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updated Saturday, December 29, 2007

Instruments:

There are many brands of quality instruments available today. Below is a list of reputable trumpet manufacturers. They are listed in no particular order and they should not be viewed as equal in quality. Inclusion on this list simply means that they are real instrument makers who are dedicated to the production of quality instruments.

Note: With the advent and popularity of internet commerce, many instruments I believe to be of poor quality have made their way into the unsuspecting hands of students and parents throughout the world.  If you are wondering about a particular brand of instrument and you do not see it on the list below, please click here for a list of brands that I DO NOT endorse in any way. If you still do not find it, please email me and I'll be glad to research it.

Reputable Manufacturers:

*To my knowledge, Bundy trumpets are no longer in production but can be obtained used. These instruments were produced by Selmer-Bach some time ago and should be considered a reputable brand. Obtaining replacement parts may be an issue, however.

**F.E. Olds is, to my knowledge, no longer producing instruments. The brand NAME has been purchased and is being used by another manufacturer. OLDS student line instruments from the REAL OLDS craftsmen are excellent instruments. The ones currently being produced are, in my opinion, of less than good quality.

Specific Reviews: (alpha by manufacturer) You can click on an image for a larger view. Keep in mind that comparisons between student trumpets and professional trumpets cannot be drawn from the ratings. A student trumpet that's rated a 7 is not as good as a professional trumpet that rates a 7.

 >Bach 180S-37 - This is the model of Bb trumpet that I recommend most for high school and college students, including my own. It's generally considered to be the "industry standard" and produces a well-centered, resonant sound that lends itself to a wide variety of playing situations. The only weakness with this, or most of the Bach models, is the inconsistency from one horn to another. If you can find a good one, get it. 
Overall rating: 8.5/10. Expect to pay about $1,995.

>Bach 180S-43G - Now, I normally don't like the 43 bell and why that is I'll never know. However, I've played this horn for several days now including on a show gig and I really liked it. It centers up very well with really fine intonation. In many ways, I like this horn just as well as my Kanstul 1500A and in some ways I like it even better. It blends better with other horns like Bach or Blackburn (the two most popular brands among pros I play with) and the slightly larger 43 bell gives a wonderfully broad sound with great projection. I recommend this horn for anyone looking for that "Bach" sound with just a bit more depth and punch. Thanks to Ceth at Tulsa Band Instruments for the loan.
Overall Rating: 9/10. Expect to pay about $1,995.

>Bach C180LS 239/25A - This is the current model C trumpet that I play and the second most popular Bach C configuration.  It has a moderately warm sound with just the right amount of "zing" for classical and/or church work.  The most popular configurations of the Bach C are 229/25H and 239/25A.
Overall rating: 8/10.  Expect to pay about $1,995.

>Benge 4p-SP Bb/A Piccolo Trumpet (This is NOT the Benge Colibri model) - This is my current piccolo trumpet. I've been playing this horn since 2002 and have loved it. It has a very well centered, semi-dark tone (dark for a piccolo that is) that blends perfectly within an ensemble. But, it also has enough sparkle to be a great solo instrument. It's good to see manufacturers making this type of horn despite the fact that the piccolo trumpet market is dominated by Schilke. And the Schilke P5-4 is a great horn, no doubts there. However, the Benge 4P-SP has all the warmth of a Selmer piccolo without the dreaded "Schilke squeak". ACCORDING TO MY SOURCES, THIS INSTRUMENT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE.
Overall rating: 9/10. I'm researching used prices. If you find one, let me know.

>Getzen 700SP Intermediate Trumpet  - This is a good-quality, nice-sounding student trumpet. It has great valve and slide action and comes with a lightweight pro-tec case. This particular model is manufactured exclusively for select Getzen dealers to sell to the public. Thanks to SAIED MUSIC for loaning me one to evaluate. This is an excellent trumpet for a beginning student. Highly recommended. Overall Rating 8.5/10  Expect to pay about $799.

