Krydolf

I am a swedish trumpet player thinking about getting a new instrument. My parents are travelling to NY soon, and since trumpets of the larger brands are generally a lot cheaper in USA than Sweden (almost half the price) I am planning to ask them to buy one for me during their vacation.

Unfortunately, since none of my parents are brass players, neither I nor they will be able to try trumpets in the shop. I will try trumpets in my local music shop here and decide on one or a few brands and models that I like, but I will still be buying an instrument I have not tested. Not good, I would really want to try it out myself, but buying in USA means that I will be able to buy a pro-quality instrument that I (being a PhD-student) could not have afforded in Sweden. And I am thinking that maybe a bach trumpet that is less good than other bach trumpets is probably still better than the beginner´s trumpet the same money would buy me here in Sweden...

So I would like to know what your experiences are of the differences between individual instruments of the same model? Is there any brand that is somewhat "safer", to buy when you cannot try before you buy? What I am looking for is a very good all-round trumpet (such as a bach 180-37?) that does the work in both the symphony orchestra, the marching band and the occassional solo performance. I am currently playing on a B&S challenger II.

Also, I would appreciate if someone could give me some advice on good places to buy a trumpet in NY?

nplotts1

Personally, I do not like Bachs, to me they tend to be stuffy, however, this may not be the same for you. You may also want to look into Yamaha, Kanstul, Getzen, Shilke, and NYTC Stage 1. I haven't heard anything terrible about any of them. There are still others out there was well, but the industry standard tends to be Bach and Yamaha sitting firmly on the top.

You could also look into horns like the Eclipse out of UK, they may not be as expensive there as they are here since they are somewhat closer than the US. (I am not positive on that though)

creedo

I like the older ones not the crap they're putting out now... schilke s32 series for the orchestral side are really nice..

nplotts1

I tired an S32 at GMEA conference in January, I fell in love. It had such a nice open blow. I tried it, standing right next to my trumpet professor and he gave me that look, you know the one you get when you sound really good on a horn and you should get it if you could. I wish I could, lol.

brem

Yamaha's are fairly consistent and worldwide available. I would suggest you try a Yamaha and buy it in the USA where is will be half the price. Unless you don't want to encourage a company like Yamaha who cranks their prices up in countries like mine and yours. :P

If you could give us an idea of what your budget is, maybe we could direct you better.

Original_Username

I believe many trumpet dealers ship internationally.

I'm planning on purchasing a Stomvi USA from Thompson Music and telling them to ship the trumpet to Beijing. The only difference would be shipping fees.

brem

Original: some companies won't sell to foreigners because they don't want to hurt their compartimentalized markets.

administrator

Go see NYTC

The Premier Custom Trumpet Shop - New York Trumpet Company

Original_Username

I hear Sam Ash is a good store in New York but that the service isn't as good.

Jimi Michiel

Krydolf-

I would really stay away from Bach if you can't play it first--in my opinion they are by far the most inconsistent mass produced model out there. I think there are many that share my opinion. If you had the time to try a couple dozen (literally), you might find a great horn. Chances are, though, that if you just get a random one of the shelf, you'll end up with a dog.

Although I am not a huge fan of them, Yamaha trumpets are the exact oposite--for the most part incredibly consistent. You might also try calling one of the major custom makers (NYTC or Eclipse) and just talking to them. They might be able to suggest a model that would be best for the type of playing you do.

-Jimi