If you’re looking to learn how to play the trumpet, then you’ll know that having a consistent practice is key to improving. However, it may be difficult to practice when you don’t have a trumpet at your disposal.
Hence, it’s often recommended that you invest in a good trumpet that can take you on a long musical journey as you improve.
But as trumpets don’t come cheap, how will you know if you’re purchasing the right instrument for you? After all, there are different types and brands of trumpets in the market to suit different players.
Any brand that has horrible reviews, doesn’t have their own website, and is known to private label their instruments you should stay away from.
A good rule of thumb is to read the reviews first and foremost and to choose the most reputable brand and manufacturer to to get a great trumpet. Don’t try to save a few pennies for a terrible instrument.
Generally, professional players may recommend you trumpets that are different from the staff of music stores.
In this article, we’ll guide you through some of the trumpet brands to avoid when you’re investing in a new or used trumpet.
Although they can be famous in the musical industry, some trumpets are often not made like the rest. And without further ado, let’s look at the list of trumpet brands to avoid below.
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Trumpet Brands To Avoid For Beginners
As a beginner player, it’s important to find a trumpet that plays well and fits well. This not only improves your playing over time but also ensures you don’t feel too uncomfortable during your learning process.
Here are 3 of the common trumpet brands you should avoid as a beginner, as told by experienced players.
Taylor Trumpet
While most music stores will recommend Taylor Trumpet as one of the best trumpets in the market, you should avoid it as it isn’t suitable for beginners. Don’t get us wrong, Taylor Trumpet may be good for professionals, but it can be quite uncomfortable for a beginner to use.
Taylor Trumpet has been known to be heavy, so you may feel worn out after moments of practice. The mouthpiece on a Taylor Trumpet is also not as good as most trumpets in the market, and it can be tough to maintain a pitch if you’re just starting with trumpet lessons.
Harrelson
Despite its popularity, trumpets from the brand Harrelson should generally be avoided if you’re a beginner at playing trumpets. They’ve been known to produce poor quality sounds due to the string sections and can prove to be tricky to play.
As such, you’ll notice that most professionals will avoid Harrelson trumpets altogether. Although some professionals may revive the melodies created by a Harrelson trumpet, this is a brand that you should avoid unless you’re confident in becoming a musical maestro overnight.
Laetzsch
Don’t get us wrong, the Laetzsch trumpet is a good instrument, but it isn’t the right trumpet for beginners. This is due to the make of the Laetzsch trumpet that can make playing difficult for beginners, so your learning process may feel difficult and discouraging in the long run.
Laetzsch trumpets are usually used by professionals, and even they may find the instrument difficult at times. Although Laetzsch trumpets may come well recommended, we would suggest you avoid this brand until you’re more familiar with the skills required to play the trumpet.
Things To Take Note Of When Buying a Trumpet
Now that you know which are the trumpets to avoid, how will you know how to choose a good trumpet? If you’re new to picking out trumpets, here are some pointers on what to take note of when buying a trumpet.
Type of trumpet
One of the most important things when picking out a trumpet is to decide what type of trumpet you would like to play.
There are a variety of trumpets like the Piccolo for orchestra players, the Pocket for players who are often on the go, and the most common Bb that is suited for all types of players regardless if you’re a beginner or a professional.
Choosing the right bore
The bore is also known as the diameter of your trumpet tube. Generally, you should find a trumpet that has a medium-large bore if you are starting on trumpets.
The bore’s main function is to control how much air your trumpet can take in to achieve the right sound and notes when it is played.
Check the valves
When purchasing a trumpet, you must check the valves carefully, as this can affect your trumpet’s performance. Cheaper trumpets may be attractive in price but may often feature valves that poor in quality.
Monel valves will often be fitted in higher quality trumpets but can be difficult to care for. On the flip side, many trumpets may also be fitted with nickel-plated valves, which are more affordable but can be susceptible to corrosion after prolonged use.
Finger hooks and slide rings
The finger hooks and slide rings will mostly affect how comfortable your trumpet feels. Beginners who are new to the instrument should generally pick out a trumpet that has an adjustable 3rd valve slide ring.
This is especially true if you are purchasing the trumpet for a child, as you can then adjust the trumpet to suit their smaller hands and alter it as the child grows.
The material of the trumpet
Finally, you must lookout for the material of the trumpet to help determine the sound your trumpets make. Rose brass trumpets may come at a steep price but are more resistant to corrosion over a long period and can produce warmer and more mellow tunes.
Final thoughts
As you can see, there are a variety of ways for you to discover some good trumpets and to learn which trumpets are the ones you should avoid.
This is especially true if you’re a beginner, as trumpets don’t come cheap and the last thing you’ll want to do is purchase an expensive instrument only to dislike how it feels or sounds.
If you’re not sure whether you’d like the trumpet for a long time, we’d recommend renting the instrument so you can try it out at home.
Like most hobbies, learning the trumpet can be a long and difficult journey.
Despite this, it’s important to remember that practicing is always key, and if you’re having a bad day with your trumpet today, you should always try and try again.
