Buying a trumpet: My 7 best recommendations 2024
Here you will find all the important information you need to buy a good trumpet. I recommend different models for beginners, advanced players and kids. Below I go into the most important questions before you buy so that you can enjoy your new musical instrument for a long time.
This text has been translated into English. Please report spelling mistakes to sebastian@musiksocke.com
What kind of trumpet are you looking for?
Frequently asked questions:
Trumpet for beginners
For beginners who are just starting to play the trumpet, the most important thing is a good price-performance ratio. The budget is often limited and therefore the instrument should be as high quality as possible for little money. A good trumpet for beginners has a solid sound and is practical and handy even when used for a few years.
The Thomann TR 200 Bb trumpet has a good price-performance ratio. It is often recommended by music schools for students, as the response is very good for this price category. The valves and slides work perfectly and make it easy to enter the world of trumpet playing. A case, mouthpiece and cleaning cloth are included. A good set for the price.
The Classic Cantabile TR-39 comes with a case and matching mouthpiece. This means that every beginner can get started straight away. It is a solid trumpet that is well-made and has an easy response. The mouthpiece is sufficient for the beginning, but if you are more confident, you can change to a higher quality and smaller mouthpiece. For a start, the set is a good choice.
Trumpet for advanced players
An advanced trumpet must be of high quality, with ease of use and a clear, commanding sound. It is therefore highly recommended to play a trumpet in this price category extensively for rehearsal. Here, online shops offer the possibility to play instruments at home for a certain time. It is possible to return the instrument if you are not satisfied with it.
Important aspects for the purchase decision are a clear and powerful sound, but also an ergonomically suitable design. Usually, these trumpets are used for a long time. In this price segment, they are high-quality instruments that do not lose their value, especially if they are well cared for and played regularly.
I recommend the Yamaha YTR-6335RC for advanced players. The response of this trumpet is excellent and the mouthpiece supplied is surprisingly good. Especially when used with other instruments, this trumpet can convince with a clear as well as powerful sound and blends in nicely.
A good choice for advanced players is the Lechgold CTR-19L C. The set includes a case, several care products and an A2 mouthpiece from the Klier brand. The mouthpiece fits the trumpet perfectly and thus produces a full sound. The easy response on the high notes is also appreciated by experienced players. All in all, I like the trumpet very much.
Trumpet for kids
A good trumpet for kids should be as robust and inexpensive as possible. After all, at the beginning there is always the question whether the initial enthusiasm for the new hobby will last in the long term. It would therefore be unfortunate if an expensive instrument were purchased right away. In addition, improper handling and possible damage must always be considered.
The Startone PTR-20 Bb- is made of plastic and therefore not very sensitive. Despite the material, it offers a good sound and solid workmanship. It is often used in music lessons as an inexpensive alternative to “real” trumpets. Despite the plastic, it is a fully-fledged instrument and the kids learn how to play the trumpet properly. The later change to more expensive alternatives usually works perfectly.
The Classic Cantabile MardiBrass plastic Bb trumpet is also a robust trumpet for kids made of plastic. It has an easy response and produces a pleasant sound despite the material. A good choice for experimenting and practising. Many musicians are surprised at how good the sound can be with a high-quality plastic instrument.
Trumpet for crazy people
You don’t have to be completely crazy to buy a completely crazy trumpet. Sometimes this decision can result from a very practical requirement. For example, many musicians, mainly amateurs, use joke and fun trumpets when the occasion allows. Eye-catching varnish and questionable quality are a wonderfully crazy combination for humorous performances. In the end, artistic ambition often has to give way to hustle and bustle. That’s when it’s handy to have a more exciting trumpet as a funny substitute for the usual high-quality instrument.
These pocket trumpets live up to their name because the compressed design means that these instruments fit comfortably in pockets or backpacks. This makes these trumpets perfect for on the go, to spontaneously and surprisingly cause a stir with a solo. Of course, the sound of pocket trumpets leaves a lot to be desired. But they usually live up to their purpose nonetheless.
A surprisingly good pocket trumpet is the Thomann TR 5 Bb pocket trumpet. It has a solid sound, but not as voluminous as a big trumpet. For this inexpensive version of a pocket trumpet, the workmanship and response are absolutely adequate. I simply enjoy playing something like this.
How do I recognize a good trumpet?
In principle, it is recommended to first play a new trumpet thoroughly. Professional musicians sometimes take several weeks to make a choice between supposedly almost identical instruments.
A quality check should be carried out on every trumpet after it has been received. Most online retailers offer a right of return so that the instrument can be tried out at home (e.g. with a 30-day return guarantee).
The general and detailed appearance of the new trumpet is equally important. The first thing to check is the varnish and the finish of the material. The surface should appear smooth, continuous and homogeneous. Dents, dings and puncture-like damage indicate transport damage, while waves, streaks or even humps indicate a faulty lacquer finish.
The next step is to take a good look at the machine. The higher the quality of the trumpet, the quieter, smoother and quicker the valves should move. Grinding noises, cracking and sticking should raise suspicion even before the valves are opened. This is another step to judge the quality of the trumpet. The valves should open and remove easily and smoothly.
Inside, everything should be clean, dry and free of oxidised metal. Anything else suggests that the instrument has been poorly stored, or is not even as good as new. If there are sharp edges or even metal chips in the valves, this is a clear reason for complaint.
