
Mendini Trumpet By Cecilio
MTT-L Review
So are Mendini trumpets any good?
Well, hopefully this Mendini trumpet review can give you som insight.
Let’s jump right in shall we…
Short About The Trumpet
Specs
- Bb-Trumpet
- Gold lacquered
- A 7C mouthpiece comes with the trumpet
- Bore size: 0.46 inch
- Bell size: 5 inch
- 3rd valve slide has an adjustable ring
- Phosphorus copper used on mouthpiece receiver
- Smooth action valves
- Includes: valve oil, polishing cloth, a case and a pair of white gloves
- 1 Year warranty
So is Mendini a good trumpet brand when it comes to playing them?
Let’s get deeper into it…
Mendini MTT-L Trumpet Review:
Mendini trumpet build quality
The trumpet has a few options when it comes to the finish, but you should know that the quality of the trumpet is the same whatever option you choose here. First of, the “L” in the MTT-L, stands for lacquered finish and in this case gold lacquered.
it looks nice. Very nice. If the trumpet has any weaknesess, it’s certainly not in this department.
The soldering looks ok and no manufactory “defects” can be spotted so far and there appears to be no problems inside the tubing…
…so far so good.
Let’s continue…
The Mendini trumpets valves
The valves are often the weakest point in cheap trumpets and on the Mendini trumpet it seems like there are some trumpets out there that has had a bit of problems in this are. Most of them are fine, however, and if you happen to be one of the unlucky ones, and you get a problem horn, take advantage of the 1 year guarantee they offer.
Here you can see one guy unboxing and checking out the valves of the horn:
Looks and appearance
The trumpet looks gorgeous and the gold lacquered finish really makes it shine. This is something beginners love….and perhaps some of us oldtimes as well 😉
Full score in this department!
Balance and hold of the horn
The valve casing is placed a bit further towards the mouthpiece end, compared to some other trumpet brands. Personally, I like this because it feels like you have more control over the horn when you get to keep your hand a bit closer to your body. This is also the way, for example, the expensive brand “Bach” makes their trumpets.
Mendini Trumpet Sound
The sound is actually REALLY GOOD. It’s a tiny bit on the brighter sound and this is exactly the way most people like it. Myself included. Yes, the sound get’s a big thumbs up and a much higher rating than the valves.
Now, of course, you can not hear the same “core” and massive amounts of overtones, as you can in 3000 dollar trumpets, but to be fair. Can we really complain about that when we are talking about a trumpet that costs a little as this?
By the way, you can click here to check the pricing on Amazon. It’s truly quite amazing.
Intonation on the trumpet
The fourth space “e” is a bit flat just like on most trumpets I have played during the years. It is a common problem. In fact, only one trumpet I owned did not have this problem and it was the Hub Van Laar Oiram III. And guess what, that horn costs 4.100 dollars. The low register is pretty good on the Mendini, just a few tiny adjustments could be made if they wanted to sell the horn as a more expensive or professional horn. But, for this price it get’s a thumbs up!
Responsiveness (how easily the notes “speak”)
The horn seem to speak well without having to put a lot of energy into it. This is a very good trait because beginners are going to be playing it and we don’t want to give a trumpet that takes a lot of effort to play to a beginner. Yeah, it’s all good in this department as well. Big thumbs up.
Slotting
The slotting is there. Not as secure as on more expensive trumpets but it is fully acceptable. We are talking about a beginner trumpet and, at this stage, the horn does not have to be 100% secure. For a beginner, playing in a school band, a “missed” note is not such a big deal after all…unlike professional trumpeters in the symphony orchestras.
The trumpets high register
It’s normal. Not bad and not any better than on other horns. I give the trumpet a 7,5 (1-10) in this department.
Agility (moving around in the registers)
No problems here. All notes are there and moving around is just like on any other beginner trumpets.
The general feel when playing the horn
The horn sounds and feels good. In my opinion it is perfect for a beginner. As I mentioned the sound is a bit on the brighter side and that is want most of us want. It speaks easily and does not take a lot of effort to play.
Casing
The casing is solid and protective. It does not come with backpack straps however it has a shoulder strap. Good enough! Not much else to say here. A solid, protective casing that does what it is supposed to do.
Mendini trumpet price
Well well well…in this department we just have to give a full score, 10/10
I mean, if you are loking for a cheap beginner trumpet you can not find anything less expensive than this, click here to check the price on Amazon.
I mean, you can, but then you would also have to sacrifice quality so much, to the point of not even getting a playable trumpet.
Conclusion about the trumpet
If you are looking for a beginner trumpet and you are not sure if you or your son or daughter will keep up their interest then this is THE perfect trumpet. Heck, at the time of writing this Mendini trupet review the price was just under 100 bucks. You can’t, and shouldn’t, go any lower than that. Well, unless you are prepared to use the trumpet for a table lamp, of course.
So is the Mendini trumpet worth them money?
Answer: I think so yes!
Look:
- The horn speaks easily and is easy to play
- It is as cheap as they come
- It looks fanatastic with its gold lacquered finish
- You will NOT get a better trumpet for this amount of money
- It comes with a protective casing and a full year warranty
Considering the price tag, I don’t think there is much else to ask for here. Kind of leaves me speachless….in a strange way.
Final Score: 8,3/10
The trumpet gets a 8,3 score from me. And that is on a scale from one to ten. I have seen trumpets, much worse than this, and I have also seen trumpets much better than this. However, I have never seen a better trumpet that has a lower price tag than this.
Gotta love the strange time we live in today, when getting a new trumpet is possible even if you have almost no extra money to spear. That’s good for the future of the trumpet world indeed 🙂
-Robert Slotte-
P.S. Have you tried this horn? If so, what’s your expereience with the Mendini trumpet brand? Please feel free to leave a comment in the comment section below and let other readers know your opinion on the Mendini trumpets. That way this Mendini review page get’s even broader and more valuable to the readers.
I have had this trumpet for about 3 years. It sat in the case for over a year during covid. I cleaned the valves and oiled them and they work fine again. I find the horn speaks very well and plays in tune. It really screams in the upper register. Manoeuvrability is a little harder than on my pro trumpets but not by a lot. Tone quality is good all around. I have the sky blue finish and it is still intact after 3 years. I really love playing this horn. It feels great in my hands, It looks great, it’s very light and overall fun to play. Just for comparison, my pro horns are: 1938 Conn 22B and Jupiter 1600i.