High School Trumpet Advice

HERMOKIWI · Heavyweight Member Joined: 24 Dec 2008 Posts: 2581

I don't think you should ever assume that a teacher automatically knows or otherwise can identify the best trumpet for a particular student. A teacher may be in a better position to identify a piece of junk but most name brand trumpets aren't junk. So, you rapidly get to a point at which the trumpet works the way a trumpet is supposed to work and will do everything the student needs it to do in order for the student to advance.

A great player will sound great on any decent trumpet in good working condition. Where a developing and learning student is concerned far too much emphasis is placed on which horn is being played. I have 50 or so horns in my collection. They all work, they all play and I sound like me on all of them. None of them negate my ability to employ the fundamentals of playing trumpet.
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HERMOKIWI

pinstriper · Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2019 6:14 am Post subject:

Richard III · Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2019 6:16 am Post subject:

Take a look at the list of trumpets most people have and you will see the process isn't simple. Many of the people here, who have tons of experience, will buy a horn after trying it, then will later decide it is not the holy grail they were hoping for. So on they go, buying one after another still looking for the ultimate.

My advice is to go for the one that works for now. It may work forever. But trying to find the perfect one leads down a path that may drive you crazy.

That being said, I can sell you a late Conn 22B that is so easy to play, has very good intonation, fine valves, easy to use tuning slide and in every way a very workable trumpet. It is dirt cheap as it is considered a student trumpet. I could play it anywhere and any time and it would work.
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Richard

Conn 22B Trumpet
York Eminence Model 4028 Cornet
1903 Conn The Wonder Cornet

austincustombrass · Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2019 6:56 am Post subject:

Please feel free to call us at 816-410-0826 anytime. We have over 500 trumpets in stock right now and we are sure to have something that would fit you. We also have a return policy in case it doesn't!

-ACB
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As of 1/1/2022 ACB will no longer post online here nor monitor TH.

It's a shame how far this forum has fallen. If you need us call 816-410-0826 or email.

Cool Links here:
https://linktr.ee/austincustombrass

Brad361 · Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2019 9:13 am Post subject:

cgaiii · Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2019 11:59 am Post subject:

Aren't the Zeno's fairly heavy horns? I have only played one, and I recall its being fairly heavy. If so, they might not be the best for a first year high school player to hold and use. I think that considerations like weight are important for young players. A lighter horn might be more pleasant to play at that age.

If your daughter cannot tell the difference in the horns, she might be OK just keeping her current horn.

The step-up Yamahas are good consistent trumpets. I played a 4335 GS for a long time (nice sound, but perhaps a little on the heavy side) and the 5335 you mentioned would be fine too. You can also find 6335 horns around at a good price, and they have a reasonable weight. I keep one as my outdoor/"dangerous" situation horn when I do not want to risk my favorite horn. It is a very serviceable instrument.
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Bb: Schilke X3L AS SP, Yamaha YTR-6335S
C: Schilke CXL, Kanstul 1510-2
Picc: Kanstul 920
Bb Bugle: Kanstul
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Flugel: Taylor Standard
Bass Trumpet: BAC Custom
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jondrowjf@gmail.com · Heavyweight Member Joined: 15 Jul 2016 Posts: 663

You have many choices, as long as the band director doesn't limit students to certain brands or models. I would suggest you consider buying a Getzen 700 Eterna trumpet (older version of Getzen 700 II trumpet). Excellent intermediate horn and used prices are reasonable.

Recently sold a Yamaha 431 T trumpet that didn't suit me and bought a Getzen 700 Eterna.

Love this horn. Very bright sound. Not mouthpiece specific, as many of my previous trumpets were.

Only thing I don't like is the 3rd slide adjustable ring. But that is easily fixed. Does come with Amado water keys.

I would call Trent Austin and have your daughter talk to him about what she wants in a trumpet.
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King 603 cornet
Yamaha 2330 cornet
Denis Wick 4 W classic gold cornet mouthpiece
Yamaha 11 e4 cornet mouthpiece
Yamaha 9e cornet mouthpiece
Bach 5 B cornet mouthpiece

evilpulse8 · Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 3:40 am Post subject:

A good player will make any trumpet sound good, I always preferred buying a pre owned professional horn as apposed to buying a new intermediate or student horn. I started with a Bach TR300,King 601 and an eastman 520s in high school before getting a strad 37 for college, the king was too much of a tin can and sounded like a kazoo above the staff. But every duplicate instrument is different. Best thing is for her to go out and try horns and go with someone knowledgeable. For marching band it shouldn't matter what she is using, for concert it should. Sometimes directors ask parents to buy horns so they all have matching lacquer or silver horns on the field.

HERMOKIWI · Heavyweight Member Joined: 24 Dec 2008 Posts: 2581

plankowner110 · Heavyweight Member Joined: 12 Jun 2003 Posts: 3620

bl2407 in South Carolina,

Retired band director here. I suggest keeping the King trumpet and using it for marching band. Do not use an expensive pro grade trumpet for high school marching band- college marching band game day, yes, but high school marching, no. Frequent accidental damage occurs when students leave their instruments on the bleachers unattended. (My retirement job is at a music store repair shop so I see this happen season after season.)

