marc.yo

i don't care if it's vintage or recent, but i do need it to be a good horn, obviously. i'm not going to go and buy a really, really awesome, expensive horn. but i'm not gonna buy a tri-star. this will be my first coronet or anything related to the trumpet family. see my introduction post for more info about me.


but i'm looking for a sound that is suitable for jazz. can coronets do Latin/Carribean? i'm clueless on this guys. i'd say my budget (from looking at ebay) is somewhere from zero dollars (hehe, right) to about 200 ish. higher if you don't think that this price range will get me a decent horn.

inform me!!

marc.yo

oh, id like to go used, as that's really the only thing in my price range

marc.yo

edit to up price range to 300

stchasking

First thing we do is help you spell cornet. This should make your internet searches more productive.

In your situation a Conn Victor on the used market will probably do. I played one in Junior High and High School. If you want something fancier you'll have to wait for other responses. The brass band people are going to have something to say about this.

If I were in the market I would get the largest bore I could get.

You can play a lot of Dixie Land with a cornet. I don't see why you can't play jazz combo work with a cornet.

That is my $0.02

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

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marc.yo

haha, yeah...i figured the spelling out shortly after i posted this. lol.

k. thanks for the info. i will wait for other responses

Decentplayer

To be honest, the amount you have to spend, isn't really enough to get a decent named cornet. If you take a chance on buying someone's crap on Ebay, you might end up getting really ripped off. I've looked at a few cornets and I did see somewhat reasonable prices, but they were from a music store. Think carefully and if you do buy from a music dealer, call up and speak to someone personally and ask what their return policy is, what the condition is etc. Good luck.

marc.yo

k. what is a good price range? i can save up.

Toobz

stchasking is right. The 80A Conn Victor was and is a great jazz cornet. You can find one for under your budget on Ebay. The real question is will it be in good playing condition. Fixing one up may blow your budget all to pieces.

You can also grab a Bach Cr 310, an Olds Studio, or a King Master
cornet in that price range as well. Of the 3, I would stay with the
Olds or the King. They'll have better resell later on. You can always grab entry level Yamaha's for well under $300 as well, not my favorite, but others enjoy them more than I do.

If you buy off of Ebay, try to buy from a seller who plays. They will usually show the condition of the valves and will have a better idea of it's overall condition. But thats still no guarantee. Everybody loves to slam Ebay. Rightly so, as a lot of junk is dumped on there.
However, I have bought many a nice horn , and will continue to buy off of Ebay in the future. Keep in mind that you will need to be patient and research what a decent version of what you're looking for will sell for. Then and only then, are you ready to make a purchase. So many people get stuck with crap, hoping to steal a horn or discover a jewel in the rough. What they get stuck with is a rough piece of crap. If you take your time, and do your homework, and buy from an established seller, you can find a decent horn for a good price. If you take a chance on an unknown seller, or from someone who doesn't know horns, your chances of buying some junk go WAY up. You will find many a seemingly great deal, usually with poor descriptions and pics, with the " I don't know horns" statement right along side the low price. Guess what, if it's such a steal, why hasn't the other 100 million people who comb Ebay daily bid on it ? You get what you pay for, whether on Ebay or any other place.

All that said, playing a horn first is the only guarantee you can have when buying a horn.
What that usually means however, is a higher price. It's up to you how you spend your money.

__________________



Conn 10B New Era trumpet
Martin Committee cornet
And lots of other old and smelly stuff !

screamingmorris

I will suggest 2 types of cornet: the short cornet and the long cornet

For really mellow ballads I love the rich sound of the Holton C603 student short cornets. The large bores and the shepherd's crook give them an unbeatable sound.
A beat-up one that is still in very good playing condition is on aBay at
HOLTON C603 CORNET W/ CASE - eBay (item 160203749430 end time Feb-05-08 06:58:22 PST)
In fact, I like it so much I bid on it, but I will let you have it if you want.
I am not exaggerating when I say that that model has a *beautiful*, rich tone.

A more recent version that is in very good condition except for a brace that needs to be re-soldered is the Holton C605 on eBay at
Holton Collegiate C605 Brass Cornet Trumpet - eBay (item 320212473593 end time Feb-03-08 18:00:00 PST)

If you are lloking for a cornet that sounds less pretty and more jazzy then you might prefer a "long cornet" (shaped more like a trumpet).
One of the most famous and most common and most reasonably priced is the Conn 80A made from the 1930's through the 1960's.
It was considered a professional-quality instrument, but the prices are so low because so many of them were made and so supply exceeds demand.
Posters here say that with a deep mouthpiece like a Bach 7 (no letter) mouthpiece the Conn 80A will give a rich sound, while with a shallower mouthpiece such as a Bach 7C mouthpiece the Conn 80A will give a sound closer to a trumpet, so a wide range of possibilites exist with it.

One nice one is at
Beautiful Conn 80a Cornet - eBay (item 120217450554 end time Feb-10-08 13:54:17 PST)

Another nice one is at
Nice 1932 CONN VICTOR 80A Cornet & Case - eBay (item 130194888020 end time Feb-10-08 19:24:00 PST)

MFfan

Some very good examples there , Morris. Almost makes me want to steal another cornet.