How many horns is "enough"?

[rhatheway]

This is a somewhat tongue in cheek question, because I know there's not really a "right" answer, but I'm curious from the perspective of someone who is just recently coming back to playing my horn and is already looking to buy more horns.

I consider myself an amateur musician because I'm not getting paid for anything I play. I play for fun more than anything else, and for the ability to provide something back to the community through the community band I'm part of. As such, I currently have one trumpet and three cornets. But just like with my bass guitars, I already seem to want more (but I'm trying not to go too crazy).

But for those who are paid professionals, whether part- or fulltime, how many horns do you have, what types, and is that really enough? And how do you know?
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Richard H
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Working on getting my chops back...

“Without music, life would be a mistake” ― Friedrich Nietzsche

1958 Conn Director 14A
1968 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1977 Reynolds Medalist CR-58

[Rhondo]

Phil Smith said he used the same trumpet his entire career.
Maybe had a back-up for when the primary was in the repair shop.

One thing about buying expensive things. If they’re shipped it can take time out of your schedule being home to receive them. It can take even more time and hassle getting rid of them when you don’t want them anymore. Donating what you don’t want any longer can be a time saving solution.

[rhatheway]

[Andy Cooper]

Something like this was all worked out several years ago - sorry I can't seem to locate the study. It was a rather involved predictive formula that could tell you how many horns a player had - not necessarily how many are "enough".

Disposable Income, Age of Player, Current Number of Horns, Current Number of Mouthpieces, Total number of Posts on TrumpetHerald, Size of Garage (in square feet), number of brands of valve oil you presently have - then a bunch of dummy variables - do you own a large truck, are you married etc.

I'm pretty sure the answer to "how many is enough'" is Current Number of Horns + 1.

[Dayton]

[huntman10]

Just 1 more...... I promise!
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huntman10
Collector/Player of Fine (and not so fine) Brass Instruments including
Various Strads, Yammies, Al Hirt Courtois, Schilkes,
Selmer 25, Getzen Eternas, Kanstuls (920 Pic, CG)
Martin Custom Large Bore, Lots Olds!, Conns, etc.

[kehaulani]

"But for those who are paid professionals, whether part - or fulltime, how many horns do you have, what types, and is that really enough?"

I have always played one horn at a time, professionally. That is in a myriad of styles, from Concert Band to Big Band to Soul/Disco/Pop bands, save professional orchestral playing.

I played in the Tokyo Youth Philharmonic and the Royal Hawaiian Band but that was on French Horn. But I also used only one horn for those, also.

It is only in later years, as a non-professional, that I've had more than one horn at the same time and that is because of horn safaris and checking out some horns I played in the past to find out if they were as I remembered. But that was sheer hobby and nothing professional.

You asked what kind. Conn Connstellation first and then a Getzen Severinsen.

My present go-to horn is a Yamaha Bobby Shew Trumpet and for what I do now, as to, "is that really enough?", yes.

As a side-comment, I have a K-Modified Light Selmer and a Benge 3X in excess. Anyone interested, can PM me. They're not advertised as for-sale.
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"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird
"I wouldn't play like Wynton Marsalis even if I could play like Wynton Marsalis." Attributed to Chet

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet

[spitvalve]

One of my kids bought me a throw pillow for my office this past Christmas. It has a picture of a cornet on it and says "Yes, I really do need all these trumpets."

I keep it on the shelf above my instrument collection to remind me of this undisputed truth.

My family thinks five horns is enough. I'm thinking somewhere between twelve and sixteen, myself.
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Bryan Fields
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1991 Bach LR180 ML 37S
1999 Getzen Eterna 700S
1977 Getzen Eterna 895S Flugelhorn
1969 Getzen Capri cornet
1995 UMI Benge 4PSP piccolo trumpet
Warburton and Stomvi Flex mouthpieces

[Subtropical and Subpar]

Not a pro but I think the formula is (n + x) = y, where

n = the current number of trumpets
x = many more trumpets, and
y = still not enough trumpets
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1932 King Silvertone cornet
1936 King Liberty No. 2 trumpet
1958 Reynolds Contempora 44-M "Renascence" C
1962 Reynolds Argenta LB trumpet
1965 Conn 38A
1995 Bach LR18072
2003 Kanstul 991
2011 Schilke P5-4 B/G
2021 Manchester Brass flugel

[jeirvine]

On the bike forums the correct number of bikes is N+1.
And trumpets take up a lot less room.
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1932 King Silvertone Artist Bore
1945 Buescher 400
1946 Olds Super
1947 Olds Super Cornet
1948 Couesnon flugelhorn
1951 Olds Special
1956 Martin Committee
1964 Olds Recording
1968 Bach 329 C
1996 Bach 37

[TrumpetMD]

[Halflip]

If you will accept a response from a non-professional who is an avid collector, I would say 50, plus or minus a few. That number is based upon the goals I had for acquiring certain specific brands and models.

