Trumpets come in three general categories: ‘beginner’, ‘intermediate’ and ‘professional’. A ‘beginner’ trumpet can be bought relatively cheaply and will take a pupil up to around grade 5 standard, when an upgrade to an ‘intermediate’ model is recommended. At grade 8 standard, a ‘professional’ model might be considered.
Beginner
There is a bewildering array of trumpets available. Cheap trumpets should be treated with caution – they are often poorly made, with sticky valves causing much frustration and badly soldered joints coming apart. Fully plastic trumpets, such as the pTrumpet, should generally be avoided. Although they are light to hold for young beginners and are made in attractive colours, they are often hard to play, with sticking valves and a muffled sound. ‘Hybrid’ plastic trumpets are an improvement, with a plastic body but metal valves. The hyTech trumpet – around £175 – is reasonably good. However, unless the weight of a metal trumpet is problematic, I would recommend a brass trumpet from the start.
Yamahas are excellent – well made, smooth valves and with good resale value. There are a variety of models available, with the cheapest being the YTR2330, which costs around £500.
If you want a decent cheaper alternative, try the John Packer JP051 which is excellent value at around £180.
Trumpets are made from brass and generally come in two finishes – either lacquer or silver plate. The difference is cosmetic – there is little difference in how the trumpet plays or sounds. Silver plate is more expensive but a little more durable (though the salt in sweat from the hands will corrode it over time); lacquer will gradually wear off and the brass will tarnish, though this makes no difference to the tone quality.
I have a stock of second hand beginner trumpets available to purchase from £50 – please contact me if you’re interested.
Intermediate
Yamaha YTR 4335 GII is my preferred choice (there’s a slightly more expensive silver plated option if you want it in silver). The models which start with a ‘5’ are higher-end intermediate trumpets.
The Schagerl Academica is also highly recommended.
The B&S Challenger I is near-professional standard.
Professional
Vincent Bach is probably the most famous brand of trumpet. For many years, this was the go-to brand for professionals, but there are now a lot more choices available, with some excellent cheaper alternatives.
Bach Strad – various models available
Yamaha trumpets are again excellent. The model numbers starting ‘6’ or ‘8’ are the pro models.
B&S Challenger II is also worth considering.
Will Spencer makes superb and reasonably priced trumpets.
Good shops for brass (all do online purchases):
Prozone (Chesham) https://prozonemusic.com/
Phil Parker (London) https://philparker.co.uk/
Dawkes (Maidenhead) https://www.dawkes.co.uk/
John Packer (Taunton) https://johnpacker.co.uk/
Ackerman Music (Brighton) https://www.ackermanmusic.co.uk
Note: shops often offer substantial amounts of money off the ‘RRP’. This is rather disingenuous – no shop ever charges the RRP! Do shop around online.
Second hand instruments are definitely worth considering, but check that the valves and the slides move freely.