It is wise to buy your daughter a nice trumpet now so she can enjoy playing it all four years of high school concert band, jazz band, and solo & ensemble. It sounds like she takes pride in her music and the pro trumpet will be a wonderful lifetime gift. You can't go wrong with a Yamaha Xeno 8335 or a Bach Strad 37.

I commend you on being such a supportive parent!
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C. G. Conn 60B Super Connstellation
Getzen 800S Eterna cornet
Bach 5C (Jens Lindemann is right)
https://www.trumpetherald.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26763

bl2407 · Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2019 3:41 am Post subject:

Thanks plankowner110. My daughter says most of her trumpet section are using pro trumpets in marching band and just taking good care of them--we'll see if that's true. I agree that an expensive pro trumpet is a bit much for a high school marching band. There is a Xeno for sale right for a good price because it has a dent where a color guard flag hit it; accidents will happen.

I just had her King serviced (stuck tuning slide and broken brace), so it's in good working order for marching band. I'll keep looking and hopefully find a nice upgrade for her when she starts concert band.

Thanks again to everyone for the support!

Richard III · Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2019 4:16 am Post subject:

mrhappy · Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2019 5:15 am Post subject:

[quote="Richard III"]

Brad361 · Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2019 5:33 am Post subject: Re: Getzen 700 Eterna trumpet

jondrowjf@gmail.com · Heavyweight Member Joined: 15 Jul 2016 Posts: 663

Does you daughter have any friends in the band, that would let her play their professional horn? Just to see how it feels or sound.

How far are you from Charleston, Columbia or any major city in South Carolina or North Carolina? Might be fun to take a trip and check out different music stores.

Where is the nearest college or university near you with a music program?

I lived in Kingstree, South Carolina for two years in the mid 1980s. Still miss the excellent seafood.
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King 603 cornet
Yamaha 2330 cornet
Denis Wick 4 W classic gold cornet mouthpiece
Yamaha 11 e4 cornet mouthpiece
Yamaha 9e cornet mouthpiece
Bach 5 B cornet mouthpiece

cgaiii · Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2019 6:30 am Post subject:

freimers · Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2019 6:44 am Post subject: they need to love it

I think your daughter needs to find 'her' trumpet, an instrument that she loves, cares for and wants to spend time with. That's what Trent Austin could help her with and ensure that she's getting a good playing horn. Even my 20 year old son named his first 'used' car. He cleans, polishes and cares for it better than anything he's ever owned. It's his, he chose it, it's personal, loves the color, feel, everything about it. Is a used Jetta technically better/worse than a Civic? Who cares as long as you love driving it.

There are so many good used horns out there that are as good as new. If a store like Austin or Dillon isn't close by, I'd invest some of my time to look online with them and send them to a store where they can try horns out and choose for themselves. Shopping is fun, there's no rush! Sticking to M or ML intermediate to pro level horns with decent resistance and a 7C should do it. If at all possible, have a good player test it out for you when you get it to make sure it plays. Like taking a used car to your mechanic. Even Reverb has a 14 day return policy on most sales.

IMHO, at the end of the day, if she doesn't love it, she's not going to play it.
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S.E. Shires CVP Bb Trumpet
S.E. Shires 5S C Trumpet
S.E. Shires CN7A Cornet
Getzen 4-Valve Flugelhorn

OldSchoolEuph · Heavyweight Member Joined: 07 Apr 2012 Posts: 2440

pinstriper · Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2019 7:29 am Post subject:

There are several threads of information being given, that can be both legit, or bogus.

1) Does a student horn hold someone back/does a pro horn facilitate their development.

Yes and yes, no and no. It depends on the student and where they are in their journey. There are some students that will absolutely develop further with a different instrument, if they are ready to be able to play past the differences. For most students that is too subtle for them to recognize, for others those differences can be epiphanic.

Whether the teacher is actually able to help the student capitalize on the growth opportunity also figures in. Or is the teacher just following a formula ?

2) Marching band instruments should be something disposable because it may be subject to damage and the sound doesn't matter.

Again, true and false. Instruments in the field are certainly exposed to risks not necessarily present in concert band settings. Is that manageable and is it possible to keep a good horn safe ? Yes. Does it take more awareness ? Yes. Can something bad happen anyway ? Yes.

Does the sound matter ? In many marching band settings ? No not really. In some ? Absolutely. Very competitive marching band programs are a different animal than taking the concert band kids, dressing them funny and having them fumble around the stadium. Top drum corps are marching Xenos, and new ones every year, at that. I've seen 8335's and 8345's in use. Because it matters in those settings. These corps typically buy a whole new line every year or two, so you can score a Xeno for around $1500, used for one season with no dents (at least nothing major or more than a pencil point ding) and no scratches that you can't polish out in half an hour which your own student will put back in the normal course of handling.
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'13 Chinese POS "Hawk" branded Flugel
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'40 Olds Special Cornet, Military Issued