Trumpets

[Beaver]

Anyone know anything about them? Like which ones are good which suck how you can tell a shitty one from a decent one.... My daughter wants to play the trumpet. Anyone have one they want to get rid of? I could rent one for $100 for the school year or buy a Yamaha for $140 so I'm inclined to buy one. She's in grade 6 and never played before so I'm pretty sure i don't need Dizzy Gillespie or Louie Armstrong quality and sound.

[Ccard257]

I would buy the yamaha. Most middle school instruments that I have seen are beat up pieces of shit. If you can buy a new one for $40 more, do it. Just start with the basic cheap yamaha. If she really develops a talent for it and needs a better horn down the road she'll probably let you know.

[Big E]

Disclaimer - I'm a saxophonist, so I really know nothing about trumpets. But...

If you think she's going to play for more than this year (I know, you have no idea), I'd buy one. I am, however, having trouble believing you can find a Yamaha student trumpet for $140. I looked at one of the reputable instrument dealers online, and the Yamaha student model goes for $924 there. Beware - there are a TON of ebay ads that have a cheap POS instrument and include a "Yamaha care kit" as part of the package. In fact, in 20 seconds of searching, I found loads of them for ... $140. Those are NOT Yamahas. They are Chinese/Taiwanese knockoffs that will barely work until they get dropped. Then they'll need an adjustment, which the repair guys will have no interest in doing, so they will charge more than the instrument costs to begin with to try and get you to go away.

Edit - more looking on e-bay, and apparently trumpets depreciate like mad. I would go for a used Yamaha - YTR-232 (older) or YTR-2335 (current model). Solid, student level horns that will last for a long time and play good. Looks like the used ones can be had for ~$200.

[Big E]

Disclaimer - I'm a saxophonist, so I really know nothing about trumpets. But...

Disclaimer #2 - something weird going on, I can sometimes see my post, sometimes not. I don't show up as the last one that posted in this thread though. WTF?

If you think she's going to play for more than this year (I know, you have no idea), I'd buy one. I am, however, having trouble believing you can find a Yamaha student trumpet for $140. I looked at one of the reputable instrument dealers online, and the Yamaha student model goes for $924 there. Beware - there are a TON of ebay ads that have a cheap POS instrument and include a "Yamaha care kit" as part of the package. In fact, in 20 seconds of searching, I found loads of them for ... $140. Those are NOT Yamahas. They are Chinese/Taiwanese knockoffs that will barely work until they get dropped. Then they'll need an adjustment, which the repair guys will have no interest in doing, so they will charge more than the instrument costs to begin with to try and get you to go away.

Edit - more looking on e-bay, and apparently trumpets depreciate like mad. I would go for a used Yamaha - YTR-232 (older) or YTR-2335 (current model). Solid, student level horns that will last for a long time and play good. Looks like the used ones can be had for ~$200.

[MakersTeleMark]

A decent bundy can be had for about 150. Also, owning it will encourage more practice and a vested interest in continuing to play.

[funkendrenchman]

I have an intermediate level Yamaha I'd sell for about $500 which is excellent shape. It was around a grand brand new. Just throwing it out there....

[PDManseau]

However, that being said do not buy a bundy if you can help it, go with a yamaha student model. I had a bundy when I first learned how to play and it wasn't that high quality, also the resale isn't that spectacular if you decide to sell it. The yamahas are much nicer instruments.
-Phil

[Boom Heir]

You should convince your daughter to play trombone... Or TUBA!

[MakersTeleMark]

You should convince your daughter to play trombone... Or TUBA!

Actually, the french horn is one of my top 4 favorite instruments and isn't that far off.

[Daywalker]

Strumpet?

[Out_to_lunch]

I play the trombone (yeah yeah, insert "boner" joke here...), so it's close, but not quite the same.

I would definitely buy one instead of renting, even if it is fairly cheap. Often times the rented ones in schools aren't taken care of very well, if at all. A new one will be able to offer a better sound with more ease. I don't know a lot about trumpet manufacturers, but yamaha is pretty solid all around for student models.

As Ccard said, if she needs a new one, she, or her band teacher, will let you know.

On a side note, I know a lot of folks who teach privately recommend starting with a cornet instead of a trumpet. It's basically the same instrument, only a tad larger (mellower sound generally) and slightly different shape (conical bore vs. cylindrical bore). The larger size (wider bore) means it's easier for younger/newer/smaller people to get air through and still achieve a nice sound (read, it's easier so they don't get as frustrated as quickly). I'm not sure if your school's program offers/encourages that or not, but I'd recommend it. The down side is you will still have to pay for an actual trumpet some time down the road.

Thanks in general for supporting your daughter in music. Not enough people really care, and that's a shame. Get her tons of recordings of incredible players (the library is great). Listening can inspire, encourage, teach and a ton more, especially for younger players.

[DJSapp]

Buy it. Sell it later if she doesn't go for it and you'll still be ahead compared to renting.

