What To Choose!?!

 

 

 

Best Trumpet For Beginners

Choosing a good beginner trumpet can be a bit tricky because there are so many new trumpet brands out on the market today. Some of them are cheap and surprisingly well made, while many of them are poorly built, and would be best used as a table lamp. Many of the cheap trumpet brands also come with soldering problems and valves that stop working after just a couple of weeks…

…on top of that, many trumpet reviews on the internet are written by people who don’t even play the trumpet themselves. So, yeah, finding a good beginner trumpet is not easy…

…well, I thought I’d step in and do something about this so the last couple of weeks I have personally been testing a lot of different brands to find, what I consider to be, the
Top 4 best trumpets for beginners. So grab a cup of coffee, stay for a while and we’ll take a look…

I Will Present Four Different Beginner Trumpets

I have chosen four different brands that I all consider to be very good beginner trumpets. These are the best beginner trumpet brands, currently available on the market, and I will present four trumpets from different price ranges to make sure everyone can find one that their wallet agrees with. Two of them are of the same brand though, but they all have one thing in common…

…they are all VERY well priced and you get a lot more quality out of them than similar trumpets in the same price range. And that’s  exactly why I chose these very trumpets as the top 4 best trumpets for beginners.

I will present them, starting with the most expensive one, working down to the most affordable one. However, IF, your absolut max is 200 dollars, and you would like to find a trumpet for less money than that, then I recommend you jump over to the article best cheap trumpets under 200 dollars for beginners, as the trumpets in this article costs a bit more money than that. That said, you do get a lot more quality with the ones on this page so at least read, and consider, everything here first.

By the way, I Ended Up Buying One Of Them For Myself

I have to say right from the start though, if I had to choose only one of these as THE best trumpet for a beginner student trumpeter, it would be the Jean Paul TR-430.

In fact when I was testing all the different trumpets for this article, I ended up buying the Jean Paul TR-430 as a gift for myself as I enjoyed playing it that much. It it is surprisingly affordable (you can
click here to check the exact price on Amazon) yet plays almost as good as a professional trumpet, and I’m not even exaggerating….

…it’s quite remarkable really. Read more about that trumpet down below. It is option #2 here on my list of good beginner trumpets. I also wrote a detailed review on the TR-430 and if you’re interested you can find it here: Jean Paul TR-430 Trumpet review, my experience

Best Trumpets for Beginner Students Option #1:
Jupiter JTR700 Series (Most Expensive Option)

Specs

• Bb-Trumpet
• Bore: approx. 11.68 mm
•  Lacquer or Silver plate
• 1st valve slide thumb saddle
• Adjustable 3rd valve slide
• Valves made of stainless steel with internal springs

About the Trumpet

If you are looking for a good beginner student trumpet and you want a brand with good reputation, that’s been around for a long time, then the Jupiter 700 series could be a good choice (The Jean Paul, which is further down on this page is pretty new in the game)

This is a high quality horn and one of the best trumpet brands for students  / beginners and if you decide to go for the Jupiter then you are guaranteed to not run into any unpleasant surprises with valves that stop functioning. The sound on the Jupiter is pleasing and in my opinion the trumpet is very easy to play. This makes the Jupiter well worthy of being in my “top 4 best beginner trumpet brands post”

Pros

• Easy to play
• Nice round sound
• The stainless steel pistons pretty much guarantees well functioning valves for decades

Cons

• The pricing can be a bit too high for some (even though the trumpet is well wort its price)
• Intonation is good but it’s not really on the same level as a professional trumpet

Pricing

The trumpet is well worth it’s price when we consider how much quality you get. It is perhaps still on the higher side for many parents looking to buy their aspiring kid a good beginner trumpet. There are usually several options when buying from Amazon and it is even possible to find this particular trumpet used. This could be a good option if the new ones seem to bee a bit too pricey. You can click here to check the price and see the different buying options on Amazon.

Summary

The Jupiter 700 series is a very good trumpet to buy for a beginner student if you have the money for it. Some people would perhaps not refer to it as a “beginner trumpet” but more of an “intermediate” or “student” trumpet, and perhaps rightfully so. That said I think it is important that we do not buy a really crappy trumpet for the young aspiring trumpeter, as those poorly built trumpets can really be quite horrible to play, and thus it increases the risk of the beginner giving up altogether. And in addition to this…

…it’s always easy to sell the trumpet if the student, later on, decides to quit playing.

