Mendini Pocket Trumpet Review My Experience With The MPT-N
In this article I’m going to share my expereinece with the Mendini pocket trumpet. If you have tried this trumpet I would love it if you could share your expereience with the Mendini pocket trumpet, in the comment section down below, under this article…
…that way this Mendini pocket trumpet review becomes broader and helps more people.
So is the Mendini pocket trumpet good or bad?
Grab a cup of coffee, sit down and stay for a while because let’s get to it all. All the pros and all the cons.
Short about The Mendini Pocket Trumpet
The trumpet is available on Amazon and the price is shockingly low, you can click here to check the current pricing at Amazon, as it tends to fluctuate a bit.
This particular trumpet is nickel plated and tuned in Bb (B-flat), just like most pocket trumpets and just what we want if we are a beginner trumpeter.
The trumpet is nice looking and REALLY fun to play. In fact the Mendini pocket trumpet looks adorable!
Specs
- Nickel plated Bb pocket trumpet with 7C mouthpiece
- The bore size is 0,46 inch
- Bell size 3.75 inch
- Phosphorus copper used on lead mouth pipe (found on expensive trumpets) & smooth action valves
- A Cecilio chromatic tuner comes with the trumpet
- A protective and nice looking case comes with the trumpet
- Valve oil and polishing cloth also comes with the trumpet.
- The Mendini company offer a 1 year full guarantee against manufacturer’s defects
Mendini MPT-N Pocket Trumpet Trumpet Review
Score 8,1 / 10
As I know many readers today are impatient I decided to reveal the score right away. When rating the trumpet I take all the factors into consideration AND then weigh it against the price….
…and for me, this trumpet comes out to a 8,1 out of 10. Not a bad score at all and. The rating on Amazon also seem to agree with me on this. If you are interested, you can click here to read other real user reviews on Amazon.
But do read my whole review as it contains things that you probably want to know if you consider buying this pocket trumpet.
Valves
I did not have any problems with the valves what so ever. That said cheaper trumpets can unfortunately be a bit problematic in this area. Again, I did not notice any problems with the Mendini, but if you were to run into valve problems I highly recommend you try the “La Tromba” valve oil, as I have seen this particular valve oil almost perform miracles on “sluggish” trumept valves.
I write more about that in my article what is the best trumpet valve oil. In that article I share how the La Tromba fixed valves on my, more expensive trumpet. So, troubles arise, La Tromba would be your first optin and then if that doesn’t help then take advantage of the one year guarantee the Mendini pocket trumpet offers.
Oh. and one more thing about the valves, It feels like the spring could need just a bit more tension, so you could try taking them out and use your hands to stretch them out a bit so that they become longer. This is not hard to do, and it is not even necessary, but I did it and in my opinion the valves felt better after doing so.
Sound
The sound is really nice. It’s almost as full as on a big trumpet, which is what we want and it has a warm ring to it. I have no complaints in this area.
For a short example on the sound quality of the Mendini pocket trumpet, take “a listen” to this video:
Let’s move on to the build quality of the Mendini pocket trumpet…
Build Quality
It’s all there, but the trumpet has a bit of a “cheap” feel to it. Like a bit of a “tinfoil action” going on. However, it’s not a problem and all the slides work well. During the whole Mendini pocket trumpet review we have to keep in mind that we are now talking about a trumpet that costs no more than a dinner for two at a restaurant.
The spit valves work, although they could be made a bit better, and I don’t see any problems with the soldering. All in all the build quality of the horn get’s a thumbs up from me.
Balance
Oh yeah, the horn feels nice. I have big hands though and all pocket trumpets feels a bit small for me to hold. Well, they are named pocket trumpets for a reason and for most people it will be just fine. Especially for kids and it will not be a problem for adults either, as long as you’re not a 6 foot 6 farmer with badass hands.
The balance is nice and give you the right “pressure point” angle on the embouchure.
Intonation
In the middle register and upper register the intonation is okay. However, when you go down below low c, the horn tends to go a bit flat. This is something that would not be acceptable on a professional trumpet, but then again, they costs about 2000 dollars more than this horn.
I’m not the only one who have noticed this as this guy points it out in this short clip:
So is the intonation of the Mendini too problematic?
No, not at all, unless you are aiming for a professional career or if you are about to start studying in a music conservatory to become one, it won’t be a problem.
