Tromba TP1-MR Plastic Bb Trumpet-metallic Red

I'm a fairly experienced trumpet player. First thing's first: this is *not* a replacement for a brass instrument. If you or someone you know is dedicated to learning how to play trumpet, there are relatively inexpensive used amateur horns available on eBay & elsewhere for <$500 - that's what you should be investing in. Not this. But if you're looking for a lark, a trumpet for someone who's just starting & not very serious, or a cheap, "disposable" horn to lug around & practice with, this is quite a catch.I like to practice on my lunch breaks, so keeping something in the car is nice. However, I'm living somewhere that can get relatively chilly in winter, & I would like to avoid subjecting a decent "real" horn to sub-freezing temperatures repeatedly. (It's a great way to weaken the solder joints & turn a nice instrument into a pile of parts.)The Tromba doesn't slot very well (as Wayne Bergeron said, you kind of have to "blow it into submission"), but it has a great, mellow sound, & the valve action is quick & light. (I use Blue Juice, but any synthetic oil should work fine.) It has a slightly caricatured feel, with oversized valve casings & tubing, which is comfortable to hold. It's (unsurprisingly) lightweight compared to a brass instrument. It's very "live" in the hands (duh), which is nice for practicing a centered, resonant sound.The interior of the case is bare styrofoam, which is a little off-putting, but fine. (Also, you have to collapse the main tuning slide every time you close it, which is a little weird.) The latches on the case will snap off if you look at them sideways, which is annoying. It comes with some standard cleaning brushes & a surprisingly hearty swab stick to pull a rag thru the valve casings. The supplied mouthpieces (7C & 5C) will do in a pinch, but it feels more solid with a brass one. I'd recommend getting one to keep with it.All in all, I've certainly played worse instruments, & $160 for even a C-grade "beater" trumpet is an amazing value.

It doesn't feel like a trumpet (extremely light, little resonance), but it sure sounds like a trumpet. For the money, its an extremely complete kit - gig bag, cleaning tools, two plastic mouthpieces, a stand, and some extra pieces for the valves. I'm left with the impression that the mouthpiece is the most important aspect of horn sound since there is nothing about the materials in this instrument that match a brass horn. And, the plastic mouthpieces will get you started, but replace them with a good quality one as soon as possible (from Bach, etc.).The horn sounds much better than what I expected. The valves are junky, and took a lot of valve oil and movement to break them in, but I'm satisfied with them even though they are a bit stiff. They are plastic with a thin metal sleeve, so they have no inertia to them, but they are serviceable once broken in. The horn sounds surprisingly full and holds intonation well, only getting wonky in pitch as you play above the staff. High note intonation is humorous, but inside the staff and below works well.I purchased as something to travel with on trips to stay flexible when I'm away from home for a week. It would also be good for a beginner as something relatively unbreakable, or high-school marching band where you wouldn't want to risk a fine instrument (you could even match your band uniform with the different colors!). But, if you are serious about playing you'll need something more traditional. A good extra horn you won't worry about.

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.