What and When Was Your First?

[seilogramp]

[Dkjcliff]

When I started in 5th grade my parents bought me a run of the mill Holton student model, maybe T602. Years later I gave it away to another kid who was learning to play. I don't miss it, but I wonder what I would think of how it plays today with more experience in playing quality horns and better playing ability.
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Selmer Radial II
Yamaha YHF-635T Flugelhorn
Martin Indiana Cornet

[jairo_saade]

It was a brand new Selmer Bundy BB Trumpet, it was in 1994. I still own it and in spite of the gazillion dents it still plays nice.
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Joe S

[Riojazz]

Conn Director with a Conn 4 mouthpiece. The school provided it. 1959.

I was going to say, Conn Director Trumpet but some of the early posters called their Conn Directors a cornet. I know mine looked like a trumpet, but I have no way of knowing if the design was a long cornet or an actual trumpet.
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Matt Finley https://mattfinley.bandcamp.com/releases
Kanstul 1525 flugel with French taper, Shires Bb Destino Med & C trumpets, Schilke XA1 cornet, Schagerl rotary, Schilke P5-4 picc, Yamaha soprano sax, Powell flute. Sanborn GR66MS & Touvron-D.

[cheiden]

[Proteus]

An ancient Selmer that was so old and much-used that all the valves wiggled from side to side. There was an actual hole in the bell, and the metal there was paper-thin. I bought it in grade 11 for less than $100 from another student that heard I was looking to buy a used horn. What I *didn't* know was that the kid had just stolen his father's very first trumpet - well-known trumpeter/bandleader Benny Barbara - to hawk for **** money...and that was the horn he sold me. Leak? Like a sieve. Hard to blow or get a focused tone? Absolutely.

Of course Mr. Barbara suddenly showed up in the music room several weeks later looking for his keepsake trumpet that obviously had great sentimental value, but his English was so heavily accented that none of the students could figure out what he wanted, let alone who he was. I happened to be heading towards the music room and quickly put two and two together - and was scared spitless that I was going to get into a whole lot of trouble. And always felt really bad that I never returned that horn.
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Bach 239 C
Kanstul 700
Getzen Proteus 907S Bb
Bach Strad 37 Bb (70s)
ACB Doubler flugel
Getzen Capri cornet

[blownchops]

A cheap made in china horn that I used for like 2 weeks. I think it was a Simba or Rosetti.
My first pro horn was an old Holton B47 symphony. It got me into college just fine, but was traded in on a Bach 72 not long into college as it really wasnt the greatest horn.
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Bach 37

[Dutchman1954]

I had two actually, a Conn silver cornet that my father played in high school (which was during the late 1930's, early 1940's) and a long narrow silver Czech trumpet that he brought back from Europe after the end of WWII

[Bryant Jordan]

Back in the day, a rent-to-own King student model. I loved the fat, comfy finger buttons on that thing.

[Bill_Bumps]

My first -- and still only -- horn is a 1959 Selmer K-Modified that my wife gave me for Christmas in 1982. I had it repaired (dents) and refinished a couple of years ago, and now it looks as good as it plays. I love it.

[Andy Del]

After the school loaners or various cornets and flugel hornS, preceded by a baritone and an alto horn, I used my own money to buy a Selmer Radial 99, for all of $130. Played it, sold it, bought it back and will no longer consider parting with it. Great instrument, if only I was stronger, younger, etc etc.

Cheers

Andy
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so many horns, so few good notes...

[bflatplayer]

In 1988 I bought a Bach TR300 for my first horn. My teacher must have gotten tired of hearing that horn and often mentioned to me he thought it was time to upgrade.

[jhatpro]

My first horn was a C melody sax that had belonged to my grandfather. It was almost as tall as I was. I remember lugging it to a lesson and hitting my head on a barber pole.

I switched to a Conn cornet soon after.
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Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

[Vin DiBona]

Mine was a Blessing student model with a Blessing or Bach mouthpiece, maybe a 10 1/2C.
i received an Olds Recording my Freshman year.
R. Tomasek

[VetPsychWars]

My grandfather's 1949 Buescher 400.

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

[Crazy Finn]

I had a new Yamaha 2310 cornet. Still have it. Plays great.
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LA Benge 3X Bb Trumpet
Selmer Radial Bb Trumpet
Yamaha 6335S Bb Trumpet
Besson 709 Bb Trumpet
Bach 184L Bb Cornet
Yamaha 731 Bb Flugelhorn

[trumpetp1]

My parents bought me a Holton T602 for 5th grade beginner band in the early 1990s. I desperately wanted to play trumpet but my band director was convinced that my teeth were more suited to trombone. Thankfully, my parents stuck to their guns and got me a trumpet.

Fast forward: After many auditioned high school festivals, including All-State and All-East, I went to a large university where my trumpet professor remarked that my teeth were perfect for trumpet. A few years later, that same beginner band director was sitting second chair to me for a local production of a musical that I can't recall the name of. He remarked something to the effect of: "I guess you did turn out to be a decent trumpet player." Thanks...I guess?
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trumpetp1

[Manuel de los Campos]

My first trumpet was a Dutch made Schenkelaars, I borrowed her from the local band. It was a okee instrument, cheap, not very well made, tons of red rot patched by the repairman of the band, he was more like a plumber
I got her in 1970

The first trumpet I bought was a Bach 180-37. A very good instrument. That was in 1982 from my first salary: like $1000.- that was a lot of money those days!
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Technology alone is a poor substitute for experience. (Richard Sachs)

[Rance]

My first horn was a rental when I began lessons in 1956 or '57. It was a Conn Director, and I loved it. When the rental period ended, my father bought me a replacement horn for $25, I believe. I don't recall the brand, if I even knew it. It was a real beater -- major dents, loss of finish, a case that smelled of god knows what. After a year of lessons and getting into the high school band while in 7th grade, he bought me a new horn, another Conn Director, but the Coprion model for $125. I immediately fell in love with it and have it to this day. Even have the original mouthpiece, a Bach New York 9c. (For some reason, I became inspired and dug out the old Conn for the first time in over 50 years, and decided to try to play, again. Had it reconditioned and used it for a while until I decided to purchase a new Bach Strad 180--37. Will never part with the old Conn, though.)

[Brassnose]

Trumpetp1, Looks like we have something in common: I was a short kid and everyone wanted me to start on flute (!!!). I flat out denied playing any instrument but a trumpet (well, cornet) and it worked out - although I find myself gravitating towards low brass these days.
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2019 Martin Schmidt eXcellence
1992 Bach 43GH/43
1989 Kühnl & Hoyer Model 15 flugel
1980/2023 Custom Blessing Scholastic C 😎
1977 Conn 6B
1951 Buescher 400 Lightweight
AR Resonance, Frate, Klier