Even though the low register is a bit flat, all in all the intonation throughout the registers of the trumpet is good enough for a beginner trumpet, a comeback trumpet player or for a happy amateur, who wants to have a fun and well functioning pocket trumpet.
Responsiveness
The trumpet has great response. This makes it easy to play as it does not take a whole lot of energy to get the notes to come out. This makes the trumpet especially well suited for a beginner trumpeter who would like to start out on a pocket trumpet instead of a normal, big trumpet…
…yeah, the horn is easy to play. This is a huge plus, and in this department, I give the trumpet a full 10 out of 10.
Slotting
For a professional trumpeter the slotting may feel a bit weir at first before you get used to it. It’s like the slotting of the notes are not exactly where they should be. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not bad, it just feels a bit…different.
This, however, is not something that would be a problem for a beginner or amateur trumpeter. Not even for a professional, but as I said, it takes a bit of blowing to get used to it.
High register
Easy to play and nothing to complain about here. It’s nothing extra and it’s not bad either. If you are looking for a high note lead trumpet for your jazz big band gigs, this is not the horn for you…
…but then again, you shouldn’t be looking for a pocket trumpet but a normal, big, trumpet.
Agility
It’s pretty easy to move around with this trumpet. From high to low and from low to high and the interval’s comes out like they should. Once I get used to the slotting it becomes even easier. Yes, I like it. Thumbs up here.
General feel
The trumpet is so much fun to play! The more I play it the more I like it. It’s kind of like having a new fun and hilarious friend who constantly makes you smile. The sound is not small at all, in fact it is easy to make this trumpet to “sing” with a pretty big and warm sound. Love it!
Casing
The dimensions of the case are: 11 inches by 8 inches by 5 1/2 inches. About 28 x 20 x 14 cm. The case is very nice looking and protective. It’s actually quite surprising given the price. It has a robust zipper, padded sides, rigid and strong corners.
The casing gets a full 10 out of 10!
Pricing
At the time of writing this Mendini pocket trumpet review, the pricing is just shockingly low. I mean it is even difficult to understand how they can make a trumpet and such a great and nice looking trumpet case and then get any profit for selling it with a price tag like this.
You can click here to check the price on Amazon
Summary
Q: Is the Mendini pocket trumpet worth the money?
A: If you are a beginner trumpet or an amateur then, absolutely yes!
- You get a 1 year full guarantee
- The trumpet is so much fun to play
- It just looks so adorable
- And most importantly, it responds easily and is easy to play
Score: 8,1 / 10
When considering all the aspects and I take the incredible low price into all of that I rate this horn 8,1 out of 10. I have absolutely nothing to complain on the casing, the sound and how fun this trumpet is to play. If the intonation would not go a bit flat in the low register I would have rated it even higher.
All in all though, the Mendini MPT-N pocket trumpet is a great horn for a beginner trumpeter or a comeback amateur trumpeter looking for a new, interesting and fun little friend.
Thanks for reading this reviews, and as I said in the beginning of the article, if you have tried this horn, what is your experience with the Mendini pocket trumpet? Please leave a comment in the comment section below as it would for sure be a helpful things for the readers.
As always, keep practicing, and remember to have fun while doing it!
-Robert Slotte-
FAQ’s about the Mendini Pocket Trumpet
Q: Do I need a special mouthpiece for playing pocket trumpets?
A: No, pocket trumpets use the exact same kind of mouthpieces that you would use on the normal, big trumpets.
Q: The pocket trumpet looks more compact. Are they heavier to hold than a regular trumpet?
A: No they are not heavier. In fact the length of the tubing is exactly the same, as on a big trumpet, in order to have the instrument tuned in Bb
Q: I like to play hymns and soft melodies. Can I use this pocket trumpet for playing in church?
A: Absolutely. The sound is warm, soft and I could definitely see it be a great fit for the trumpet. Go for it!
Q: Is this trumpet louder than a normal trumpet.
A: No, but since you hold it closer to your body, and ears, it might feel that way. But as far as the projection and the loudness of the tone the pocket trumpet is not louder at all. In my opinion the pocket trumpet is possible to play softer than the big trumpet…should you so desire.
Q: How much do I need to practice the trumpet, on a daily basis, in order to get good?
A: Well, that’s a big question right there and not something I can go into right here, but check out my article “How much do I have to practice the trumpet” as I have some general “guidelines” outlined over there 🙂
Thanks again for reading, I will end this Mendini pocket trumpet review here. I might make an update, with more FAQ’s later on.