ADDER

At last my new horn arrived! Bought it from ebay and took nearly a month to arrive what with clearing cheque and 2nd class postage etc....

It's a 1990 Getzen 300 series. It's in Immaculate condition and cost me $160
Have played it now for 2 days and I gotta say I love it.

I started playing about 5 months back now and since then have been through 4 horns looking for something I liked, (sound and feel).

So I thought I'd list the horns I 've been through to get to this stage. (may help somone buying for the first time)

Started off with a B & H 400 . Although very easy to get a note from it had a really crap thin sound. Did not like this horn at all. Although I think it would be OK for a beginner due to it's ease of getting a note from but I just hated the sound.

Next horn was a Bach TR700 Prelude, again a nice horn and did have a nice tone but to me it 'felt' like a toy...If that makes sense? Anything above the C in the stave sounded terrible so that had to go.

My next horn was an Olds Ambassador, a 1978 (Prob the last of the line) model, this horn was in really great condition but something about it didn't seem right to me. I think it was either poorly built or had some major valve leakage. Nice tone but felt different to play each time I picked it up.... Hard to describe really but I just couldn't get on with it.

Then I commited the ultimate sin... A Bach TR300 (I just had to know what they were like) Now I know I'm only 5 months in with the trumpet but this horn was truly awful. Although In my ears it had a really nice tone It was almost impossible to play in the upper register. The valves were diabolical, (this trumpet was in mint condition with virtually no wear on the valves) I had to oil the valves every two days or they would be really sluggish!

I really wanted a Bach Omega but I opted for the Getzen 300 and I gotta say I'm over the moon with this trumpet. It has a great tone and superb valves. It also looks great and is very easy to play. So I've now decided that I will stick with the Getzen for the time being and in a couple of years I'll upgrade to a Bach Strad.

Hope this may help someone looking for a trumpet to start off playing.

Adder

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Olds Ambassador 1978
Bach TR300
Getzen 300
Ryton Strad 37ML Copy
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"I would never Join a club that would have me as a member" Groucho Marx.

MFfan

Glad you ended up with a good horn that you like and the experiece with the others will be beneficial in comparing horns and being able to recognize what you want in an instrument.

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Dave Rafferty
07 Barrington Trumpet,
1972 Reynolds Medalist
55 Besson 8-10 trumpet
55 Roth by Reynolds Cornet
73 Olds Ambassador Cornet
30's Czech small bore Trumpet
Getzen 80 cornet,
33 American Standard cornet
www.kalamazooconcertband.org

Darthsunshine

Adder:

You've been a busy bee! Too bad about the Olds Ambassador, but glad you found something you like.

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Glen

1977 Benge 3X+ C
1976 Benge 3X+ Bb
1951 Olds Ambassador Cornet
1938 King Master Model Cornet

omelet

Wow, you played for 5 months and have had 4 horns? Not typical, since I doubt most even know if they will stick with it for very long at that point.

ADDER

lol not typical I agree but, I had started to play the horn as a kid then I heard deep purple so tried to become Ritchie Blackmore, then became a bass player, then a Keyboard player, then a Drummer.... Then...At last back to the horn!

I had a sound in my head so Thats the reason for all the horn changes.

I'm happy to have found something that's 'almost' what I want to hear and now will continue with learning and trying to get the tone I want with the horn I have.

Lots of practice.... Then maybe in a couple of years a Bach Strad. But at the moment I'm a happy learner. :)

__________________
Olds Ambassador 1978
Bach TR300
Getzen 300
Ryton Strad 37ML Copy
<------------------->

"I would never Join a club that would have me as a member" Groucho Marx.