When it comes to Jupiter there are a few different variations of the “JTR-700 series”  You can for example see “JTR-700Q” or “JTR700RQ” or just “JTR-700”, with to letters at all. They are all of the same good quality, however, and they all play pretty much the same. The letters behind the 700 number are there to let us know what kind of material the lead pipe and the bell is build from. As I said, they all play pretty much the same and the minor differences between them are in the sound.

Where to get it?

You can compare prices on the Jupiter by clicking here to check pricing at Thomann and you can
click here to check different buying options and pricing on Amazon

But perhaps the Jupiter is not the trumpet for you, and you find it just a bit too expensive. If that’s the case then continue to the Jean Paul TR-430, which is the next one on my list…

…and now, we start talking about a newcommer that is is blowing everyone away…

…enter, The Jean Paul Trumpets:

Best Trumpet Brands For Beginner Students #2:
Jean Paul TR-430 (My Top Pick!)

 

Specs

• Bb-Trumpet
• 1,07 kg
• Rose brass lead pipe
• Adjustable third slide trigger ring
• Comes with a solid, good looking and protective trumpet case
• Durable piston valves
• Medium large bore size

About the Jean Paul TR-430  Bb-Trumpet

The Jean Paul trumpets is a U.S.A based company and I honestly think the TR-430 is somewhat of a miracle considering how well it plays for a price tag that is this low. You can click here to check current pricing at Amazon.

The Jean Paul company also have a cheaper trumpet, the Jean Paul TR-330 but the TR-430 is such a fantastic horn and costs only about 140-150 bucks more, so I honestly think the TR-430 is a much better investment.

Pros

• The sound has a good core to it and is very pleasing to the ears
• The valves are fast and works well. They will also last, unlike on many other beginner trumpets
• The intonation is as good as on a professional trumpet. (This is the biggest reason for me buying the trumpet for myself)

Cons

For this price I honestly have a very hard time finding any at all. Well, it’s a stretch but, the pocket on the trumpet casing could be a bit larger because as it is now, you can not store that much sheet music in it…

…just a few songs, max.

Pricing

The pricing is amazing!

When I bought my trumpet I payed just over 300 bucks for it and, at the time of writing this article, that’s where the price is, you can click here to check current pricing at Amazon. I do, however, suspect they will increase the price because the TR-430 does not play like a horn in this price range. If someone blindfolded me and gave me the trumpet to test I would seriously think that the trumpet is a 1000 dollar horn, or more….

…this is something others have noticed as well and while you check the price on Amazon, be sure to read all the other real user reviews over there. The horn has got some amazing testimonials.

Summary

You simply can not go wrong with the TR-430 and, of all the trumpets on this page, I consider this one to be the best trumpet to buy for a beginner…

…why?…

…well, because you get a high quality trumpet for so little money. The quality will guarantee that the horn and the valves will keep working and this is very uncommon when we are talking about trumpets in this price range…

…in addition to this, even though I consider the TR-430 to be the best first trumpet for a young student, just starting out with his first lessons, the TR-430 is also good enough for the student to keep using for many many years to come, even if he or she excel and progress very fast, there is no need for an upgrade until, well, perhaps if the student pursue a professional career as a trumpeter….

…again, I can not recommend the Jean Paul TR-430 enough as good starter trumpet, good student / intermediate trumpet. There is just no way to go wrong with this horn. I highly recommend it.

Good  Starter Trumpet Option #3:
Jean Paul TR-330 (Cheapest Of the Jean Paul Family)

Specs

• The Jean Paul Trumpet is a B-flat trumpet
• Robust, good looking and protective  carrying case for ease of use transportation
• Yellow brass construction with Gold Lacquer finish
• Included Accessories: Valve Oil, Gloves, Cleaning Cloth, and Mouthpiece

About the Trumpet

Jean Paul TR-330 VS Jean Paul TR-430, what’s the difference

I would put the TR-330 about two steps down in quality from the TR-440. Two or perhaps three steps down and I still highly recommend the TR-430 over the TR-330. That said, the TR-330 is an amazing horn for being under 200 dollars and if you find the TR-430 to be too expensive for you then, sure, in this case the TR-330 is a very good choice for you.

