Adam's Horn Store and Display

Horns For Sale | Beginner Trumpet Guide | About, FAQ, Policies and Shipping | Archive of horns sold or not-for-sale | Hybrid Pro Valve Oil

Buying a beginner trumpet

authored 9/22/09
return to Adam's Horn Store

It seems that parents often have difficulty knowing what trumpet to choose for their youngster. And it's no wonder, choices seem confusing and limitless. There are shiny multi-colored trumpets on ebay, the local store rents trumpets, and the other local store sells trumpets for as little as a few hundred to several thousand dollars.

Spend five minutes reading this guide. It will help will allow you to see through the noise make an informed decision. I think it is worth mentioning -- choosing the wrong trumpet could cause someone who may have otherwise enjoyed the instrument to give up out of frustration.

Questions to ask yourself

1. Trumpet or Cornet?

This is the most basic of questions. There are three instruments in what I will call the "trumpet family." That is, a proficient player can easily switch from one to the other. Experienced players almost certainly have one of each. The notes are the same, the distance between pitches is the same, the fingerings are the same, and the general feel is the same. These three instruments are the trumpet, cornet, and flugelhorn. For the sake of this discussion, I'm going to toss out the flugelhorn because it is further afield than the other two and, when properly played, produces a sound of a substantially different character. In other words, it probably doesn't belong in a trumpet section.

The trumpet and cornet, on the other hand, are nearly identical in sound character. A general characterization may be that the cornet has a sweeter, more lyrical sound while the trumpet has a piercing, more authoritative sound. This isn't altogether true, but that is another discussion. For a beginning player, the sound difference between a trumpet and cornet is inconsequential. Sometimes band directors prefer one or the other, and sometimes people find the balance and size of a cornet is preferred by smaller hands.

I don't recommend one over the other. In a perfect world, the student should hold each and decide which he or she prefers.

2. New, used, or rent?
Almost without exception, I recommend buying a USED trumpet or cornet. A decent student horn runs $850 or more brand new and wonderful used horns can be had for well under $400. Plus, if you buy used and the student's interest wanes, a used horn can be sold for closer to the amount that was paid. I don't have particularly strong feelings about renting. It seems to me that when a nice used horn can be had for the cost of renting over one school year, why rent? On the other hand, renting may be a good way to get a decent horn in the hands of a student very quickly.

3. Which used trumpet or cornet should I choose and where should I buy it?
I will discuss new student instruments later on, but because I generally recommend buying used, I'll start there.

First, here is an unordered list short list of used trumpets and cornets to consider:

Yamaha 231, 2310, 2310II, 233, 2330, 2330II, 2335 cornets or trumpets (note the model will be preceded by YTR or YCR)
Getzen 300, 400, or 500 series or Capri
Kanstul 700 series trumpet, or 730 / 731 cornet
Olds ambassador trumpet or cornet
King tempo (602, 603, 604) or cleveland, superior trumpets and cornets
Blessing scholastic, XL, or artist cornet or trumpets
Conn director with coprion bell
Reynolds medalist or emperor (preferred)
Jupiter 520M(L) cornet (if manufactured in the last ten years)

The horns I listed above range in price used from about $60 (blessing scholastic, king tempo, to $400 or $500 (Kanstul or newer yamahas). Except for the Yamaha, getzen, and kanstul, most of those horns were in their hayday thirty or forty years ago. This list isn't exactly complete. There are many decent student horns that can be difficult to find or even know if you've found (for example, SOME sears silvertone cornets and trumpets are very good horns, and SOME are really lousy. this is because sears sourced their horns from several different manufacturers). I also didn't include any bach horns, which are quite ubiquitous. The TR200 and TR300 seem decent, but they just aren't my cup of tea.

Where to buy it is a tougher choice. The cheapest prices are on ebay. However, many ebay horns have valves that don't work quite right, frozen slides, or other unspecified damage that a seller might not list. Usually it is because the seller simply doesn't know how trumpets and cornets work. So, if you're buying on ebay, I recommend only buying from a seller who really understands horns and will stand behind their product. Otherwise, it may be more trouble than its worth.

Craigslist is a wonderful second choice. With craigslist, you can see the horn, perform a few basic tests, and know if it is going to work all right.

A third option would be local retailer. The downside is you'll pay two or three or four times what you would pay on ebay or craigslist for the same horn. The upside is, any retailer worth their will stand behind what they sell.

