Annie

I'm pretty sure I'm going to be looking for a picc pretty soon, and I wasn't quite sure what brand/model would be the best direction to look in...it's pretty possible I am going to get out a student loan to pay for it, plus at least a Flugelhorn, possibly a C.

__________________
~Annie

*I may not be great yet, but I'm working hard on it and one day I'm gonna be there.*

patdublc

Whatever you do, play a lot of horns to find what works best for you. Brand loyalty is important to some people. To others, price may be number one.

In the US, the Schilke P5-4 is often referred to as the standard by which others are judged. So, you should probably try to play one of those to have a comparison point. Yamaha, Kanstul, and others make great piccs at decent prices. Blackburn makes a great picc, but they will run you a bit more. For a lower priced model, I often recommend the Getzen Eterna 940. It is a very nice horn with a very nice price. Adding a Blackburn leadpipe (for A) makes it even better.

Flugels are a different animal. Just play a lot of them & find one with a sound that you like. If you're going to use it mostly as a solo instrument, then you can focus mostly on the sound that you want and not the sound that is needed to blend in a section.

C's are complicated. You may play in an environment where your teacher or principal player wants you to play a particular brand horn. That can be a deal breaker. Make sure that you try some Bach's - especially a large bore 229/25H because many people consider that the standard.

Chuck Levin's outside of DC or Dillon's in NJ are great places to try a bunch of horns.

These are just my opinions based on a lot of shopping experience. FWIW, I play a Kanstul 1525 flugel, a Yamaha Chicago C & a Schilke P5-4 picc. Not much brand loyalty here.

trumpetnick

Try as many as you can is a good advice to follow but here I will give few suggestions...

1. Schilke: the so famous P5-4 is not my favourite...It is a good trumpet, no doubt but IMHO it is too bright and have too much resistance (I prefer free blowing horns)
2. F. Besson: Very similar to Schilke but has bigger sound and more free blowing feel. I believe that it has a larger more. There is few minor intonation problems but these are something easy to cope with
3. Stomvi: Nice piccolo too: easy to play, intonation is quite good, sound is nice as well.
4. Selmer: The new model (known as Touvron's) is kind of popular but IMHO the Andre's was nicer. The 3rd slide trigger mechanic makes it weird to hold and the intonation is not much better than the Andre's model.
5. Schagerl Eclipse: Very nice round sound easy to play: Excellent and very solid
6. Spada: My favourite among piston valves. All I said about Schagerl is true for the Spada picc, but the spada is more delicate (IMHO, this may be very subjective) and spada offers and optional 1st slide trigger in addition to the usual 3rd slide trigger
7. Eclipse: Everyone has stopped breathing to see what they will come up with...Alex Yates is the person to ask about
8. NYTC: I have not try that one but worth testing
9. Yamaha: I am not their fun, but they have done a good job.
10. Scherzer rotary: it is a bit special, but very nice. I am not sure that it is good for everything - I would not try playing on these brandenburg 2 or M. Haydn's concerto and all other stratosphere piccolo stuff, but they have very nice sound and excellent intonation. You may need some time to get used to the rotary valves, but it worths the effort.

Probably there is more but 10 is already a good number for one post...Anyway, I have to leave something for the resident expert on everything, Robin alias Rowuk

__________________
Spada Bach B flat 72, leadpipe 2L/DWMM1.5C
Spada Bach C 256, leadpipe 2LQ/DWMM1.5C
1956 Olds Ambassador Cornet
Spada Custom Piccolo

If you don't know where you are going, you 'll end up someplace else

tromj

Whben buying a picc while still in schol, don't try to get one that is going to be too idiosyncratic. I mean, a Scherzer is all well and good, but a middle of the road model interms of characteristics like a yamaha is probably a better place to start, and will serve you well professionally, unless you end up speciualizing, at which point you will hopefuly have the wherewithal and knowledge base and opportunity to find the one best suited for your playing.

__________________
Bach 37
Yamaha 8310Z
Yamaha 631 Flugel
Getzen 850 Cornet
Yamaha Picc
Yamaha Xeno C 8445
Monette B1-5M, B1-5F, B1-5D cornet, Stork 3P, Monette C1-5M

Vulgano Brother

Try a bunch out, see what you like best, then compare prices. Go for what for you is the best value. Have fun!

__________________
www.letsbuildhope.org

stchasking

I own the Yamaha version of the Shilke P5-4.

I have owned it since the late 1980's. I have played a lot of pics at Trumpet Guild conferences and I have not found a freer blowing horn than the shilke/yamaha P5-4. Don't buy anything until you have tried one. You may not like it but play one so you won't regret not giving it a test drive.

I played a whole lot of Messiah and a few church solos with it. I may try some more horns from Europe but I doubt if I would replace it. It will go to the grave with me.

__________________
"I was performing professionally at age 17 and have never had a real job." Allen Vizzutti

http://cdbaby.com/cd/mcking

B15M

I wouldn't get them all in one shot.
I would get a picc. and play on it for a while. Not the one that you want to buy but just anyone that you can barrow.

I have a Selmer and a Scherzer. I hate the Selmer and love the Scherzer. The problem I have with the Scherzer is maintenance. I'm not sure how to wash the thing because of the rotary valves. I think slide grease works it's way into the valves and slows them down. If it were piston valves I could take care of it better.

After playing on the borrowed picc for a while Then you can try a bunch and get one. You will have a better idea what to look for. It's a lot different then B flat.

After getting the picc repeat the process for the C.

There is nothing I hate more then getting a trumpet that I love and two or three weeks later saying "I made a mistake"

Good Luck

__________________
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm...ndid=238487314

http://webpages.charter.net/joespitzer/

trumpetnick

You need to get the valves out but not too often and very carefully...it can be a bit tricky...if you don't know how, you may ask someone more experienced (with rotaries), or even better a repairman. When oiling the valves, you need to leave a bit of it in the littles holes in the valve caps. All rotaries are a bit more delicate as maintenance is concerned...but I guess that it is worthed the efforts, especcially if you have good (and expensive) one like the scherzer...

__________________
Spada Bach B flat 72, leadpipe 2L/DWMM1.5C
Spada Bach C 256, leadpipe 2LQ/DWMM1.5C
1956 Olds Ambassador Cornet
Spada Custom Piccolo

If you don't know where you are going, you 'll end up someplace else

trumpetsplus

Get the Scherzer dismantled and cleaned professionally; then NEVER LET THE ROTORS DRY OUT. Keep them oiled and play the horn very often

__________________
Ivan Hunter
www.trumpetsplus.com
Home of the Hunter-Diamond and Jaeger Trumpets

Vulgano Brother

I have had good success with rotaries by using the lower valve cap as kind of a reservior -- I'll put in more than enough valve oil, and try to bathe the rotor in oil. A bit wasteful and messy, perhaps, but my rotaries have always been hassle free, and I've never had cause to take the valves out .

(My favorite Scherzer clone is the one made by Rudolf Meinl -- made in Germany by Germans, and a great value!)

__________________
www.letsbuildhope.org