Pros (Jean Paul TR-430 vs. TR-330 Trumpet)

• Easy to play
• Sound is nice but does not really have the same “core” to it, as the TR-430 model

Cons (The Jean Paul TR-330 vs TR-430 Trumpet)

• The intonation is not as good  on the TR-330 as on the TR-430. It is however surprisingly good for a trumpet that costs under 200 dollars, and to be fair, the TR-430 has exceptionally good intonation.
• The TR-330 has, in my opinion, not the same “core” in the sound as the TR-430 does.

Pricing

This trumpet has also got some phenomenal reviews on Amazon and I can understand why that is. It is because of the price to quality ratio. We are now talking about a trumpet that costs UNDER 200 dollars at the time this article was written (click here to check todays price on Amazon), which is quite remarkable, really.

Summary

The Jean Paul TR-330 trumpet vs the Jean Paul TR-430 trumpet, which one should you choose?
Well, as I said, if you just can go about 140-150 bucks higher then DEFINITELY go for the Jean Paul TR-430 model. It is about two-three steps up in quality and you simply can not go wrong with that one. I am also confident that they will increase the price on tje Jean Paul trumpets in the near future and it could even be a good investment if you were to sell it later on…

…IF, however, money is tight and you need a good beginner trumpet right now, then the TR-330 is the right trumpet for you. It is well worth its price and you can not find a better trumpet, for under 200 dollars, than the Jean Paul TR-330. So if money is tight, start with the Tr-330 and know that it is always possible to upgrade a few years down the line.

Good  Starter Trumpet Option #4:
ammoon Bb Trumpet (Cheapest Option)

Specs

• Brass gold-painted trumpet of B flat.
• Supplied with a silver-plated mouthpiece for trumpet.
• Come with a pair of gloves, and a cleaning cloth.
• A padded case and a piece of strap for protecting instrument and easy storage.

About the Trumpet

As a trumpet player myself I really have to advice you to NOT GO ANY LOWER in price than this. If you do, you will get a trumpet that is very difficult to play and that probably will stop working after a few weeks, at best.

The ammoon trumpet works, though, and I think it is the best beginner trumpet you can find IF you only have a budget of 120-140 bucks. I would highly recommend that you try tu muster up just a little more money and go for any of the Jean Paul trumpets though, and preferably the TR-430.

Pros

• The price is very low
• Surprisingly good sound

Cons

• Intonation is not really to my liking
• I am not sure how the valves will hold up over time. They might do fine…but I remain a bit skeptical

Pricing

Well, at least we can’t compline about the pricing. The ammoon trumpet is not the highest quality made trumpets but it is the cheapest one on my list of the best trumpet brands for beginner students. We are now talking about a price tag of just a little over 100 dollars at the time of writing this article (click here to check the exact current pricing on Amazon)

Summary

I can understand that money is an issue for many people. That said, my trumpet player heart highly recommends that you go for the one of the Jean Paul trumpets over the ammoon. If, however, that is impossible then I think that the ammoon B-flat trumpet is the best one you can find on the market, if your budget is around 110-140 bucks. I have to tell you though…

…do not, and I really mean it, do NOT under any circumstances buy a trumpet for any less than this as that would be pretty much the same as taking the money and throwing them in the garbage can…

…and, again, I only have the ammoon trumpet on this list as a super cheap option so that everyone can find something from this page. As a trumpet player myself, I just have to try to guide you towards the Jean Paul trumpets one more time because, well…

…for just a little bit more money, you get so much more quality and I’m confident you will find that it was worth it.

Getting It Right From The Start:

Frequently Asked Questions About Getting a Good Starter Horn and Other Stuff 

Q: My son is going to start taking his first trumpet lessons in a coupe of months from now, would you recommend buying a used trumpet as his first trumpet?

A: It’s certainly an option and, with a little luck, one can find decent trumpets at a low price. However, it’s a bit risky and I would not recommend buying a used trumpet without trying it out first, unless you buy from a very respectable company, like the Amazon. For Example the Jupiter JTR-700 series, as I list as one of the best beginner trumpets is, from time to time,  also available on Amazon as used. This would be a pretty safe option as you have the right to return them for a full refund and because the Amazon is a highly respectable company.

