paultandberg

Hi,

It is time to get my son a new trumpet. I am considering good horns from good companies. Some are silver, some are lacquered (brass?).

Is the choice between silver and brass governed by appearance preference or are there some pros and cons to consider, such as ease of care or brightness of tone. (and in the same vein, what is the difference between a gold bell and a brass bell--do I have the two materials right?

My son is ten. He likes to play and he is pretty darn good. He plays in band and pep band. He is a good blower and he likes to play loud.

Some of the horns I am considering: Kanstul 700, Getzen 700, Eastman something or other, any Yamaha between $700-$1000. Of this group, is the Eastman the only horn with a one-piece, seamless bell? And does it matter? (and does the Eastman in fact have a one piece seamless bell in their "under a grand trumpets (I am only aware of two models, the cheaper one has lever spit keys and the more expensive one has amato-type (sp) water keys.

Thanks,

Paul

Debacler

I'll give my 2 cents here. Of the horns you are considering the Kanstul, Getzen and Yamaha are all quality horns that would serve your son well for many years; I can't comment on the Eastman as I have no real knowledge of them. Getzen's valves are considered one of if not the best in the business. Silver plate is more durable that laquer and will hold its appearance longer. As far as affecting the tone I don't believe there is enough of a difference between the silver and laquer to really matter and certainly not at your sons stage of development. The water keys are a matter of personal preference as far as I'm concerned. The bell material on these horns will be brass, there are different brass bells available...Yellow Brass, Gold Brass, and Red Brass with yellow brass probably being the most common. The difference in the brasses is the copper content and the effect is on the color of the tone, red and gold will darken it to varying degrees. I'm sure you will get other expanations, which are very likely to be more educated and better articulated that this post. Just thought I'd throw in my humble opinions.
todd

misty.sj

Silver is more expensive and needs polishing. But silver is also what all the 'cool kids' will have. From reading here I understand that silver vs brass can possibly maybe affect the sound, but there are a lot of things that can affect the sound, and the thing that can affect the sound the most is if your son is practicing his horn! You know him, do you think he would be motivated by a silver horn?

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rowuk

The biggest difference is in this category of horn is cosmetic not sound. The resale value of a silver horn is higher!
Depending on your sons sweat, silver could be easier or tougher than laquer to keep clean. Kids do think silver is cooler...............
The difference in bells is similar to the difference in name brand tires. As long as you are not playing on the cutting edge, the differences are not great enough to worry about.
My 11 grand Monette also has a 2 piece bell. This is also more an issue from the ad people than the technical consideration. Just about every bell has a seam, the one piece bells have it over the whole length of the bell, and the 2 piece bells have it directly at the flare. There are good arguments for both methods. Neither spit key will help or hurt your sons playing. The Amado keys have a smaller hole for the water to get out than many lever models, but there is no cork to lose.

$700 to $1000 is a good price category, there is a lot of great instruments. The choice of which one is best, should be made by a qualified trumpet player/teacher, not the salesman.

Remember one thing, If your son is and stays HOT, this will not be his last horn. You are spot on with your considerations. Get a qualified pair of ears and chops to join you on a trip to the music store. That is more important than ANY mechanical considerations.

What you are looking for is: easy to play, in tune, reliable. Name brands insure the reliability or at least the availability of parts in the case of an "accident", the other 2 factors need to be tried out before laying cash down! Play before you pay!

Brett Getzen posts here at TM, that type of accessibility is worth adding to the decision pool! Getzens also have FANTASTIC valves!

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Mark Bradley

This looks like a good deal that I'd probably go for if it was my kid (and no, it isn't mine):

Marketplace: trumpetherald.com

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TrentAustin

FWIW I just got a used Getzen Eterna C on ebay and I think it might be one of the best C's I've ever played.
-T

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lmf

Hi,

Misty said: "But silver is also what all the 'cool kids' will have."

Perhaps a parent buying a horn (new or used) for their child would do well to ask them if they would prefer lacquer or silver? It would be disappointing if the child received a lacquered horn when his/her friends are playing on silver plated instruments.

The last I heard, silverplated horns are still very popular with kids, teens and adults. I always wanted a silverplated horn, but my parents bought me lacquer. I appreciated it very much and played it through high school and in adulthood. Today, I purchase silverplated horns with my own money.

Most parents want to please their child with the best horn they can afford. Why not ask the child what finish they would like, so they won't be disappointed in such a wonderful investment in their lives? They won't be embarrassed to play the instrument in front of their peers. They won't be disappointed in the parent's choice of instrument finish.

Best wishes,

Lloyd

paultandberg

Thank you for the helpful replies. I appreciate your time and experience.

A trip to a music store revealed that Gus’ old Bach wasn’t quite as done in as I thought it was and the valves are now working again ( a spring had sprung, or something like that).

So the old Bach may finish the school year after all. Which is good, because while I was ready to get a new horn, Gus wasn’t. He likes his beat up old horn. It looks like it spent some time in a cement mixer, but Gus likes it, dings, dents, missing lacquer, broken support pieces and all.

His older sister, Anna, has a nice, shiny, silver Getzen 700, but Gus likes his beat up old Bach better. He believes the dings and dents contribute to his unique tone. Maybe he is right, I don’t know, he sure can blow that thing. (I played in high school, and it is a loud, clear horn).

I had Gus blow some horns at the store, and a Yamaha 4335 did catch his fancy. But he wasn’t ready to let go of his old trumpet yet.

The repairman said the Bach’s days were numbered, but till that day comes, if Gus is happy, then I’m happy.

Anyway, thanks for the replies. I appreciate your helpfulness. (this forum guided me to the Getzen 700 I got for my daughter two years ago. And Brett Getzen was very helpful, as well. He even sent me a free lyre.)

Paul

Kevykev

Personally, I prefer the lacquered horns. Their easier to take care of and not as bright a sound as a silver plated one. You may want to see what they have available at the NYTC. They have a great variety of horns!

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