I have around 29 trumpets, 15 flugelhorns, 10 cornets, and one Puje (purchased directly from Bobby DeNicola).

I focused on acquiring significant mainstream horns (Martin Committee, Olds Super Recording, Buescher 400 Model 225, Conn New York Symphony Special, Conn 48B "Vocabell", Conn 28A Connstellation, Conn 8B Artist, Reynolds Contempora, King Silvertone (#2 series), King Golden Flair (model 1077), Couesnon flugelhorn, Olds "Clark Terry" flugelhorn, Yamaha 635T flugelhorn, Besson Laureate (Kanstul) flugelhorn, Noblet flugelhorn, etc.

I also tried to collect particularly rare horns; over time I managed to find and buy a York Airflow trumpet and cornet, Holton C150 pocket cornet, Benge pocket trumpet (Burbank-era), Calicchio pocket trumpet (Dominic-era), Buescher Model 280 flugelhorn, and a King "Mini-Liberty" half-size trumpet.

My contemporary horns include Yamaha 6310Z and 8310Z trumpets, a 6310Z flugelhorn, and a B&S Challenger II "Brochon" flugelhorn. I also have several custom-made horns built by Robb Stewart.

I thought my collecting days were over as of a few years ago, but then last year I found a horn I had been seeking for over 25 years -- an ultra-rare Conn 12B Coprion Special. It has benefited from a valve rebuild, and soon it will receive a full restoration. Then, at long last, I may be able to rest.
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"He that plays the King shall be welcome . . . " (Hamlet Act II, Scene 2, Line 1416)

"He had no concept of the instrument. He was blowing into it." -- Virgil Starkwell's cello teacher in "Take the Money and Run"

[A.N.A.Mendez]

I'll get back to you......
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"There is no necessity for deadly strife" A. Lincoln 1860

☛ "No matter how cynical you get, it's never enough to keep up" Lily Tomlin☚

[stuartissimo]

For me (not a professional sorry), that would be 2: my Olds Recording trumpet and the Buescher flugelhorn. There’s just no real pupose for anything else; maybe a piccolo would get some use, but I kinda don’t like playing one. I’ve been in a downsizing/bare essentials mindset for a while now and it’s easy to pick up musical stuff just for the sake of if. There’s so much cool stuff out there!

That being said, of course I do have more than 2 horns. My old student trumpet is hanging on the wall primarily as decoration (though it still gets used occasionally). The Olds cornet is my backup horn that I’ve been contemplating what to do with. And there’s this used Buescher clunker cornet that I really oughtha find a good place for, after the brace has been fixed.

Getting rid of stuff is a lot harder than getting new stuff it seems.
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1975 Olds Recording trumpet
1997 Getzen 700SP trumpet
1955 Olds Super cornet
1939 Buescher 280 flugelhorn
AR Resonance mouthpieces

[kehaulani]

OP can correct me if this is not the case, but I interpret the question as seeking to know if professionals have a large arsenal or not. Collectors don't apply.
_________________
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird
"I wouldn't play like Wynton Marsalis even if I could play like Wynton Marsalis." Attributed to Chet

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet

[Rhondo]

[stuartissimo]

Wow, sorry for posting then. Didn’t expect anyone to take offense…
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1975 Olds Recording trumpet
1997 Getzen 700SP trumpet
1955 Olds Super cornet
1939 Buescher 280 flugelhorn
AR Resonance mouthpieces

[nieuwguyski]

I am a collector, but I also play semi-professionally.

I could do 99.9% of my paid high-brass playing with a Bb trumpet, flugelhorn, and picc. I have had a few experiences where my main Bb needed some work and it was nice to have a backup. I've been hired a handful of times in decades because I have a C trumpet, but it's certainly never paid for itself (which is likely more a reflection on my C trumpet playing than anything else).

The OP did say "horns," and I do make money playing trombone, so I need a trombone.

So for me, as few as four, no more than six.

Pay no attention to the collection behind the curtain.
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J. Notso Nieuwguyski

[Halflip]

[CaptPat]

A hobbyist who plays in a community band and I have 3 horns, 2 Bb trumpets, and one flugelhorn. The second trumpet and flugelhorn were opportunities I couldn't resist. I'm not a collector and intend to play what's in my stable, however, keeping all three in some sort of rotation is enough of an issue that I'm not tempted to purchase another. Oh and for the formula mentioned above, I own eight mouthpieces, I actively use two, of the remaining six, two came with their respective instruments.
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Bach Stradivarius 180S37
Getzen Custom Series 3895
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I play trumpet because I like it, not because I'm good at it.