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trumpetmike · 12-25-2006, 06:52 PM

On every "what should I buy" thread my advice is the same - play them before you buy them. This is ESPECIALLY true with piccolo trumpets, in my experience.

What to buy is going to be a very personal choice - what works for one player quite possibly won't for another. As you have said, the Schilke P5-4 is probably the current industry standard, yet I can name quite a few players who don't use them. For me, I just couldn't make the instrument sound how I wished for. I have borrowed one for quite an extensive period of time, yet I wouldn't swap my F Besson for it, even if there was a financial incentive to do so. I found it to be a very thin, brittle sounding instrument, regardless of what mouthpiece I tried (I even tried my cornet mouthpiece!) Saying that, I have heard other players using them and sounding fantastic.

As for what other makes you should consider - the list is practically endless and every time I compile one I always miss somebody out - my apologies now.
These are not in any real order.

Yamaha
Blackburn
Kanstul
Schilke
Getzen
Bach (yes, Bach - I really liked the new one when I tried it at ITG)
Selmer
Stomvi
Scherzer
Galileo
Thein
B&S

Something I would mention about Schilke - don't stop with the P5-4, having tried the P7-4 at ITG I was seriously impressed with the latter one.

If I was buying a new one at the moment (which I am not doing - I love my F Besson, sadly no longer produced) I would almost certainly be heading towards either the Blackburn or Galileo. I have been very, very impressed by many of the other piccolos out there, but these two were a step above the rest, for me.
What I am actually waiting for is the Eclipse piccolo, when those Luton guys finally produce one - but this could be a while yet (it has been "in development" for about a year and shows no signs of moving beyond this at the moment - hopefully 2007 will see some advances). Having played the prototype a few times it is already showing signs of being very impressive - by the time it is finished it will be a world beater.

12-25-2006, 06:52 PM	#4 (permalink)
trumpetmike Forte User Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Farnham (a place too smal Posts: 1,202	Re: Piccolo trumpets On every "what should I buy" thread my advice is the same - play them before you buy them. This is ESPECIALLY true with piccolo trumpets, in my experience. What to buy is going to be a very personal choice - what works for one player quite possibly won't for another. As you have said, the Schilke P5-4 is probably the current industry standard, yet I can name quite a few players who don't use them. For me, I just couldn't make the instrument sound how I wished for. I have borrowed one for quite an extensive period of time, yet I wouldn't swap my F Besson for it, even if there was a financial incentive to do so. I found it to be a very thin, brittle sounding instrument, regardless of what mouthpiece I tried (I even tried my cornet mouthpiece!) Saying that, I have heard other players using them and sounding fantastic. As for what other makes you should consider - the list is practically endless and every time I compile one I always miss somebody out - my apologies now. These are not in any real order. Yamaha Blackburn Kanstul Schilke Getzen Bach (yes, Bach - I really liked the new one when I tried it at ITG) Selmer Stomvi Scherzer Galileo Thein B&S Something I would mention about Schilke - don't stop with the P5-4, having tried the P7-4 at ITG I was seriously impressed with the latter one. If I was buying a new one at the moment (which I am not doing - I love my F Besson, sadly no longer produced) I would almost certainly be heading towards either the Blackburn or Galileo. I have been very, very impressed by many of the other piccolos out there, but these two were a step above the rest, for me. What I am actually waiting for is the Eclipse piccolo, when those Luton guys finally produce one - but this could be a while yet (it has been "in development" for about a year and shows no signs of moving beyond this at the moment - hopefully 2007 will see some advances). Having played the prototype a few times it is already showing signs of being very impressive - by the time it is finished it will be a world beater.