Inexpensive horn you were impressed with?

[John Mohan]

[loweredsixth]

Not exactly a super cheap horn, but the German-made Sonare is an incredible instrument. It's got that Bach 37-like compactness with very firm slotting pitches and even blow.
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The name I go by in the real world is Joe Lewis

[EdMann]

I've said it before, will say it again. Older Olds Ambassadors are incredible, and for less than 400, often for less than 200! Awaiting another LA model today. They were built in a shop that concerned themselves with quality straight down the product line. And you cannot lose by finding a Bach Strad from the 60-80s, generally available for half the price of a new one.

ed

[TKSop]

I guess an interesting question arises...

Do second-hand pro horns that go for way below what they should be worth count as "inexpensive" horns?


For example, I paid a little under £400 (around USD$500 at current conversion) for my 24B K-mod lightweight - a real player, though admittedly not as pretty as it could be.

Is this an inexpensive horn?!
Well, what I paid for it can hardly be considered "expensive" - but it's still a classic pro horn, and in its day would not have been on anyone's list of inexpensive horns.... and even today, should really have sold for more than paid for it.

TL:DR - If someone else can't go out and easily get the same deal, is it an inexpensive horn or did I/we get lucky?

[VetPsychWars]

My horns generally impress a small crowd, though not every player likes all I own. Mostly they're still pretty inexpensive, and can do the job in most instances.

I did have one famous player offer to buy my grandfather's 400... if it were any other of my trumpets I would have sold it in a heartbeat but that one stays!

Tom
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1950 Buescher Lightweight 400 Trumpet
1949 Buescher 400 Trumpet
1939 Buescher 400 Cornet
GR65M, GR65 Cor #1

[trumbachpet]

I've recently bought two different Andreas Eastman trumpets that really play well and look great. Others have compared them to Bachs in playability.
The valves are great as is the finish. For $200-300 on Ebay, you can't go wrong for a horn for a comeback player or as a backup horn.
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Schagerl James Morrison Meister trpt
Yamaha Xeno GenII
'79 Bach Strad
'57 Olds Studio Cornet
'78 York Cornet

[bach_again]

Ambassador and a Carol Brass have been excellent inexpensive buys that I gigged a fair bit then moved along.
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Maestro Arturo Sandoval on Barkley Microphones!
https://youtu.be/iLVMRvw5RRk

Michael Barkley Quartet - Portals:
https://michaelbarkley.bandcamp.com/album/portals

The best movie trumpet solo?
https://youtu.be/OnCnTA6toMU

[derby_mute]

[derby_mute]

I bought a Courtois Gaudet model cornet (essentially a student horn) for $125 and although it was in pretty bad condition it's really a nice player. I bought another in much better condition for $225 and it's also a very nice. I've heard good things about the Gaudet model trumpets, too.
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Cornets:
Selmer model #43
Selmer Concept
Baldwin Custom (Blessing Artist stencil)
1923 Buescher shepherd's crook
1880 F. Besson Paris
Trumpets:
1931 Cleveland Greyhound
1935 Olds French model

[A_Ason]

A used Andreas Eastman
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Arne Andersson
Monettes, Eclipse, Lars Gerdt, Taylor, Del Quadro, Schilke, Getzen, Benge, Conn, Olds, Besson, Martin, Puje, Alexander, Lawler, Wild Thing, Bach, Ken Larson...

[jmac723]

Brand new and under $1k:

- Manchester RLGB (great valves and [i]very[/i] warm sound with any mpc)
- Kanstul 730 (it's marketed as a student cornet but everyone who plays it likes it)

Used and cheap: in high school, I bought Getzen Capri in silver plate for $100 that was an awesome horn. I wish I hadn't sold it (though I ended up getting $250 for it)

[snichols]

[Dennis78]

My $30 model 29. I guess my B47 but I did pay quite a bit for it....less than a used Strad but still a bit. Both are great horns
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a few different ones

[F.E. Olds Nut]

K-series Getzen 300
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Del Quadro "The Mother"

[Dale Proctor]

I test played a few John Packer cornets at the ITG a few years ago and they seemed to be very good instruments for the price. As for used horns, you can't hardly beat an old Conn 22B NYS or Victor (in good condition) for performance vs. price. A sleeper is the old Conn 5A Victor cornet - great instruments.
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"Brass bands are all very well in their place - outdoors and several miles away ." - Sir Thomas Beecham

[Bill Dishman]

I was impressed by the Bach CR301 cornet. Excellent horn for about $250.00

Bill Dishman
Gainesville, Florida

[iiipopes]

I agree that a good Olds Ambassador, if you can find one that is not beaten up, is the standard by which all other inexpensive trumpets are measured.

There is another one that gets no press that is really nice, again, if you can find one that is not beaten up: the King Cleveland, especially those made from the '50's to the early '80's, before the Cyborg assimilated King (it is now called the 600 model, but is not nearly as good, although some recent reviews would tend to express the quality is coming back up).

I marched with a King Cleveland in high school so I didn't have to take my Dad's Super 20 out on the field. It has the same bore, similar blow, and was the "standard" school trumpet in my home town and the surrounding area, as that is what our local music store, Beckerdite Music, stocked - the entire H. N. White - King line of instruments.

When I graduated from high school and didn't march trumpet any more, I sold it to an undergrad, and from what I can tell, many players over the years marched that trumpet on the field as it got handed down again and again.
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King Super 20 Trumpet; Sov 921 Cornet
Bach cornet modded to be a 181L clone
Couesnon Flugelhorn and C trumpet

[royjohn]

I had an older Blessing ML-1 that was quite a good horn except for the sloppy machining on the valve top caps which made getting them back on a little fiddly.

I also love a Besson 2-20 from about 1949. If you get one of these, move the tuning slide brace forward to the typical position like the French Besson and the forward bell brace back about two inches to the sweet spot as determined by your tech and you will have a great horn. A well known repair man said mine had a " ballsy" tone.
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royjohn
Trumpets: 1928 Holton Llewellyn Model, 1957 Holton 51LB, 2010 Custom C by Bill Jones, 2011 Custom D/Eb by Bill Jones
Flugels: 1975 Olds Superstar, 1970's Elkhardt, 1970's Getzen 4 valve
Cornet: 1970's Yamaha YCR-233S . . . and others . . .

[duane v]

Without question my 83 Conn SS4.... Without a question a step above or more than any other trumpet I have ever tried out.... And I have tried many brands.
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1918 M. Dupont Cornet
1902 Conn New York New Wonder Cornet
1929 Conn 60B
1932 Conn Pan American Frat 64B-2
1936 Conn 40A Vocabell (Pan) Cornet
1946 Selmer Grands Prix
1976 Holton ST302 MF
1983 Conn SS4 Doc Severinsen

[cheiden]

All the Kanstul "student" horns I've played were pretty darn good.
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"I'm an engineer, which means I think I know a whole bunch of stuff I really don't."
Charles J Heiden/So Cal
Bach Strad 180ML43*/43 Bb/Yamaha 731 Flugel/Benge 1X C/Kanstul 920 Picc/Conn 80A Cornet
Bach 3C rim on 1.5C underpart