@Mr-Spock said in Trumpets Made ONLY by Their Maker:
I was under the impression that Schagerl made their own valves. I know they have some horns assembled in Taiwan to save on cost, but I assume that their Meister Instrumente series are entirely Austrian-made. Can anyone verify?
Yes, that is the information they have had on their web site, at least as of last year.
@ROWUK said in Most bang for your buck!:
We ALWAYS have to consider what we are using the instruments for. An amateur in a town band will certainly have different NECESSITIES than the working pro. If I read the comments by many amateurs on the internet, I wonder how they really play. The comments do not match the requirements. Many times we have a luxury issue - more money than common sense. We cannot necessarily equate price with performance but there is a bottom line for quality.
Hi there! Nice to see so many familiar names from Trumpetmaster on here!
I think we can consider the possibility, rather than always buying the best, a player should buy the appropriate quality instruments, just like an electrician with his tools. A not-so-great amateur choosing between a Bach 180/37, a Bach Artisan or a consult with Dave Monette will not be better off paying the extra $1000 for the Artisan nor the extra $5k (or whatever the price is) for the Monette. He will be overpaying for higher quality than he needs, just like I would if I were to buy pro-grade power tools that I only use once a year. (For trumpets, the amateur should still be looking at different makes and models to find one suitable for his playing, of course, but my point is to search at an appropriate price point.)
If I'm correct, your advice to always buy the best, still holds true for the advanced player. What do you think about that attempt at a synthesis?
@Kehaulani said in Most bang for your buck!:
To contrast, I am a Martial Artist. The older and funkier your Black Belt looks, the more wear and tear it, and you, have had. I remember during a workshop once, even seeing a guy beating his belt on the sidewalk, to look older.
The musical circles I've hung with wear their worn instruments with pride, not as museum showcase pieces.
I remember hearing a story that an old Karate master's black belt will eventually wear to the point of looking white, like a beginner's. There is some important symbolism in there, I'm sure.
I have a feeling Inderbinen is one of those makers who want you to show up in person and trial the prototypes before they start making your instrument. Not sure what use they would have for a dealer anywhere.
In case anyone is wondering, I was in touch with Kanstul's sales office a couple of weeks ago. If you follow them on Facebook, you'll see they are/were having a fire sale on mouthpieces, 70% off.
Anyway, the information I got was that there were only two employees left apart from Jack Kanstul. One sales guy shipping out stock and a lady doing the books. Last update was, they're selling of half-finished or near-finished horns, and some bass trombones. Don't know when the doors will finally close but it doesn't look like there is much stock left of anything.
@Trumpetsplus Thanks for your viewpoint.
I guess it partly comes down to how much a piston would cost, if it's worth taking a chance on it.
Re-plating is quite expensive in my locale (Sweden) so I'm hesitant to do it even if it usually works well. The horn is really nice though, if only that valve worked... Plays excellently up high, more nimble than my Xeno somehow.
I have a Meha where the first valve piston is shot. My tech says it's smaller than the other three, that's why it sticks on the way up - someone must have replaced it or honed it down too much.
Since it's Monel, adding more material by plating would be hit-or-miss, it might come unstuck eventually, he says.
Does anyone have a junker lying around? Maybe one where the red rot has eaten away everything but the pistons... 
Kanstul, being in the process of closing shop, were not able to help me. They just have a sales guy and a lady doing the books, apart from Jack. They're selling off surplus mouthpieces at the moment, looks like.
@fels said in Pic mouthpieces:
I am borrowing a Getzen Eterna Pic to try my hand (embouchure) at playing pic in our quintet. Did not come with a mouthpiece. Owner uses one of his trumpet mouthpieces. I just tried my Schilke 14A4a and 13A4a and they seemed ok. Any suggestions for alternatives? I am not willing buy a pic mouthpiece for the trial - though am interested in opinions should i choose to buy my own pic.
So how did the trial go?
My one experience with a Getzen piccolo, my instinct was to run far away, fast. In other words, I found it quite hard to play and would not have taken it if they paid me. But I think they made different models and some might not have been terrible. I'm playing a Yamaha YTR-6810 now, which is in the same genre and price range as the Getzen, only built so it's in tune and sounds good.
As for mouthpieces, the Schilke and Yamaha "picc mouthpieces" have the X backbore. So, the 11A4X and 14A4X (both brands) are good candidates, depending on your diameter preference.
@fels I would be interested in that arrangement of video game music. Is it available for purchase/loan/rent? 
PM me.
This is an interesting topic, and you've all provided insightful comments, but why on earth is this thread in the Classified/Music section?
Mods?
I borrowed a friend's B7L (tunable beryllium bell) for a few weeks.
A very nice, no-compromise instrument.
It worked splendidly in big band section!
I also noticed the intonation was a bit different from what I'm used to, but all for the better. That particular horn slotted a little looser than both my Xeno and my F.Besson (Kanstul) which was very enjoyable.
The extremely lightweight bell might have been little much, though. I was afraid to stick a mute in there too hard...