for your test, and why?
That horn from Germany, made in pure nickle tubing would be very interesting to try. Generally, I dislike the sound of nickel, but always willing to try something new.
@Robrtx said in Best Off-brand Trumpets:
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........
I have played Carol Brass horns at Carol Brass in Taiwan. Very good horns in all respects. But they are only slightly better in quality than a good OEM Chinese horn. None have the symphonic sound like a Bach, and the "smokey" sounding ones have no appeal to me. I found all had a bright sound, and all felt resistant... All except one, the 8060H Balanced Trumpet, Louis Armstrong inspired. This 8060H is truly a great horn: a lovely open sound and easy to blow and great mechanics. The 8060H is the only horn in memory that comes closest to the Armstrong Selmer I played very long ago. Great as an all-rounder, and great balance. CB retail price is high now, so difficult to endorse for the price/value ratio. But the 8060H may be worth the price. It's on my wish list now.
@djeffers78 said in Best Off-brand Trumpets:
I have a Cecilio trumpet and a Brasspire cornet. Both are great instruments
I have played the Brasspire pro line at Brasspire Japan. Very good horns for the price: build, finish, feel in hands, very good valves. Sound is on the brighter side. Could be a daily horn. Only one model gave me the blow I wanted. The others felt restrictive in upper register, had a compressed sound.
@administrator said in Best Off-brand Trumpets:
I have heard that Jin-Bao are acceptable.
I have played the top JinBao horns at JinBao. I would put them at the student category. Good mechanics and materials, decent intonation, decent bright sound, but the sound is compressed and the blow resists in the upper register. I could not develop full power.
Well, I know where their horns are made, and by whom: China. I tried the horns recently at the manufacturer. The 'top" ones I played were very nice, and great for the wholesale price.
Very interesting discussion. I have not played all trumpets, nor all mouthpieces, ever produced. For those I have played, I find the mouthpiece is the determining factor for all aspects: particularly for the volume of air I feel I need in my lungs. For horns, inconsistent: some M bore have been difficult to play, and some ML bore have been easier to play. Probing my memory from long ago, I recall the medium bore horns had overall a brighter timbre than the large bore, when the same mouthpiece was used for all.
@Kehaulani What do you mean, "take more air"? Technically, yes, a larger bore is a larger diameter, which creates a larger volume of air.
@ROWUK said in Is a $280 New Bach Stradivarius Trumpet too good to be true?:
@stumac I think that most are dead because the market did not want what they were making - for the price that they were asking. Value is an interesting concept and it is still exists today. When businesses expand, they take a risk. When businesses have more overhead than turnover, they have a problem.
I admire the Chinese for their granular production. The same production line can build a $50 or a $1000 trumpet. The quality is determined by the person placing the order not the artisan. I have played prototypes of both. The knowledgable reseller does not HAVE to screw their customer.
On another side, I bought a 3d printer and have been printing mouthpieces. They are WAY TOO GOOD. I am not selling or taking orders, I am learning and offering my students the possibility to play before they pay. They can evaluate what the difference between an A, B, C, D, E cup is as well as backbores and rim shapes. Then they buy what works. There has not been much R&D on natural trumpet mouthpieces - just copies made of historical ones without knowledge if they were „high performance“ back then. For less than $1, I can experiment until I am happy. Then the 3d model can be made in silver, brass, copper or any printable plastic. Will this change the mouthpiece market - I certainly believe so. Print on demand could be a great advantage to a pro shop. No appreciable inventory. The printers with suitable resolution are available. Kelly mouthpiece anyone?
Agree. Advancements in 3D tech mean printing [sinter] in many metals is only a matter of time. Silver-alloy may be soon forthcoming.
@administrator said in Trumpets Made ONLY by Their Maker:
A maker by very definition makes the thing they are maker of. The question really asks, "are there any trumpets where all of their parts are made and assembled in-house?"
In that case, for a trumpet that is hand-made by a single craftsman in-house, click these links:
http://www.musik-loebner.de/Musikhaus_Loebner.php?Loebners=Zylinderjazztrompete.html#close
[these will be in the category of... if you must ask for the price, you cannot afford it. ] 
made by their maker? sorry, the grammar is nonsensical. also, how does a "supra" relate to a trumpet?
