Creating a band and rising to fame is all about dressing appropriately, rocking the right kind of haircut and establishing a cool image for your respectable ensemble! Also, playing an instrument or two, and doing it well may have got something to do with it, as we at TopProducts have discovered recently. Now, even though in this day and age it might seem increasingly likely that up-and-coming bands will be needing the help of computers to win over the hearts of the audiences, the power of the classical and perhaps even retro shouldn't be underestimated either!
Since our plucky team of Internet-browsing experts has been scouring the World Wide Web for information about music for over
3 and a half long and arduous hours now, we can say with a certain degree of confidence that your safest bet to attain global recognition and promote yourself into a Bono-like charity event-frequentin' world hunger-battlin' megastar, is to get
a baritone horn! (If everything mentioned above fails, however, you'll at least have a posh-looking brass instrument by your side, which surely is a positive thing.) In this section, we'll talk about a couple of factors to take into consideration when buying one of these exquisite instruments. Buying a brass instrument, after all, is a much different process than buying
a string instrument, regardless of how great your
violin is!
The first thing you may want to look out for when buying one of these instruments would be the kind of material it's been made of. This simple parameter is of crucial importance as it will dictate its acoustics and the quality of the projection, which ultimately can affect the kind of music you can play with it, and maybe even your position in the band. Typically, when materials are in question, most manufacturers opt for just
brass, as it has been tested over and over again with satisfying results for many accomplished musicians.
Of course, since the category of a 'brass instrument' pretty much only relates to the way in which it produces sound, not every model belonging in this group is necessarily actually made of brass, as there can be found some exceptions that are made of wood, like serpent. For the majority of other instruments of this family, however, it’s true that brass is the material of choice, and in an effort to expand on this basis, some manufactures have been enriching the bare brass basis with some other materials, such as stainless steel or silver. The resulting combinations usually have a somewhat fuller and richer sound, but also tend to be more expensive due to the addition of those pricey metals.
If you're a rookie who'd like to learn the ropes of playing a
wind instrument, getting a simple baritone horn model with a few extra accessories may be a good starting point. Granted, there aren't that many items which can help you play the instrument better, but on the whole, it's surely better having those few around than not, because they can instill the sense of professionalism to your whole performance (no matter how poor at first). For example, it's never been a secret that
the acquirement of (h)white gloves is the most important thing about operating an instrument!
More often than not, poor beginners can't really express themselves and suffer greatly due to a chronic lack of this crucial garment, and, lest they start thinking less of themselves in the artistic community, they resort to buying their gloves themselves. To battle this inconvenience, some manufacturers have expanded their offers to include a pair of gloves as well as a polishing cloth so that you may play your instrument and keep it as clean as a whistle at a highly posh and genteel level!
Price
When it comes to determining the price of a baritone horn, your best bet would be to look at the material of choice (that is, whether the obligatory brass comes with some sort of enhancement in the shape of other materials). Also, looking at the price itself may do the trick, in all fairness. Rare and expensive metals such as Monel and silver may add substantially to the price as they’re known to enhance the overall acoustics of the instrument, plus they look good. Other than that, additional features such as gloves and polishing cloths may also contribute to the end bill, so if you're trying to save money, we’d advise you to steer clear from these all-inclusive kinds of deals. Lastly and possibly most obviously, the presence of a warranty always equals a higher price, but as we very clever folks at TopProducts like to say: go for the warranty because if something breaks it's better to have a warranty than not to have a warranty.
Features
A product's features can speak volumes about its worth, and we at TopProducts would like to challenge you to answer this simple question: what other product in the world comes with
a pair of genteel, snow white gloves that’ll turn heads and wreck homes? That's right - none! The baritone horn is without a doubt the most valuable possession money can buy, and the following features are what make it even more brilliant:
- The Size of the Body
- The Size of the Bell
- Material of Choice for the Pistons
- Material of Choice for the Mouthpiece
- Polishing Cloth
- The Weight of the Instrument
- Adjustable Valve
- Accessories such as Gloves and Tuners
- Warranty
All in all, a rookie may benefit from a baritone horn of a simple design with plenty of accessories, as these may help you learn the basics of playing on it sooner!
Construction and Design
Construction-wise, baritone horns can appear a bit intimidating, especially if you try to build one on your own. Luckily for many amateur instrument-builders about to have their dreams crushed to smithereens, you can just buy one and then proceed to make a bunch of tree houses or something. Baritone horns are traditionally made from brass, but some companies like to spice that up by adding some more prestigious metals into the mix, with the goal of improving the sound qualities and also the aesthetics of the end product. Other than that, these instruments are pretty much shape-dependant, so don't expect much variation in their design. If you'd like a particularly good-looking model, try to find one with plenty of fancy metals and possibly a silver coating!
Performance and Ease of Use
Once you've got a hold of your very own baritone horn, the sky’s the limit (or your neighbors calling the police). Whether you're a rookie or an experienced player, playing this instrument is a pretty straightforward matter, and regardless of what kind of model you've bought, expensive or not, it's going to take a lot of practice to truly master it! As for the maintenance, you just need to clean it after use, especially the mouthpiece, and you're good to go. Also, if you have a model with additional features such as gloves or polishing cloths, you may need to wash those up every once in awhile as well. Hopefully, this short buying guide has helped you find the best model for you. Good luck with your purchase!