I would stay away from eBay or any other auction site for that matter, unless you are sure that the seller is honest and knows what he is talking about. We have to keep in mind that many people who sell musical instruments on auction sites do not play music themselves and therefore can not describe the item, and its potential flaws, as well as they should, simply because they lack the expertise. And, of course, there are also less honest sellers to be found on those sites that intentionally hides some of the shortcomings of the instrument.

Q: If I get to try a used trumpet, what are the things I should check to make sure the trumpet I consider buying for my kid is ok?

A: The absolute most important thing to check if you have a used trumpet in your hands is the valves.

The valves MUST run fast and smoothly when you push them. The seller is going to want to sell the horn so he has of course made sure to both wash and oil the valves carefully before you try it. In other words, at the time of you holding it in your hands to try it out, it is as good as it get’s….

…and if there are the slightest feel of “stickiness” or if any of them do not run smoothly, then do NOT buy that trumpet. As I said, when you try the horn it is as good as it gets and you can only expect the valves to be worse from here on out.

Also you must make sure to check that all slides are working properly. Meaning you have to be able to pull them out without any effort. On many older and used trumpet the slides get stuck and, if this is the case with the horn you are checking then, again, do not buy the trumpet.

Pull out the main tuning slide and take a look through the lead pipe. On many used trumpets you can see corrosion and debris inside the pipe and if you happen to see this then, once more, do not buy the horn. If the owner has taken good care of the trumpet there should be no junk or anything else visible in the lead pipe, just a smooth, clean surface.

Pull out the second valve slide and look into the valve casing. Press down the second valve and check if the holes in the valve align with the tubing that you are now looking in to. A very slight misalignment is acceptable but no more than one or, absolute max two millimeters. If there is more then…you guessed it, do not buy the trumpet!

Blow air through the trumpet, first without pressing down any valves and then do the same with the valves pressed down. The air should flow freely in both cases. If it doesn’t then something inside is blocking the air and that is not acceptable. Of course, if you are a trumpet player, and already know how to play the trumpet, then needless to say you test play the horn instead of just blowing air through it.

Q: What if my kid stops playing after a few months, are trumpets hard to sell?

A: Trumpets are pretty easy to sell assuming that you did not buy a used one where you overpaid quite a lot. Generally it is much safer to buy a new trumpet and if you buy for example the Jean Paul TR-430, which I list as option #2 in this article, I would guess that even if you sell it as a used trumpet a couple of years from now, you will be able to make all the money back…

…or perhaps even a bit more. This is because I think that they will increase the price after more people find out about their excellent quality and also because of inflation in general.

Q: All of the trumpets comes with a mouthpiece. Is that mouthpiece good for the young student learning the trumpet or should we look for something else?

A: Ahh, good question! In 90% of the cases the trumpet comes with a mouthpiece that is either a Vincent Bach 7c or some imitation of that mouthpiece. Now, there is nothing wrong with that mouthpiece and if money is an issue then don’t worry about it, as the student will be just fine starting out on that. That said I have seen better results with my own students when we have changed to a Bach 3c or some other mouthpiece similar to it…

…this is because the 3c is a bit more shallow and thus making articulations easier, making the student progress faster in all aspects. I have written more about this in another article and if you are interested in learning more you can go read the article: good beginner trumpet mouthpieces.

Q: Is it important to get a good trumpet teacher or can we try to teach our kid with the help of YouTube clips and stuff we find on internet?

A: I strongly recommend that you try to find a trumpet teacher. Also make sure that the teacher actually plays the trumpet himself as it is pretty common to see, for example, clarinet players, or other wind instrument players, also teaching the trumpet, and of course the other way around is also true…

…the trumpet requires a good embouchure setting to build on, and I believe that in order to be able to teach the trumpet, the instructor has to be able to play the trumpet himself, or at least some other instrument from the brass family, such as the French horn, euphonium etc.

If there are no good trumpet teachers available near you then at least get online trumpet lessons from someone who plays the trumpet.  Take a look at their website and see if you find video clips of them playing something. I do not offer lessons myself at this point in time but I might consider it in the future.

