Pro Trumpet vs. Student Trumpet for learning players

[ArtandSons]

A lot of content on this forum regarding this topic so I will throw my hat in the ring:

I am not talking about young players who are playing and the risks of acquiring better instruments but "mature players", like me, who are returning players. Other than cost, I see no reason why a developing, returning player should not buy and play the best they can afford. This notion of..."start with a beginner horn" and progress is nonsense..buy the best you can afford and go with it. I have a Reynolds Medalist (Olds factory production) and in my humble opinion, one of the best "student trumpets" ever made...basically an Old Ambassador
(made on the same line line) but with better bracing and nickel silver trim. I played that and I still have it..its a great instrument. Since then, I bought a King Silver Flair (1055T) and it is a nicer and easier to play instrument...better valves, shorter throw, the .462 bore is not noticeable for an amateur like me. So I say get the best you can and play it -the trumpet is an extension of the player. What do you say?

[deleted_user_687c31b]

Don’t disagree with your reasoning but it can be hard to determine which instrument is ‘the best’ for you if you have little experience. The advice to start on a student trumpet is generally given to prevent someone from wasting their money: better waste 200 dollar on the wrong student trumpet than 2000 on the wrong professional one right?

That being said, it’s your money. You don’t owe anyone any explanation as to how you spend it.

[Brassnose]

I absolutely agree. I played my beginners horn all the way until I was 20 and could afford my Bach in the signature. It’s been my primary horn for almost 30 years now. It made my playing much easier: faster valves, more open sound, better playability overall.

I do also agree that without playing my Blessing student horn the 12 years before buying the Bach I would not have been able to appreciate the improvement. So yes, you need a certain level to know what you are after.

At the time there was no trumpet internet so I was limited to what was available locally: Bach, Yamaha, Jupiter, Getzen student models, and a single Benge (65B?) and the Bach was the best horn I could find at the time.

But upon returning and getting my chops back, I decided, I „needed“ a new horn for orchestral playing. And indeed my Schmidt is a MUCH better horn in every respect. It almost plays by itself. So yes, on top of being a very cool „want“ horn, it does help me as an amateur player to improve because I can concentrate much more on the music.

I am not much of a collector and only want horns to play but I want good horns - if you can afford it and enjoy it, it’s up to you.
_________________
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

[Manuel de los Campos]

My experience with 'student' horns is that student horns seems to have a noticeable resistance in the blow which helps the devellopping student to gain range and endurance.

Many so called pro horns share this amount of resistance; Olds Super, Conn 22B, Olds Studio, Bach 180/37, Yamaha Z horns, Selmer K modified etc. etc.

However, there are pro horns that are very free blowing, like 70's and 80's Getzen Eterna 900, Bach 180/43* The question is if a newbie or student can handle such very free blowing instruments

So I totally agree that a student should lay his hands on the best horn that he / she can afford though I think it's wise to stay away from very free blowing instruments in an early situation
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Technology alone is a poor substitute for experience. (Richard Sachs)

[JayKosta]

A few thoughts -

Have a horn that you can take to group sessions without worrying (too much) about its safety.

While there can be advantages to 'pro instruments', realize that they might be only slightly better at helping you learn and improve. The important thing is to have a decent 'workable' instrument - beyond that the differences can be very subtle.

Don't fall for the temptation of 'upgrading' to a different instrument unless there's a good reason to believe the 'fault' is with the current instrument.
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Most Important Note ? - the next one !
KNOW (see) what the next note is BEFORE you have to play it.
PLAY the next note 'on time' and 'in rhythm'.
Oh ya, watch the conductor - they set what is 'on time'.

[deleted_user_687c31b]

Trent Austin recently made a video on the subject:


Link

[Winghorn]

If you have the money, why not get a pro-level horn? Besides likely being better in tune and sounding better, a professional instrument will likely inspire you to practice more. To live up to the horn, so to speak.

But I would suggest a Bach Strad, as it doesn't have any extreme playing characteristics and is probably the easiest to resell if your priorities change.

[Manuel de los Campos]

[THE BD]

I think an adult player, even a beginner should absolutely go for a pro horn if it's in their budget and desire.

I think that 'student horn for students' idea makes great sense, mainly with school aged kids though. Much less of a problem if a student horn is damaged than an expensive pro horn. Many student models are designed with that in mind. It has less to do with playability and more to do with durability in my experience!
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Martin D Williams

Yeah, I did that!

[OldSchoolEuph]

[Robert P]

It's important that a given horn is capable of sounding better as you get better.
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Getzen Eterna Severinsen
King Silver Flair
Besson 1000
Bundy
Chinese C

Getzen Eterna Bb/A piccolo
Chinese Rotary Bb/A piccolo

Chinese Flugel

[Irving]

Another advantage of a student horn is the price. There is nothing wrong with getting a pro horn. However, those of you that start on a comeback with every intention to keep on playing might change your mind and stop. So that pro horn, especially if bought new, will have lost it's original value, like a new car. If you buy a relatively inexpensive horn used, like a Getzen Capri, Olds Ambassador etc., chances are you can sell it for what you paid for. This is the main advantage of a student horn.

[Brassnose]

I’d actually argue that a used quality horn, Bach, Yamaha, Schilke, whatever, will keep its value if you buy used and don’t beat up the horn. When I sold my second hand Eterna C a while ago I made exactly what I paid for it. That’s fine by me.
_________________
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

[Irving]

As well Brassnose. I would suggest doing that when you know you will want to keep playing. If you are starting again from a long absence then the pro horn won't be any sort of advantage.

[Brassnose]

Alright, maybe. I restarted on my Bach that I had anyway and I knew I wanted to keep playing, so maybe that’s the difference. And then I didn’t buy anything until 5 years into the comeback. So I guess there is some truth to your point as well.
_________________
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

[trickg]

[ArtandSons]

So I paid $750 for the King Silver Flair mid 60s - 1055T the original version- and its in excellent condition...took me a while to find it but that was part of the fun.Thats about what a new decent student trumpet would cost and I think it will have much better long term value, even though I will never sell it.

I also have a 1941 Olds Super that was given to me by my local repair tech. It needs to have the valves re-plated and aligned and it has minor red rot but I can get that work done for less than $700 and have a second pro quality horn for the same cost as a student entry level bought new.

It will be interesting to see the differences between those two once I get the Olds work done...I am guessing there won't be much difference in the sound given my limited skills

[Robert P]

[RUenvsci]

A great student horn has a lot of value. For example I have an early 90s king tempo 600- a student horn. It plays really well, and much better than other 600s and other student model horns. As a hobbyist, I use that horn when on work travel and if my Bach Stradivarius is in the shop. I use the Bach Stradivarius for home practice, concerts, etc. So, a good student horn can be put to good use if it has a purpose in your lifestyle. I don’t believe in the concept of intermediate horns- I think they are a waste of money. Price-wise, a used pro model will not break the bank.
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Comeback player

[trickg]