Finally, the individual moving parts of the trumpet should be examined more closely. The large tuning slide, in particular, should fit tightly but still be able to be moved without much effort. The same applies to the tuning slide of the third valve, which should be particularly easy to use with one finger. It also makes sense to remove the slides from the first and second valves. When the valves are at rest, this will be difficult or even almost impossible on good instruments. If the corresponding valves are pressed, these slides should be quite easy to remove. The removed slides and valves are inspected for dirt and moisture.
Overall, then, it is important to pay attention to the general appearance and details of a new or even unfamiliar trumpet. But the intuitive feeling is also important, especially directly in the hand. Is the trumpet balanced? Does everything appear high-quality and appealing? Are all the joints neat and correctly made? Before it is even necessary to play the instrument, certain aspects can be taken into account visually in order to be able to reliably judge the quality of a trumpet.
What accessories do I need?
A mouthpiece is supplied with every trumpet. If you don’t get along with that or just want to try something new, you can choose from a variety of different mouthpieces. I recommend the Yamaha Bobby Shew Lead. It is very different from the standard mouthpieces and produces a great and very loud sound.
A mute changes the sound and reduces the volume. Many pieces of music require the use of a mute at certain points. At the beginning, it is difficult to make the right choice from the wide range of models. I like to recommend the Denis Wick DW5531 to beginners, which can be used as a cup, plunger and straight mute. This gives you three types of mute in one and you don’t have to buy a whole set.
It is important that the trumpet is always safely stored. Hard-sided cases are usually supplied, but gig bags have also proved their worth. They are cheap and practical, especially for travelling. A good bag for your trumpet is the Ortola 105 Case Trumpet Rotary. It is sturdily built, everything fits in and it can also be used as a backpack. I have used Ortola gigbags for various instruments and they were perfectly adequate for my purposes.
Special stands offer safe storage of the instrument. I can recommend the K&M 15213 5-foot trumpet stand. It provides a secure hold for the trumpet and has rubber covers so that no damage is done to the instrument. For me, it’s a simple but safe way to put the instrument down.
A tuner is also an important accessory for your trumpet. Digital tuners that can be attached to the musical instrument with a clip are practical. Thanks to the light weight and a swivel joint, you can attach the tuner so that you can always see the display. In my tests, the Korg AW-LT100G turned out to be a precise tuner with a clip.
Especially with expensive trumpets, hand protection is useful. Cotton gloves are also often worn to protect the instrument. I find the hand guard more inconspicuous and it doesn’t bother me so much when playing. I recommend the Stölzel hand guard for trumpet Perinet, which can be tied around the trumpet with a Velcro fastener.
The maintenance of a trumpet consists of the care of the varnish and the cleaning of the interior of the instrument. A suitable care cloth should be chosen according to the respective varnish. Generally, a soft cotton cloth is sufficient. Be careful with certain microfibre cloths, as these, like metal care cloths, can leave fine scratches and grooves.
Sometimes it may be necessary to get oxidised surfaces shiny again. Here it makes sense to use suitable cleaning agents for brass instruments and rather not try home remedies at all.
Various cleaning sets are suitable for cleaning the inside of the trumpet. These usually consist of cleaning brushes or sponges attached to metal or plastic cords. Together with hand-warm soapy water, they can be used to thoroughly clean even difficult areas. Incidentally, it is advisable to purchase a suitable, conically shaped cleaning brush especially for the mouthpiece.
Valve oil and traction grease should also be included in the accessories. While water-based valve oil has proven its worth, a light, preferably light-coloured special grease should be chosen for the slide. It is worth choosing the smallest available jars or pens because this grease is usually only used occasionally and can be replaced promptly.
For beginners, a cleaning set containing the most important utensils is suitable. You can’t go wrong with the Monster Oil Trumpet Care and Cleaning Kit.
By the way, it can be worthwhile to be prepared for emergencies. For this reason, many musicians carry clear nail polish with them. This is a good trick in case of superficial damage to the lacquer despite all precautions. To prevent further chipping or tearing and oxidation, simply apply some clear nail polish. In this way, the damage can be limited until it is repaired. This trick is especially helpful with mouthpieces, especially when damage occurs on the road and no replacement is at hand.
What are the best trumpet brands?
Together with experienced musicians, I have compiled this list of the best trumpet brands. For us, the decisive factor was that these are established brands that have had high quality in all their models for many years.
How much does a good trumpet cost?
A good trumpet costs between 1,000 and 3,000 euros. Trumpets in the range between 150 and 800 euros are suitable for beginners.
Experienced musicians will notice differences between these ranges, especially in terms of workmanship and range of sound. Those who play the trumpet more intensively will quickly notice the advantages of an advanced trumpet.
More details on good trumpets can be found here.
What is the best trumpet for beginners?
The Thomann TR 200 Bb trumpet for approx. 190 euros is suitable for beginners. The price-performance ratio is right with this trumpet and therefore many beginners use the TR 200 as an entry model into the world of trumpets.
For advanced trumpet players, the Yamaha YTR-6335RC Commercial is a good choice for about 2,100 euros.
Here you can find important information about trumpets for beginners.
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The product recommendations made here are based on my experience and conversations with expert musicians. All products presented here meet the criteria of the checklist.
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All prices are incl. VAT plus shipping costs. The amount was estimated by me and may differ from the actual price. As an Amazon partner, I earn on qualified sales. This also applies to Thomann, Kirstein and all other partners.
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