Top 5 Trumpet Recommendations

When you are a musician who plays the trumpet or has an interest in doing so, you may feel lost looking for the right trumpet for you. There are many trumpets on the market, which can seem overwhelming.

Beginner’s trumpets are great when you are just starting out, and there are also great trumpets for when you eventually decide you are a more advanced trumpet player. You are probably ready to consider your budget and needs as a trumpet player.

A trumpet is not just a trumpet. It is how you create your art of music. We understand how important it is to have a solid trumpet.

We have chosen our favorite trumpets for both beginners and experienced trumpet players. Hours of research decided our top recommendation.

 

Why You Should Trust Us

We spent hours testing long list of options before narrowing down our list to a handful of top choices. We evaluated every aspect of each trumpet before deciding if it was a trumpet we felt was within our standards to recommend to our readers.

We pride ourselves on only sharing products with our readers that are top choices. We want all of our readers to be completely satisfied if they choose to purchase one of our recommendations.

How to Choose a Trumpet

When you are looking for a trumpet, it is important to know that there are several different types. They vary depending on your experience and the music genres they are best used for.

Bb

The most popular type of trumpet is a Bb Trumpet, with three different skill levels available: Student, Intermediate, Professional, and Marching.

As a whole, the Bb Trumpet is capable of playing all styles of music. This makes for a very versatile trumpet.

The design, materials used, sound capabilities, and durability is what creates a difference between the Student, Intermediate, Professional, and Marching Bb Trumpets.

The Bass Trumpet is famous among trombone players looking to fine-tune their skills.

Trumpet musicians have also been known to use a bass trumpet when they are seeking to expand their skill level offered by a low-pitched trumpet.

C

Many trumpeters who play in an orchestra or are looking to expand their skill level have found a love for the C Trumpet. They are tuned higher, are smaller in size, and offer a brighter tone that is attractive in orchestras.

E

Specialty trumpets tuned to a higher tone are very common among orchestra trumpeters. The E Trumpet is very commonly found being played in the orchestra as it offers improved accuracy.

It also possesses changeable bells to provide the right tuning for higher notes.

Piccolo

Any trumpet musician who plays primarily high-pitched music such as the compositions of Bach and other baroque composers may find a love for Piccolo Trumpets.

The Piccolo Trumpet usually comes with a secondary leadpipe for downtuning capabilities. Most Piccolo Trumpets also come with a fourth valve to bring the range down a perfect fourth.

Pocket

Trumpeters who play on the go and enjoy a more compact design may find themselves enjoying the design and size of the Pocket Trumpet. The tubes are wound together very tightly to create a compact trumpet, but it is still capable of the same output as a standard trumpet.

Slide

Many slide trombone players find themselves enjoying the Slide Trumpet because it helps them to expand their skills using a valved instrument.

Trumpet players also find they like the Slide Trumpet for becoming more skilled in using a lower pitched trumpet. Jazz players especially seem to enjoy this style of a trumpet.

Herald

When it comes to trumpeters playing in ceremonies, the Herald Trumpet is what is more often than not used.

This is a more upscale option with tighter coils and longer straight coils, and it is a very attractive trumpet. These trumpets can be found being played in parades and ceremonies.

Eb/D

If you are looking to take your trumpeting to the highest registers possible, you may have an interest in the Eb/D Trumpets.

These trumpets typically come with an extra set of slides for additional tuning to D. These trumpets are used a lot in orchestral music.

Once you have decided on the type of music you wish to play or the capabilities you want your trumpet to have, you will have an easier time choose what type of trumpet is for you.

Think about what skills you may want to hone in on or what type of music is appealing to you. After careful consideration, you should be able to decide which trumpet would best fit your needs.

Things to Look for in a Trumpet

When you are looking for a trumpet, it can be a little overwhelming. There are a few key factors you will want to bear in mind while shopping around.

First, you will want to ensure you are looking at reputable brands. That is where we come in. We will only recommend reputable brands to our readers.

Next, you will want to think about what your absolute bottom dollar budget is. Think about what type of music you are looking to play and what kind of sound output is important to you.

Once you are looking at trumpets that are made by popular brands at a good price and can play your style of music well, you will be well on your way to owning a new trumpet that fits all of your needs.

The Competition

After hours of testing and research, here's the final competition.

Instrument	Rating	Current Pricing
LJ Hutchen Bb Trumpet	Manufacturer ensured that the design of this trumpet is setup for easy play
Mendini by Cecilio MTT-L	Very impressed with the overall design, quality, and sound output produced by this trumpet
Mendini MTT-N Nickel Plated Bb Trumpet	It's a great beginner's trumpet that is solidly built as it stands up to our test of durability
Prelude TR711 Bb Lacquered Student Trumpet	It truly was made for just beginners.
Legacy Intermediate Trumpet TR75	Produces a clear and crisp sound that is very attractive to the ears

Our Recommendation: LJ Hutchen Bb

After careful review of five different trumpets, our number one choice is the LJ Hutchen Bb Trumpet. Its design is not just attractive; it’s functional.

