blu_knote

I need HELP!! I thought I was fairly knowledgeable about trumpets until I starting seriously surfing the web in search of "The Perfect Horn". I like playing jazz and blues but would like a versatile horn for all playing arenas. Sound and Function are my primary concerns but Harrelson and Monette have caught my eyes. I also like the Zeus line. Anyone have suggestions on what to get. Help me shop!! (Monette is out of the question-- too much $$$. But I am willing to spend up to $2500 because this is a long time investment and will get MUCH use. Plus thats all my wife will let me spend.)

Thanks in advance for your help!

bagmangood

Try to see if any local dealers have any horns that you might want to try
and i'd also recommend trying a schilke (and thus begins the long discussion)

Stile442

Everybody will have their own favorites and what works for them. The best advice is try everything you can and pick what works for you. Rowuk, who is another member here has a great saying..."play before you pay" This is fantastic advice.

derekkress

Celebration! from Flip Oakes. Versatile and a core sound to die for. With this horn I can concentrate on the music since it lets me express myself 100%. I'm now considering a gold plated version with personalized engraving since I feel this is my new voice!I got lucky with my one of a kind flugel 25 years ago which to this day has a core sound that is unmatched and now I have my main voice in the Celebration!

rowuk

My first advice is to purge the idea from your head that a specific instrument is better suited for this or that genre. This is just plain BS!
The second advice is to get out of your head that HARDWARE solves any problem.
The third thing is to consider what actually makes that sound that you percieve to be Monette or Harrelson. If it isn't a live UNAMPLIFIED concert, you hear more sound engineer sound than player. This applies especially to CDs!

So what to do? Define a period of time, like a YEAR, where you will play EVERYTHING that you get your hands on - EVEN a MONETTE if possible. You owe it to yourself to try EVERYTHING, even if it is out of your price range. Try and play all of those horns in larger spaces like a hall or church. Almost every trumpet plays stuffier in small rooms. Try and play for at least one other pair of ears that you trust. Take notes on your and their opinions. NO MOUTHPIECE CHANGES DURING THIS TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2.5 grand is a lot of money and it never ceases to amaze me how quickly people are willing to lay it out on the counter after only TRYING a couple of horns.

$1000 is enough to get a decent instrument. Any more than that you should know why - there are valid reasons, but they are different for everyone. I presently have 12 trumpets that all get used depending what I am playing. There are situations where each one is NOT optimal - including the Monette.

It is yur money and the decision should be based on your experience! You will get a ton of recommendations here from people who do not know you or how or what you play. We do not know how much or seriously you practice. I think it would be easier to recommend a wife than a trumpet..................

Play before you pay!

eisprl

in my humble opinion, I would recommend the Yamaha 8335 "Xeno" horn. That is what I use and I play everything from Jazz to Brass quintet to Big band to full out Symphonic and orchestral rep. It's right in your price range and the horn is accessible to play from the beginner to the working professional.

(am I wrong?) it is a great horn.

Eric

(now flugel horns on the other hand....)

tedh1951

I play, and the more I play the more the "unreachable horns" become the path to better playing - or maybe it's those mouthpieces I haven't yet tried but my friends discuss with such enthusiasm - or perhaps I need another tutor, no, no, it's the size of the room - oh no, now I have it - scrape the lacquer off.

Here I am at nearly 57 years of age just behaving like a teenager -so stop talking for a minute - two ears, one mouth - must mean something - my very sensible professional trumpeter/tutor says to me - "you have a good quality instrument (by the by an old Getzen 900) and a good efficient mouthpiece, and a good sound - now learn to put them together - the grass is not always greener".

Thank the Lord, and thank you ROWUK, I was begining to spend my pension fund.

Just out of interest, I tried my old B&H student trumpet tonight and, apart from the different back pressure, the sound is essentially the same as the Getzen - I'm now just much better at producing that sound, and I'm not actually spending the grocery vouchers.

rowuk

Ted,
I will be 52 this year. I have no problem with spending the pension fund. You just need to know why and that doesn't happen by proxy. First hand experience is the solution, picking a horn doesn't need to happen by chance.

The Yamaha is an excellent horn, but so is a Kanstul, Benge, Schilke, selected Bachs, Selmer, Courtois, Olds, Conn, Flip Oakes, Monette and countless others. Why not play them all, why not take the time and really enjoy the road to spending $2.500?

Dale Proctor

Trying as many horns as possible is the right way to do it. While you're auditioning trumpets, try to lay hands on an old Conn 38B Connstellation and/or an old Conn 6B Victor. They work very well for the type of playing you're contemplating, and work fine for just about anything else, too. If you like the way they play for you and decide to buy one, you'll also save some money......

Richard Oliver

Ditto to what Robin and Dale said. Old and new. Play 'em all. If you really want to make it fun, start a notebook wherein you record your findings.

Use your ears, a friend's ears, a tuner, record them if you like. Are you so situated geographically that you can visit some good music stores to test their wares?