4. What are some basic techniques for testing a horn?
Say you found what looks like a good buy on craigslist and you're able to check it out. This is a good situation. If you simply check the following, you'll know if you should pass it or make an offer:

Check the valves. Take a bottle of valve oil, oil up the valves, and see how they work. Test them by pushing straight down at varying speeds and pressures and also pushing them down but with pressure on one side or the other of the valves. This second test simulates the variety of ways a valve is pushed in actual play. In all cases, the valves should spring right back up, and not stick or slow down based on how you push them. Don't worry, if the valves are oiled, you can't harm the horn performing any of these tests.
Check the slides. Remove and replace every slide on the trumpet. If you can do this, the horn passed the test. Often older horns will have a main tuning slide that is difficult to pull. This is normal and a good bath and regreasing of the slide will fix it. However, avoid any horns that has any slide that is completely frozen. Most times, frozen slides are easily fixed, but in the interest of getting a horn that's ready to go without any problems, avoid those with frozen slides. It is important that the slides coming off the first and third valves are fairly easy to move, because these slides are often used while actively playing the horn.
Check the brass and finish. The finish of a horn isn't so important from a practical standpoint. Scratched lacquer or word nickel or silver plating is utterly inconsequential. However, many students prefer a nice looking horn to show their peers. Take out the valves and the main tuning slide and look for significant reddish pink spots. This is considered 'red rot' and it means the brass has problems. This is one of those things that may or may not be a big deal, but for the untrained eye it is best to avoid horns that exhibit such symptoms. A few spots on the slides isn't as big of a deal as spots near where the mouthpiece enters the horn. If any red rot symptoms are present near where the mouthpiece enters the horn (inside the tubing), don't buy the horn.

Horn exhibiting severe surface red-rot (source: trumpetmaster forums)
Check the dent situation. If the horn "passed" the above tests, whatever dents and dings are present are probably inconsequential from a practical standpoint. Dents on the bell section in particularly shouldn't be of concern unelss they are very large. Dents on the leadpipe (the section of pipe between the mouthpiece and the main tuning slide) can affect intonation, so avoid any horns with anything more than a 'ping' in this section. Check the curved sections of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, valve slides. These are often dinged and again anything more than a 'ping' may be of concern. Dents and dings are easily enough removed, but I am writing this guide to help the buyer choose a horn that he or she knows is ready to go.
Check the compression. Checking the compression is a good way to tell if any leaks are present in the horn. Anyone can test this in a basic manner. Make sure the valve slides are all in. Now push down and release all the valves. Now pull out the valve slides one-by-one. You should here a distinct "pop" as each is released (less so perhaps on the short second valve slide). If you don't get this "pop" the compression is bad and air is leaking. Don't buy the horn.

5. This is all fine and well, but I don't want a used horn. I want a new one!
Okay. Finding a good student horn new is easy. But it will cost you! First, and this is the most important thing I will tell you. With very few exception, do not buy a "no-name" horn that is imported from China or India. There are a variety of cheap but shiny Chinese and Indian horns on ebay. These have names like tristar, cecilio, jinyin, wurzbach, vento, etc. The brands actually change pretty regularly. The problem with these horns is the quality is incredibly inconsistant. The beginning student simply can't know that they have a decent horn. Reported problems with these horns has ranged from valves not working from the onset, to frozen slides, to valves working initially but 'breaking down' after six month or a year, to intonation problems so severe that the horn can't be played in a section. These problems are one thing for an experienced horn player to deal with -- however, when a beginner is learning basic technique, it is imperative that the horn can be trusted to produce quality, reliable tones. Otherwise, the beginning player may become incredibly frustrated and give up altogether.

So, with that disclaimer out of the way, here are new trumpets and cornets to consider:

Kanstul 700 trumpet or 730 or 731 cornet. This is my first choice for several reasons, not the least of which being that they are difficult enough to find that they have a very good resale value. Also, this horn is made in the US and the quality is very consistant. This horn costs $700 to $1100.
Getzen capri trumpet or cornet (aka getzen 580 or 590). The 300/400 series are okay too, but I would spend the extra touch and get the next step up. $800 to $1100.
Yamaha 2310II, 2330II, or 2335 cornets and trumpets. These are fine horns of consistant quality. $700-$1200.
Jupiter 600L or 600MRL trumpet or 520ML or 520MS cornet. These horns offer incredible value. Consistent build quality and low price. $400-$750.

There are other new horns by the conn-selmer-bach conglomarate, holton, etc, but it is my opinion that they just don't compare well to those mentioned above, even if it means needing to buy one sight-unseen. Frankly, if I were buying a new horn for someone who I knew would take care of it and appreciate it, I would go online and order the Kanstul 731 without skipping a beat.

6. I have $100. Period. What should I buy?
Some of us are in this situation. Spending $100 or less on a horn means compromise. First and foremost, do not buy a new horn from china with your $100. That would be the biggest mistake you could make. Go to ebay or craigslist and buy an Olds Ambassador, Conn Director, or King Tempo. If you are patient, you can find one for $100 including shipping. If buying on ebay, be sure to find a seller that knows trumpets or can at least verify the basic tests listed above.

7. I have $50. Period. What should I buy?
Now this isn't much money. A reynolds medalist can sometimes be found for this on ebay, including shipping. Unless you get lucky and find another one of the horns I have listed above (see question 3), get a used Reynolds Medalist trumpet or cornet.

8. Can I contact you with questions?
Sure, why not. Click here to email me.