Jean Paul USA TR-430 Intermediate Trumpet 

What Is A Good Trumpet For a
High School Student?

If you like music, and playing the trumpet, then you owe it to yourself to invest in a decent trumpet. However, most high school students are still unsure where their trumpet playing is going take them in the coming years, and with that in mind it is perhaps not the best idea to invest in a very expensive, professional trumpet at this point…

…this is why I consider the intermediate student trumpet, Jean Paul, to be one of the best trumpets for a high school student. Many trumpeters, myself included, are surprised at how good this trumpet really is for being in a price range of only 300-400 dollars, you can click here to check
the exact price on Amazon.

By the way: In order to write my reviews and in particular the article what is the best trumpets for beginners I was trying out A LOT of different beginner to intermediate trumpets….

…a couple of months after writing this article I tested the Jean Paul trumpet one more time, along with a lot of other brands,  and I actually was so impressed with it that I ended up buying one for myself. If you are interested in reading more about that you can click here to read a detailed Jean Paul Trumpet reveiw, where I share my whole experience, and write an even more detailed review about the horn.

The Jean Paul Tr-430 B-flat Trumpet

I got the chance to play this particular model a while back at a music festival and I’m going to tell you more about my impressions in a while, but let’s first take a look at the features…

Specs

• In the key of Bb (this is what we want of course)
• Red brass lead pipe
• Medium 459 bore size
• Comes with a really nice looking, robust and protective trumpet case
• The third slide trigger is adjustable
• Highly durable piston valves
• Yellow brass material

My First Impressions Of This Intermediate / High School Trumpet

• The Case

My first thoughts when picking up the trumpet was that the case looks really nice and protective. I have had some unfortunate things happens to one of my trumpets, due to having a gig bag that was very soft, so I guess this is something that catches my eyes right away.

• Valves

I was also impressed with how smooth the valves worked. Now to be fair I only tested the trumpet for about 30 minutes, so I can’t personally say how they will stand the test of time, but from what I heard from others they keep working great. Seem to me to be built with quality so that does not surprise me.

Update (a couple of months later): After trying a bunch of different horns, in order to be able to write all my reviews, I actually ended up buying the Jean Paul TR-430 as a gift for myself. I enjoyd playing it that much. Now after a few months playing it I can report that the valves are still working great!

The trumpet itself and how it plays

• Quality

The build quality is good and solid. The slides works well and the compression is ok. I also removed the slides to take a quick look at the valve alignment and it was excellent. At least on that particular trumpet I was checking out.

• How it plays

Another reason I think this will be a good trumpet for a high school student is because it is very easy to play. I was surprised at how well it responded, since this is something that can be an issue with student and intermediate trumpets. The low notes just rolled out of the bell and soft notes responded easily.

The Intonation on this trumpet is phenomenal. This was one of the factors that lead me to buy one for myself.

The Sound along with the ease of playing, is where this trumpet really shines. I really like the sound because, unlike most intermediate trumpets, this one has a “core” to the sound just like you can hear on more expensive, professional trumpets. It’s not too bright an not too dark, making it a suitable horn horn to be used in all kinds of playing situations.

The slotting is ok albeit not as good as on my professional Yamaha trumpet. This is of course to be expected and even if this was a professional trumpet, I really can’t say that it’s bad either, so with that in mind, it get’s a big thumbs up.

Is This a Good Trumpet For a High School Student?Final Verdict

Answer: Yes! In my opinion it is a very good trumpet for a high school student. It is an excellent choice and is a great buy for parents wanting to purchase their aspiring trumpeter a new trumpet…

…but also for anyone looking to upgrade from an older beginner trumpet.

This is an intermediate trumpet that could be put in a category far above its current price range, and because of that I honestly think this is one of the best intermediate trumpets out on the market today. In fact, I am considering buying one myself to use as a backup horn form my Yamaha and Bach trumpets.

Can’t beat the price!

I’m impressed with the price of this trumpet because in my opinion it plays like a trumpet somewhere in the 800-1200 dollar range. I have to wonder if this is a marketing strategy of the company to make them well known first, and then, when people notice how good the trumpet really is, they increase the price?  Now, I’m just speculating about this of course and have no idea if this really is the case.

If you are int the market for a good high school trumpet and you would like to know more about the The Jean Paul Tr-430 B-flat trumpet you can
click here to read other real user reviews on Amazon.

What to look out for when buying a student trumpet

The last couple of years a lot of new trumpet brands have entered the market along with “jaw-dropping low prices”. Some as low as under $70 dollars. I have tried a lot of them and let me make one thing absolutely clear…

…for 99% of those trumpets, the price is still too high, unless you consider 70-90 bucks to be a suitable price for a strange looking table lamp. Which is exactly what those trumpets would be best used for.

