Trumpets can be purchased new or used from a variety of different independent vendors and commercial retail outlets. New student trumpets can be relatively inexpensive for entry-level players, but the sound and physical quality can suffer at this level. High-quality trumpets cost significantly more, but musicians can get much more musical range.
Among the oldest instruments and a star of the brass family, a trumpet plays in a high register. B flat is the standard tuning of a trumpet, but they are also readily available in other tunings. The C trumpet is extremely common in American orchestra playing.
The first major benefit to buying a new trumpet is it can be relatively inexpensive. Low-end, beginner trumpets often include a case and a pair of gloves. Gloves keep the brass clean and streak free. They can protect the longevity of the instrument. Musicians can purchase protective cases as well.
These entry-level trumpets are often referred to as student trumpets, and many high school and university programs use them to stock up on for their brass sections. These instruments often come in lacquered brass or nickel-plated coating. Like any new trumpet, they are equipped with three piston valves. Each valve increases the length of tubing, thus lowering the pitch.
A con to buying an entry-level, new trumpet is the quality. The sound and physical quality are sacrificed somewhat by purchasing lower-end models. Nonetheless, student trumpets are perfect for beginners to get a grasp on the instrument before upgrading to nicer models. Used trumpets can be sold via online auction sites and consumer trade sites.
A higher-end, professional, new trumpet is exponentially more expensive. Some of these models are named after famous classical musicians. This branding sometimes unnecessarily increases the cost for the consumer. Free shipping may be offered, however, for large, online purchases such as these.
Higher-quality trumpets can also help with reaching higher registers more easily. There are many trumpeters who have achieved success via their ability to hit high-register notes. They include Maynard Ferguson, Cat Anderson, and Dizzy Gillespie.
A new trumpet sound can also be manufactured via midi devices and keyboards, which imitate the sounds of a real brass trumpet. These devices are programmed with prerecorded trumpet sounds. Some studio musicians prefer to use this method for a quick resolution to finding some brass sounds, but the sound quality is generally low and far from the sound of a real trumpet.
