The pTrumpet vs Tromba Plastic Trumpet

So, Tromba vs pTrumpet, what’s the deal, which one is better? Is the Tromba better than the pTrumpet or is the pTrumpet better than the Tromba?

And, what are the differences between the pTrumpet and the Tromba? If those are questions you are asking, this article will hopefully make you a bit wiser.

The biggest difference between the Tromba and the pTrumpet is that the pTrumpet is all plastic. Even the valves. This is not the case with the Tromba which has valves made of stainless steel. There are also other differences you MUST know, so take a look at this article to find out more…

Tromba vs. pTrumpet,
Let The Battle Begin…

Round #1 – The Price:

This one is a bit tricky as the prices constantly keeps changing. It also depends on where you liv of course…

…however, most of the time and while writing this article, the Tromba was just a tiny bit more expensive..

pTrumpet >> Click here to check current pricing at Amazon

Tromba >> Click here to check current pricing at Amazon

Winner of this round is: The pTrumpet!!!

---

Round #2 – Differences in Quality / Build

When it comes to quality they are about the same, but there are some physical differences you need to be awere of between Tromba and the pTrumpet.

• Tromba has got a third slide trigger
  (The pTrumpet does not. It lacks a finger ring for the third or first valve, so you can’t adjust intonation while playing, with the pTrumpet)
• The pTrumpet is 100% plastic
  (Even the valves and valves casing are all plastic on the pTrumpet, which I think is both impressive and pretty cool)
• The Tromba is also a plastic trumpet, but the valves are stainless steel
• The Tromba has got a mouthpiece receiver out of brass

Ok, so there are some differences between the pTrumpet and the Tromba when it comes to the build. Generally the valves tend to work a tiny bit better on the Tromba compared to the pTrumpet, however, you have to remember that we are now talking about trumpets in the cheaper price range…

…Both trumpets are under 200 dollars, and when it comes to trumpets in this price range, there is always a small risk that some of the trumpets come with sticky valves. This goes for all trumpets in this price range, normal brass trumpets as well. Most of the time, though, both the pTrumpet and the Tromba comes with pretty decent valves.

Due to the mouthpiece receiver being made out of brass on the Tromba plastic trumpet, it is possible to play a bit louder on the Trumpeta than on the pTrumpet.

The Tromba also has a third slide trigger, which gives you the option to adjust intonation while playing. This is something that the pTrumpet does not have.

Winner of this round is: The Tromba!!!

---

Round #3 – The Sound:

Both trumpets are capable of sounding surprisingly good. It’s a bit difficult to describe what a trumpet sounds like, it’s kind of like describing how a certain food tastes, but I’ll give it a try…

pTrumpet:

• Warm
• Round
• Nice

Tromba:

• Warm
• Mellow
• Nice

The Tromba is capable of playing a bit louder, probably due to the brass valves and brass mouthpiece receiver. Both trumpets lack the “core” that brass expensive brass trumpets have. Needless to say, this is understandable as we are talking about plastic trumpets here…

…other than that…it is impossible to pick one over the other here.

Winner of this round is: No winner, It’s a tie!!!

Listen to the pTrumpet sound here:

Listen to the Tromba sound here:

---

Round #4 – The Valves:

As I already mentioned the Tromba has got their pistons covered in stainless steel, so it is metal against metal inside the valve casing. The core of the pistons are plastic though as well as everything else…

…the pTrumpet, on the other hand is 100% plastic. The pTrumpet also has got the valve springs under the pistons, at the bottom of the valve casing.

Generally the Tromba has a bit better functioning valves, but the pTrumpet is not bad either. In addition to this, one positive thing about the pTrumpet valves is that you do not have to oil them.

Winner of this round is: The Tromba!!!

---

Round #5 – How They Play:

Ok, moving on to the final, and perhaps the most important category in my Tromba vs pTrumpet comparison article…

…how do they differ when it comes to playing them?

The pTrumpet

• Easier to play high notes
• Good response
• Not really as loud as the Tromba
• Good flexibility
• Incredible fun

Tromba

• Good response
• A bit better slotting than the pTrumpet
• A bit more focused and “centered” notes
• Able to play louder on than the pTrumpet

So, Tromba vs pTrumpet when it comes to actually playing them…

…well, they are both fun to play, but I would perhaps rate the pTrumpet a bit higher in the “fun department”. They are both incredible light and easy to hold, with the pTrumpet being just a tiny bit lighter than the Tromba.

When it comes to the intonation, playing the pTrumpet perhaps needs a bit more time to get used to than the Tromba, but I have to say that, for being trumpets made out of plastic, the intonation is surprisingly good…on both horns.

The pTrumpet has got great high notes while the Tromba, on the other hands, feels a bit more open and free blowing. Due to the brass receiver the Tromba feels a bit more “secure” and you split notes at bit easier with the pTrumpet.

Winner of this round is: The Tromba!!!

---

Ok, so we are closing in on the final score here…

…Tromba vs pTrumpet, which one is better?

And The Overall Winner is….

…THE TROMBA!

But not by much…

The overal winner is the Tromba, but not by much at all! In fact many people find the pTrumpet to be more fun to play than the Tromba and when I made the individual reviews this is the final rating they got…

• pTrumpet final score: 8,2 / 10
• Tromba Final Score 8,3 / 10

As you can see they are very close so it’s not like the Tromba is much better than the pTrumpet. (By the way, those exact scores are from my individual reviews when I reviewed them, one by one)

We also have to take into account that some aspects, like for example sound and feel of playing, are a matter of taste and personal preferences.

pTrumpet >> Click here to check current pricing at Amazon

Tromba >> Click here to check current pricing at Amazon

pTrumpet vs. Tromba
-Final Words-

So there you have it, the Tromba vs pTrumpet article, and I hope you found it informative and helpful.

One final thing I would like to recommend, when it comes to the plastic trumpets is, use a “normal” brass mouthpiece. Both the Tromba and the pTrumpet works better that way. They also sound better with a brass mouthpiece.

Whether you choose the pTrumpet or the Tromba you are in for a world of fun, as both of them are a pleasure to play, and it’s truly easy to fall in love with them. It’s kind of like having a cool little toy, while at the same time it’s a fully functional trumpet…

…and indeed a trumpet that you can use on many forms of gigs. Just don’t bring it to a symphony orchestra, if you are a professional classical trumpeter.

Ok so this was my article comparing the two trumpets against each other, however, if you want to take a deeper dive into the details, you can find my full reviews on these two plastic trumpets here:

You can find my full pTrumpet review by clicking here
You can find my full Tromba plastic trumpet review here

---

 

Thank you for reading this article. If you have any experiences with these horns then feel free to leave a comment down below. Tromba vs ptrumpet, what’s your opinion?

As always, keep practicing and remember to have fun while doing it!

-Robert Slotte-