>Getzen 896S Flugel - This is my current model of flugelhorn.  Though I don't play flugel that much these days, I still really love this horn.  It's got a darker, more horn-like sound that most flugels and the intonation is really easy to deal with.  The only downside of the instrument is no third valve slide.  But, with the 4th valve, compensating for out-of-tune D's and C#'s is easy.  If you get a flugel with only 3 valves, make SURE you get a third valve slide.  Overall, a great horn for the money.
Overall rating: 8.5/10.  Expect to pay about $1,420.

>Getzen 3071 Custom C Trumpet - Wow! I'm impressed with this horn. It's got a great sound, much better than average intonation, a smooth scale, and great response. The only intonation problem was the G on top of the staff. It was VERY sharp; about 30 cents. I could barely pull it down. For that reason, I couldn't justify buying it. But, let's face it: most C trumpets suck (we all know that) but this horn feels more like a Bb than most any other C I've played. Generally speaking, the only C's I know that I really think play better than this one are the great ones by Cliff Blackburn (blackburntrumpets.com) or a really good Bach; and those cost more than twice the price of this Getzen. Thanks again to my friends at Tulsa Band Instruments for letting me try this great horn.
Overall rating: 8/10. (I would have given it a 9 except for the bad intonation on the "G"). Expect to pay about $1,600.

>Holton T602 USA Student Trumpet  - This is an excellent quality instrument that I highly recommend for beginners. It is well-built of quality materials and is capable of producing a warm, mature tone. Students can use this instrument successfully for several years; even into high school.  Overall Rating: 8/10. Expect to pay about $650.

>Kanstul ZKT1500A - This is my current Bb trumpet and one of the best I've ever played.  It has a great, dark, well-focused sound with good projection.  Featuring heavyweight valve caps, receiver, and tuning slide, it can produce a tone with brilliance and sizzle in the upper register and also the dark, thick, warm sound of a great jazz soloist.  It also comes with a single radius standard weight tuning slide.  I love this horn and recommend it to more advanced players looking for a horn with more flexibility than any of the Bach horns. 
Overall rating: 9/10.  Approximate price $1,865.

>Kanstul ZKT1600WB - This horn, the Kanstul "Wayne Bergeron" Model is another outstanding instrument from Kanstul.  It was recently lent to me by my friends at Tulsa Band Instruments to try out.  I've played it now for about a week and I really like it.  It's got a really nice "fat" sound, especially in the upper register.  I would recommend it highly to any player looking for a lead, big band, or commercial sound. 
Overall rating: 8/10.  Approximate price: $1,795.

>King 601W Student Trumpet  - This is generally a good instrument for beginners. However, the low register has proved to be rather flat on the ones I've tested. For this reason, I can't really recommend this instrument.  Overall Rating: 5/10. Approximate Price: $750.

>Selmer (Paris) Concept 1903 TT  - This is an instrument for a soloist, not for a section player. It has a rather unique sound that doesn't match well with Bach, Benge, Yamaha, or any other more common model. Don't get me wrong, I really LIKED the tone. And for a solo player, especially jazz, it has a warm sound that hints at the old Martin Committees. That warmth, however, comes with a price: because it's so warm (read: dark or heavy in lower overtones) you can't really project with it or get any bright "sizzle" or "sparkle" to the tone. At the louder dynamics, it tends to sound a bit "dead". So, although I liked the horn I can't rate it very high due to it's inability to blend with others or project. Overall rating: 7/10.  Approximate price: $2,245 US.

>Yamaha 8335(R)G "Xeno" Bb Trumpet - This version of the "Xeno" plays fairly well. I've never been a fan of the reverse leadpipe, but this one was okay. My main complaint with this horn was the response. It did fine in the middle to lower register, but, above top line F it was hit-and-miss. I played the same model with a standard leadpipe and like it much better. I would recommend the standard over the reverse leadpipe. Overall rating: 8/10. Expect to pay about $2,000 US.
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© Troy K. Snow