TrombaTP1-GD Plastic BB Trumpet, Gold

Delivery was brilliant.Poor quality finish - the gold layer was flaking off in a few places. Despite use of valve oil, valves were not at all smooth and there is no way that the third valve slide could be used during playing - far too stiff to slide . I did blow it and it didn't sound too bad and was easy to blow with a regular metal mouthpiece but I have returned it as defective. Disappointed.I wanted it for air travel on holidays just to keep my lip in.If you buy one you might consider the solid plastic colour versions as sold by other distributers. I imagine the silver and red metallic finished ones just might go flakey too.I would like to know if any other user has had success using the third valve tuning slide. I might have been unlucky with the example I got.

The horn arrived in a package that looked like it had been opened and resealed more than once. Definitely not new off the shelf. The finger hook was broken off which had to have been that way when it was shipped because the packaging was more than adequate to protect it. I'm certain it was somebody's return that was not refurbished, but it was represented as new. I superglued the finger hook back in place and will give it a fair try before deciding whether or not to return it. It is very light, about a third the weight of my Yamaha. The tone is okay. It's brighter when I use my metal mouthpiece. It comes with two plastic mouthpieces--a deep cup and a shallow cup. The deep cup gives it almost a fluegelhorn sound. The first valve is quite sticky and after oiling it and a couple hours of playing it still sticks. Perhaps that will work itself out with more use. I was attracted to it for the light weight. I play piano with my left hand and trumpet with my right sometimes on the gig. It is ideal for that purpose. If it had arrived as a new unbroken horn and if the first valve didn't stick I would give it five stars for the concept and for special use. Of course it won't replace a good brass trumpet but it might have some advantages over a cheap brass one.

I played pretty seriously through high school, and now have a school-age learner. I read, watched, and listened to quite a few professional online reviews before deciding on this model. The tone is a bit mellower than brass, which can be a good thing for learners and their household audiences. It is light enough for a child to hold up without fatigue. And of course, it's a relief not to be so anxious about pings and dents and corrosion. Handy soft case and potentially useful instrument-stand included.The valve caps are fitted with a plastic twist-attachment that feels less reliable than metal threads (and like any new trumpet, its valves will have to be pulled out often for frequent break-in oiling). This is about the only place where the plastic construction feels like a structural compromise. So far, they're fine. (We need to mark the valves better so that they don't get re-inserted incorrectly, but that challenge is hardly specific to this model.)Although my own chops are rusty, I've played on this horn (and for comparison have played on my own brass instrument) a fair amount since it arrived a few weeks ago. Consistency of tuning, tone and blowing effort is decent for a student or practice horn (a third-valve slide exists, but seems sluggish). No regrets. This choice of horn will probably encourage rather than discourage practice in the near future, and we'll upgrade to a brass instrument when and if virtuosity seems within reach.We've already followed the ubiquitous advice to upgrade the mouthpiece to a proper metal one.

The trumpet arrived quickly and was in excellent condition. The valves needed some oil and after a couple of drops they moved well. I bought this for my young grandson to play and the plastic parts will take a lot more abuse than an all metal trumpet. Of course it sounds like a plastic trumpet and the valves will need to be well maintained or they will start to stick. But at this price he can try out the horn and if he shows real interest, I can get him a real trumpet.

For an 11 year old kid, just starting and going to beat it up, it was worth an cheap gamble. Valves are a little annoying in that they don't work very well, but the horn is functional