And yes, school horns suck. It's like renting skis and boots.

[Snowbeaver]

Used to play trumpet in middle school. Wish I still played, but at that point, it was just fuck-around time.

My parents ended up buying right away. It turned out well. Made it to 2nd chair even. Until we started to have "trumpet wars," which meant mid-song we would stop playing and smash the bell of our trumpet into the trumpet of whoever was sitting next to us. It was really funny because they dent so easily. Our 'conductor' used to get flaming pissed. The kid that was 3rd chair, Tom was his name, used to put tic-tacs in his trumpet so that the spit coming out of the spit valves turned color. We did some really fucking retarded shit.

I'll cut to the real point of my post. Buy your daughter a trumpet because when she fucks it up its hers, not the schools. The real reason though? Buy your daughter a trumpet so that when she quits she can make smoking devices out of it.

Assorted trumpet parts = one sweet motherfucking bong. Trust me.

[RedWolf]

I've played trumpet for many, many years and agree with most people here - buy her a horn. You don't need something serious, and the Yamaha is a good starting place. My parents bought me a Yamaha in 7th grade and I used it through college. I got a nice one for concert and recording work, but the Yamaha still saw a lot of action until I started playing professionally.

Something else to consider is trumpets vs. cornets. Does it have to be a trumpet? If you have a choice, go have her try a few out because the tubing will play differently and she may have an easier time with one over another. My cornet plays quite differently than my trumpets.

Oh. And mouthpiece - get her a 7c, unless the school wants otherwise. Its small enough that she'll get decent tone with some effort and she'll have an easier time working on range than on a larger and deeper cup.

Get yourself some ear plugs while you're at it. She's not gonna sound good at the beginning, and trumpets can be LOUD, but she'll get better...

[RedWolf]

Assorted trumpet parts = one sweet motherfucking bong. Trust me.

SO true. I have a mouthpiece somewhere that stills smells like the shwaggy shit we used to smoke back then...

[PaSucks]

My brother is a very good trombonist, and played his student horn until last year, his junior year in high school. My mom bought him a 2000 dollar horn in the spring. Top of the line pro level horn. Now he doesn't want to major in music. I saw it coming the whole time.

[Telenater]

Buy a student version Yamaha that you can trust is actually the real thing. As others have mentioned there tend to be a fair number on the market since novice trumpeters have a high mortality rate (or maybe they just realize they are better suited to superior instruments).

And if your daughter hasn't filled out fully, you might consider a coronet instead of a trumpet since they're slightly less demanding and less abrasive on the innocent bystander's ears.

Or convince her to pick up another intsrument that'll be more popular among your neighbors like the baritone (first choice), trombone, tuba or french horn (make sure that she's got a good ear for pitch, I could never get the right harmonic reliably enough on a french horn).

[advres]

Way back in the day I played a Selmer Saxaphone. I don't know shit about brass and woodwind instruments, but it was a good student sax at the time.

/useless non-helpful post

[SkiingBear]

I played trumpet all through jr high and high school, and even in college for a few years. Best thing you could do is buy her a horn. Don't skimp too much on the first, but don't overspend either. Yamaha can be a good brand, but they make low quality horns too, a little research shouldn't be too hard.

Check some local music shops (the really small ones that don't look like they get a lot of business are great for finding deals)...also call the local schools and talk to their band directors, they'll likely know of instruments for sale and can really help you out. I lucked out and had a trumpet player for a band teacher (dude wailed, and still wails, on a horn)...he hooked me up with a Bach Stradivarius for a good deal.

Either way, good for you encouraging and supporting your daughter in this. Music can take you so many places in life, it still amazes me some of the opportunities I got all because I played trumpet. (Better on ya for encouraging trumpet, next to the drummers they're the rockstars of the band...I know, how can bandgeeks be cool?)

[Out_to_lunch]

SO true. I have a mouthpiece somewhere that stills smells like the shwaggy shit we used to smoke back then...

Along the same lines, one of my friends tuba mouthpieces is exactly one shot. Super convenient.

[Big E]

Way back in the day I played a Selmer Saxaphone. I don't know shit about brass and woodwind instruments, but it was a good student sax at the time.

/useless non-helpful post

That's like saying "I ski Dynastars." Could be XXL, could be rental gear. All the major manufacturers make from student horns up through pro-level. Bach and Selmer are the same company - Bach for brass, Selmer for woodwind.

Echo the comments others have made about encouraging music. One thing I didn't realize until after I started working my real job - playing music in school, and thus being forced to "perform" on a stage, under lights, with people watching, really puts you ahead of the curve in terms of giving presentations. Even the little amount that you would do in middle school / high school still puts you ahead of just about everyone else. And if you get serious about music and perform more and more often, you just get that much farther ahead.

[iceman]

novice trumpeters have a high mortality rate

huh, I woulda thought trombones or maybe violins would be more deadly.