Q: What are some good trumpet method books for a novice? Or should we even bother to get some?

A: One word. One very important word…

…Arban!

Trumpeters around the whole world are calling the Arban book “the trumpeters bible”. The Arban is a cornet / trumpet book that includes everything a trumpet player need when it comes to progressive exercises. It does not matter on what level you are since every trumpet player on the planet should own the arban book. From complete beginner to first class virtuosos, I really do mean everyone.

You see the Arban book is several hundred pages thick and there are fundamental exercises you can play, from being a complete beginner to extremely difficult exercises and songs for master trumpeters…and everything in between.

In the Arban book you will find exercises on:

• All the fundamentals
• Scales
• Tonguing exercises
• Articulation
• Lip slurring
• Intervals
• Songs
• Duets
• Difficult songs with variations
• General trumpet information

…and on and on. The Arban book is truly the trumpeters holy bible.

There are however a few other recommendations I have and you can learn more details about this, if you happen to be interested, if you go and read the article Good trumpet method books for beginners…

…but again, if we want to make the answer as short as possible, it can be summed up with one word…one name…

…Arban!

Q: What is the best age to start playing the trumpet?

A: You can start at any age and there are no rules here. However, just as with everything else,  people who start at a young age will have an advantage later in life. People ask me this question all the time and my usual answer is that the best age to start playing the trumpet is around 6-10 years old. Just be prepared for that there might be some temporary difficulties when the time comes for the kid to lose his baby teeth. Not to worry though as the new teeth is quickly growing and the kid can continue his lessons soon enough.

Q: I have heard some people say that it is better for a beginner to start on the cornet than on the trumpet. Is there any truth to this?

A: Generally there is not really that big of a difference. One small exception could be if the kid is really small for the age then holding the trumpet could be a bit problematic. A cornet is easier to hold because we hold it closer to the body, and thus, it does not take as much strength to hold. That said, 90% of the kids, even at an age of only 7 years old, will do just fine with the trumpet.

Q: How about the price, are cornets cheaper than trumpets?

A: No, not really. When looking for at least somewhat good quality, It’s often the other way around. I think you are better of starting out with buying a trumpet. This is, of course, unless you are living in a city or community where you know that you will star playing in a traditional English brass band within just a few years. Traditional brass bands all use cornets instead of trumpets but, other than that, the trumpet is more popular and is used far more often than the cornet. Generally speaking you will get at least 80% more gigs, later in life, playing on a trumpet than playing on a cornet.

If you really want to learn all the differences, in detail, between the cornet and the trumpet then I recommend you read the article Cornet vs. Trumpet – What’s the difference?

Q: How often do we need to clean the trumpet and is it difficult to do?

All trumpets, what ever trumpet brand and model you buy, should come with a cleaning cloth. You should use this cloth at the end of the practice session to wipe off  water stains from the bell as well as fat stains from the fingers…

…sounds like hard work? …it isn’t, because this takes just a few seconds. 10-20 seconds at the end of your practice day will prevent any discoloring and erosions from forming on the new, nice looking and shiny trumpet.

Then you should clean the inside as well, but this does not have to be done more than once every other month or so, of course depending a bit on how much the trumpet is played on. For more details about this and if you want some instructions on how to clean the inside of the trumpet you can read the article How often should I clean the trumpet and HOW do I clean it?

Finding The Best Trumpet To Buy For a Beginner
Final Words

Ok so there you have it, what I consider to be the the top four best trumpets for beginner students.

I really tried to do my best to make this buyers guide informative, as people who are looking for a good trumpet to start a beginner on, often have a lot of questions. I hope that reading this article has answered those questions and if not, please feel free to put your question in the comment section down below and I’ll do my best to get back to you.

Thank you for reading the article “best trumpet brands for beginners” and best of luck with the trumpet lessons. Prepare for a world full of excitement, frustration, fun and enjoyment as those are all part of the trumpete players journey  🙂

P.S. If you are a trumpet player, reading this, how old where you when you first started to play the trumpet and what was the first trumpet you started on as a student? Please feel free to leave a few words in the comment section down below as it would be fun to hear from you.