9th Grade Cornet Player

esedlock · New Member Joined: 07 Dec 2010 Posts: 2

My son is in 8th grade and loves playing the Cornet. He has an old YCR-2330 II one now that we bought for our older son. What would you recommend as a next step Cornet for him? I have 5 kids so I cannot afford anything crazy; I just need an idea of what I should get...

Crazy Finn · Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2010 4:35 pm Post subject:

A nice older used Getzen?

I picked up a nice silver Capri for $200 this summer on craiglist.
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royjohn · Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2010 6:15 pm Post subject: 9th grade cornet player

A King Master Model would be a pro level cornet available for about $200. There is one at the Quality Brass website now that is $175. As long as the valves are tight enough, it is a great buy. These are well undervalued for what they are. The one at QB is 280xxx. I have one that is 317xxx and the valves on it are fine.

As long as your son doesn't mind a lacquered horn, one of these is a great choice. There are probably some others, maybe some other folks will chime in. The King is a modern American style cornet. Looking for a shepherd's crook, old style cornet would be something else again. A lot of them out there, but many rather old and needing a valve rebuild, costing $300 to $450.

I looked in some of the typical places (ebay, shopgoodwill) and didn't see any other suspects right now.

For a real cornet sound, your son could use some help from someone knowledgeable in picking a cornet mouthpiece that makes the cornet sound like one instead of like a trumpet. Usually these are deeper mouthpieces, so it would have to be determined that your son has the chops to play this kind of 'piece. Possibly he would like this and possibly he just likes a trumpet like sound, but there are authentic and non-authentic sounding mouthpieces . . . . . probably more than you wanted to know.
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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 . . .

tvknight415 · Veteran Member Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Posts: 132 Location: WI

There is a Getzen capri cornet up on shopgoodwill.com right now that might be worth watching....

http://www.shopgoodwill.com/auctions/Silver-tone-Cornet-with-case-by-Capri-By-Getzen-7133205.html

Capt.Kirk · Heavyweight Member Joined: 24 Feb 2009 Posts: 5792

Is their something wrong with the Cornet he is playing now? Why not get him a trumpet most band teacher's frown on a Cornet in H.S. band. ? What is the budget becasue crazy means different things to different people. Their are people on this sight that think $2000 is cheap and keep that much in their sock drawer at home while some of us $2000 is a lot of money. So a firm number like $200,$900 etc????? Why a Cornet????
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erictheperic · Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 12:07 am Post subject:

I think the theme of your post seemed to point to cornet. I'm sure folks will recommend some good trumpets. I have to say go for a pre 70s Olds Ambassador trumpet. I bought one on ebay for $90 and I'm amazed at the quality of this "student" horn. It is built like a tank. I've been comparing it to Bach strads and Yamaha pro horns and guess what? Those horns are better but not $1000 - $2000 better. Plus the sound of this olds is amazing. I think that's why so may trumpetherald members have ambassadors listed in their equipment setup. It's a unique and good sound that only comes from this trumpet.

esedlock · New Member Joined: 07 Dec 2010 Posts: 2

Okay, should I get a trumpet for my son who loves his cornet? He is pretty serious so i want to get him something that works for high school.

johnsboy · Veteran Member Joined: 25 Jan 2010 Posts: 380

Ask his band director, for God's sake. His band director hears him play every day and likely knows how much he has developed, whether he even needs a new instrument, whether trumpet would be more desireable (to both him and your son) . . . get my drift? Why ask a bunch of strangers when a conversation with his teacher is easier and likely better informative?

oliver king · Heavyweight Member Joined: 07 Aug 2008 Posts: 1742

The cornet is an easy instrument to love playing and there are a bunch of them out there to be had. I played a Bach CR310 in a pawn shop a few days ago and was really suprised. It was a good horn that was modestly priced.
Having input from your son's band director or private teacher is always a plus. More importantly is having an instrument in hand that he enjoys practicing and is making progress on.
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Geodude · Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 10:31 am Post subject:

The suggestion to talk with the band director (and/or his teacher) is a good one. If 9th grade is still junior high in your area, it would be a good idea to talk to the high school band director he'd be playing for next year.