There are one or two exceptions, where I found a somewhat ok beginner trumpet for around 100 bucks, I write more about that in the article
how much does a trumpet cost but, unless money is really tight, I would strongly recommend against going for the 70-100 dollar trumpets…

…the quality is just not there and the valves often stop working after just a few weeks. This is not something we want, and for just a little more money we are able to actually get a really good trumpet for a high school student that will stand the test of time or until the studen decides it’s time for an upgrade, to a professional horn.

What about buying a used trumpet?

When on the hunt for a good intermediate trumpet for a high school kid, buying a used trumpet can be one option. However, if doing so it is of absolute importance that you get to try / look at the horn before buying it. Buying a used trumpet online is very risky if the seller is not a well known, respectable, seller.

One of the most common problems with used trumpets are

• Issues with the valves
• Corrosion inside the slides and leadpipe
• Valve alignment issues

In addition to this, there may of course be scratches and dents, however those are not as bad as the above listed points. If the valves do not function properly, the trumpet is pretty much useless unless having a trumpet repair-tech fix it…

…which will cost us about every single dollar we hoped we would be able to save, buy buying a used trumpet instead of a decent new one. This is because the valves are the hardest parts to fix on a trumpet and something most people will not be able to do themselves, unlike fixing dents.

However, if there is a local music store near you, with used musical instruments, then there might be a good chance finding a decent used trumpet. Just make sure to check the valves and also take a look inside the slides to see if the pipes have any corrosion in them.

Conclusion about used trumpets: Personally I only consider used trumpets if I can get my hands on them first for a good inspection. If this is not an option then I definitely recommend ordering a new trumpet instead and preferably a trumpet that has gotten some good testimonials.

A Few “Bonus” Trumpet Playing Tips to Become a Good High School Trumpeter

Fast playing and high notes… A warning!

High school students are perhaps in that age group when the “competitive” side and characteristics of the trumpet becomes very alluring.

Yes, I’m of course talking about the…

• Higher
• Faster
• Louder

…syndrome, that so many trumpeters get.

Now, there is nothing wrong with being competitive and hunger for more range and better playing skills and working on range and power is not a bad thing. In fact most trumpet players have to do that and should do that…

…but here’s the deal: many young players become so obsessed with these trumpet traits that they neglect the most important thing of all…

…the music!

Art and Emotions vs Static Frequencies

We should never forget that the music comes first. Music is a way of expressing and sharing feelings/emotions, while being able to get a high  note, is merely about getting the lips to vibrate with a very fast frequency. I think everyone would agree that the first one is enormously more profound.

Music and sound is also where the money is. 95% of the money I have every made from playing the trumpet has come from playing below high C, with a nice sound and with lots of expression…

…Look:

I’m not saying that it’s wrong to like high notes and fast playing. I like high notes very much myself and as a younger player I was almost obsessed with them (and I still am to a certain degree) so I’m not pointing any fingers here…

…I just want to point out that the “higher, faster, louder” syndrome could be destructive for the young high school trumpeter IF he neglects all the other aspects of the trumpet. This is because it is the WHOLE trumpet playing package, in combination with the music, that will get us somewhere and some day perhaps, also pay our bills.

Again, there is nothing wrong with high notes, you should definitely also practice them as well as fast and loud playing…

…just don’t make it your ONLY focus.

Also, I’m not saying that high notes automatically means that we are not playing music. They can be used in many different kinds of music and they can be played in many different kinds of styles….

…they can indeed also be played with a lot of expression…

…for example, listen to how Maynard Ferguson plays the trumpet solo, starting at 2:32 in this video. It is one of the most beautiful trumpet solos there is, soaring high notes played with A LOT of taste. Gotta love it!

Some wonderful trumpet playing right there…

Bonus Tips #2: Listen Listen Listen

Keep the transmitter dialed down a bit and the receiver all the way up. To become a good trumpeter in high school, as well as later in life, we have to use our ears all the time. Listen to a lot of great trumpet players, really try to soak everything up and store it in the brain.

This is something we should do during our entire lives but it is especially important for beginner trumpeters and high school trumpeters. Try to find a trumpet player that has a sound that really speaks to you. Someone who you would like to sound like yourself and every day before you start your practice session, listen a few minutes to that trumpet player…

…try to keep his or her sound in your minds ear during your own practice. This will help your brain to guide you in the right direction and before you know it, you too will be playing with a gorgeous trumpet sound.

Final Words

Thank you for reading this article about finding a good high school trumpet, and as I said, I highly recommend the Jean Paul 430-T, as I truly consider it to be one of the best intermediate trumpets on the market today.

Also if you have any questions about this particular “high school trumpet” then feel free to ask me in the comment section down below and I will do my best to answer.

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

-Robert Slotte-