This is a top choice among beginner trumpeters but is manufactured in such a way that even more experienced trumpet musicians would be pleased with this trumpet.

With the double-bench testing this trumpet goes through before leaving the manufacturer’s facility, you can be confident in knowing this is a very high-quality trumpet. Not only is it high-quality, but also very fairly priced.

Achieving an attractive sound output with this trumpet is very easy. While it comes with slide oil, it is already pre-greased upon arrival and ready to be played.

All you have to do is adjust the valves and blow through for a minute or two to warm it up. Then it will play like a charm and will bring music to your ears with the crisp sound it is capable of producing.

In addition to this trumpet playing spectacular music, it just works well. The manufacturer ensured that the design of this trumpet is setup for easy play. The slide moves very easily making playing this trumpet a breeze.

This trumpet is very easy to become comfortable with. With how easily all of the pieces work together, there is no frustration involved when playing this trumpet.

With everything out there, there’s always one or two things that aren’t quite perfect. The valves on this trumpet were turned in an awkward position within the chambers. However, this can be fixed simply. All you have to do is unscrew the top of the valve chambers and turn them until you hear them make a click sound.

From sound to design, there should be no question as to how this trumpet ranked above the other trumpets we considered. This is a top notch trumpet at a very fair price.

Getting this solid of a trumpet that is made amazingly well with crisp playability is hard to find in this price range. This trumpet is made to please and that’s why it is our top pick.

Runner Up: Mendini by Cecilio MTT-L

While we already told you our number one pick, it would only be fair to include the close runner-up. With a beautiful appearance, amazing construction, and affordability it should be no wonder how this trumpet got to be our runner-up.

This trumpet is a high-quality option for beginner trumpeters. It is very comfortable for learning and playing. The lead mouth pipe this trumpet includes is a very big selling point for us as that is typically found on expensive, top of the line trumpets.

The sound quality of this trumpet is great. It produces clear sound. As a beginner’s trumpet, we were very impressed with the overall design, quality, and sound output produced by this trumpet.

While it is labeled as a beginner’s trumpet, we do feel that even more experienced trumpeters would find themselves very happy with this trumpet.

The price is almost more attractive than the beautiful finish. Runner-up or not, this trumpet is another great choice while you’re in the market for a trumpet.

Although we already mentioned this trumpet as our clear runner-up, we’d like to talk about what we liked and didn’t like about this trumpet. The quality and durability of this trumpet are definitely something worth mentioning.

The airflow is very smooth and the valves are heavy-duty. The quality of this trumpet is definitely top notch, which aids in the durability found in this trumpet. The tone and sound produced by this trumpet immediately upon arrival are also worth mentioning.

Our only real complaint about this trumpet is how it can get sticky keys. That’s easily fixed with the use of valve oil. Overall we were very pleased with this trumpet, which is why it gets our runner-up slot.

Other Trumpets to Consider:

Mendini MTT-N Nickel Plated Bb

The affordability of this trumpet makes it a very attractive choice. It’s a great beginner’s trumpet that is solidly built as it stands up to our test of durability.

The sound is also very good. While this trumpet is attractive out of the box, it does not stand our test of remaining attractive.

The materials used to make this trumpet appear to be a little on the cheap side as discoloration is starting to be noticeable. In addition to that, the lacquer coating appears to be peeling.

Prelude TR711 Bb Lacquered Student

While this trumpet may not be what a professional trumpeter is looking for, it is great for any beginner trumpeter. It plays well with good sound.

We were pleased with the tone produced by this trumpet. The manufacturing of this trumpet also isn’t bad. It is made well to where the valves will not stick.

As a beginner’s trumpet, we did find this trumpet to be a little costly. We also didn’t like how basic this trumpet was. It truly was made for just beginners.

With the cost involved with this trumpet, we did not like that it was not a trumpet you could grow with as your skill improved.

Legacy Intermediate Trumpet TR750

The sound that comes from this trumpet is the number one thing we were most impressed with. It produces a clear and crisp sound that is very attractive to the ears.

The pricing of this trumpet is also reasonably affordable. However, we do have complaints about the construction and materials used. The materials seem to be of cheaper quality. The valve tends to stick a bit, and the finger hook is very poorly constructed. The oiling at the manufacturer could also be increased a bit to produce a better looking finish upon arrival.

The valve tends to stick a bit, and the finger hook is very poorly constructed. The oiling at the manufacturer could also be increased a bit to produce a better looking finish upon arrival.

Sources

• Buying guide: How to Choose a Trumpet. (2016, April 26). Retrieved from The Hub, http://thehub.musiciansfriend.com/band-orchestra-buying-guides/trumpet-buying-guide
• Hendricks, B. (2011, August 22). Choosing a Trumpet. Retrieved from The Trumpet Pedagogy Project, http://trumpetpedagogyproject.com/equipment/trumpet/
• How to Select a Good Trumpet. Retrieved from WikiHow, http://www.wikihow.com/Select-a-Good-Trumpet