You probably ought to talk with your son too. He might care less, but if he is like most teenagers he will likely have an opinion. I'm guessing he would probably rather have his next horn be a trumpet. Cornets are common at our junior high school but scarce to nonexistent at the local high school. Silver Bach Strads seem to be the holy grail among kids his age at schools in our area but that may be regional. Try as many horns as possible and be creative in your search. Someone that has been playing for the past 60 years may see your son as a good opportunity to make sure one of his horns is still being enjoyed after he hears taps for the last time.

hup_d_dup · Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 11:08 am Post subject: Re: 9th Grade Cornet Player

butxifxnot · Heavyweight Member Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 2353

Geodude · Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 8:25 pm Post subject:

I realize many band directors might not be trumpet players and as a result their advice might not be as well informed as it could be. My concern was that the OP might buy his son a cornet and then discover that the band director wants his musicians playing trumpets.

Capt.Kirk · Heavyweight Member Joined: 24 Feb 2009 Posts: 5792

That is my point as well! I do not know of any band directors in my area that allow anyone to play cornet in a trumpet section at the H.S. level. They allow it through middle school but not beyond! Myself I do not see where it should be an issue I think a really good cornet sounds better to most people then a trumpet. By most people I mean those that do not play the trumpet! The same thing that makes a trumpet regal and majestic can also eat away at a persons sense's if they get too much of it! Plus when was the last time you heard a band director telling the clarinets to play softer they are burying the trumpets???LOL Can you say never!!! A section of Cornets would not be 1/2 as prone to over blowing the rest of the band! But common sense does not often rule the day so that is why you need to ask!

Give us a solid price point and most of us can help you out because most of us are always looking at used and new trumpets and can point you towards some great deals!
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Brad361 · Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 4:41 pm Post subject:

etc-etc · Heavyweight Member Joined: 19 Jan 2008 Posts: 6177

The 2330 is a very capable instrument ... a natural step up would be the intermediate 4330G, and next above it, the pro-level 6330.

You can get the 4330G shipped directly from Japan through the rakuten.co.jp website. Current price is US$1,030.54 plus shipping (about 100 to 120 USD).

Capt.Kirk · Heavyweight Member Joined: 24 Feb 2009 Posts: 5792

You know I did not play a cornet until I moved back to Germany for the third time. When my German relatives would invite me to play in a small fest they would often have me leave my trumpet in the case (1st Gen Bach Mercedes) insisting that I would sound much better playing a cornet or one of the rotary trumpets.......Now being Germany they have a different sound concept then we do in America and often when mentioning American music two things come instantly to mind Jazz and Country! No steel guitar's and usually no "American Jazz Trumpet" in the folk music bands. LOL So I am a bit biased int hat I had lots of years of "Fest" music.....Seriously though the cornet when played properly with a proper Cornet MP is a very beautiful sounding instrument that is really grossly under used and not at all respected very much in this country! In the USA most people even trumpet player's look at the Cornet as just something for little Jonny to play until he can hold a real horn!

I have never understood this either because so many people go goo-goo ga ga for Flugel and Flumpet sound but totally mis the mark with cornet??? On top of that when you do see a trumpet player on Cornet often they have a tiny trumpet like MP in it and are doing their worst to make it sound and play like a trumpet which defeats the purpose of the conical nature of the instrument it is not supposed to sound just like a trumpet when a Cornet sounds like a trumpet then it is a poorly designed and built cornet!!! That would be just as silly as a Flugel that sounded and played like a trumpet what would be the point of that?

Just saying Cornets should not be treated like second rate instruments by trumpet players and more respect should be given tot hem then they get. No I am not in a British Brass Band either not a lot of those in Michigan!

First chair inthe 7th grade trumpet section is held by an 80lbs. girl with long blonde hair playing a cornet! Just thought I would mention that.
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