Best Trumpet Reviews 2023

Choosing a trumpet that is just right for you is important. As with other instruments, you need many hours of practice to achieve proficiency as a trumpet player. If you do not have a trumpet that is right for you, the practice time will be difficult and frustrating, making it impossible for you to attain the level of expertise you desire. There are many factors that affect your choice of a trumpet, so choosing can become confusing. To help you avoid this confusion, we've done extensive research and have successfully identified five top brands that offer top quality trumpets. From these, we have chosen five trumpets for review. Note that these brands also have other models you may find appealing. Feel free to look through them too.
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Overview
PROS
CONS
SPECS
Playing Level
Material
Key
Bore Size
Design
Our Top Choice
Allora Black Nickel Pocket Trumpet
Allora is known for numerous high-quality products, including horns and brass instruments. Its products offer quality and full satisfaction.
It has a deep rich sound, is very portable, and is classy-looking with its lovely black nickel finish.
Not ideal for full scale professional performance.
Beginner
Yellow brass
Bb
0.459 inches
Black nickel, brass highlights
Best Value
Jean Paul USA Student Trumpet
Jean Paul USA offers band instruments for beginning and intermediate musicians. Each product goes through intense quality checks to ensure its customers have positive user experiences.
It has a rich sound and projection, looks great with its shiny brass finish, and comes with a mouthpiece and backpack trumpet case.
There have been complaints of the valves sticking.
Student
Yellow brass
Bb
Info not provided
Gold lacquer finish
Yamaha Standard Silver Trumpet
“Sharing Passion and Performance” is Yamaha's corporate slogan. With its expertise and experience, it continues to create great products that excite and inspire the world.
It has a consistent vibrant tone and nice valve action. It's well built and attractively finished in silver.
It may develop some black tarnishes, but that's easily cleaned.
Student
Yellow brass
Bb
0.459 inches
Silver
LJ Hutchen Bb Trumpet
LJ Hutchen's products let students play without the frustration of having to play poorly built instruments.
It has a full clear tone and nice valve action. It's sturdily built with quality materials, is beautifully finished in clear lacquer, and is perfect for beginner to intermediate players.
No problems have been reported.
Student
Yellow brass
Bb
Info not provided
Clear lacquer finish
Mendini by Cecilio Classic Bb Trumpet
Cecilio is committed to offering quality musical instruments that have value and inspire musical talent.
It has a great sound quality, and is beautifully finished in gold lacquer. It also comes with a nylon-covered hard shell case and backpack straps.
There have been reports of occasional valve sticking.
Student
Phosphorus copper leadpipe
Bb
0.46 inches
Gold lacquer

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Watch Our Trumpet Review

What is the Best Trumpet?

Have you been able to determine what kind of trumpet you need? We have shown you different factors that should inform your choice of a trumpet. From these, you can pick out what is important to you. Doing this will help you easily find the right trumpet from our reviews. Now let us take a look at our selections from five top brands.
Our Top Choice
The Allora Black Nickel Pocket Trumpet is the ideal traveler's trumpet. It combines quality construction, portability and playability to achieve the dynamic range of a standard trumpet. If you would rather go for a more classic silver trumpet, then choose the Allora AATR-125 Series Classic Bb Trumpet.

Allora Black Nickel Series Pocket Trumpet


Features
Allora makes excellent horns and brass instruments. The quality of its products is a confirmation of the desire and commitment of the brand to creating instruments that offer quality and satisfaction.

The Allora Black Nickel Pocket Trumpet ($379.99 - Manufacturer's Recommended Selling Price) is a compact, Bb trumpet ideal for young players, beginners and even professionals on the go. This instrument combines a great sound, a classy look and a compact build. It comes with a top-quality carrying case, which makes it even easier to carry anywhere. Its full features include:
  • Standard yellow brass lead pipe
  • Bell diameter - about 3.66 inches
  • Stainless steel valves
  • 1st valve slide design
  • Fixed third valve slide
  • Lightweight nylon case
  • Finished in black nickel with brass highlights
Best Value
The Jean Paul USA Student Trumpet is an affordable trumpet for students. It has a bore that makes it easier to hit notes correctly. This trumpet will stand out for all the right reasons in a school band. If you prefer an intermediate trumpet, then go for the Jean Paul USA Intermediate Trumpet.

Jean Paul USA Classic Standard Student Trumpet – Available in 3 Styles


Features
Jean Paul USA designs and makes band instruments specifically for musicians of the beginning and intermediate levels. It takes its customers' satisfaction seriously, so all its products go through rigorous quality checks to ensure they meet high standards. With this focus, customers can be assured of positive user experiences.

The Jean Paul USA Student Trumpet ($179.95 - Manufacturer's Recommended Selling Price) is designed to give students an affordable way of learning to play the trumpet. With a bore that makes playing easier, students can easily hit their notes correctly. This is one trumpet that can stand out in a school band. Its features include:
  • Bb trumpet
  • A generous bore
  • Brass lead pipe
  • 1st valve slide thumb saddle
  • 3rd valve slide
  • Adjustable ring with slide stop
  • Yellow brass body
  • Gold lacquer finish
This trumpet comes with a carrying case, valve oil, gloves, cleaning cloth, and mouthpiece.
The Yamaha Standard Silver Trumpet is a two-piece bell, Bb trumpet. It has a balanced weight, an adjustable third valve trigger, and a water key on the third valve slide, which increases over-all playability. It has a vibrant tone. If you need a model with a reverse tuning slide but without the water key, get the Yamaha Xeno Series Bb Trumpet.

Yamaha Standard Silver Trumpet with Semi-Hard Case


Features
“Sharing Passion and Performance" is Yamaha's corporate slogan. By employing its extensive expertise and experience gained over years dedicated to making products that promote sound and music, Yamaha is continuously creating excitement and inspiration across cultures and peoples with its top-quality products.

The Yamaha Standard Silver Trumpet ($718.45 - Manufacturer's Recommended Selling Price) is a Bb trumpet with a redesigned two-piece bell. It's made with state-of-the-art production techniques. Its balanced weight combines with the adjustable third valve trigger and the water key on the third valve slide to increase overall playability, delivering a consistent, vibrant tone. This trumpet features:
  • Yellow brass body
  • Durable monel alloy pistons
  • Bell diameter - 4 7/8"
  • Gold brass leadpipe
  • 0.459 inch bore size
  • Plastic key buttons
  • Silver finish
  • TR-11B4 mouthpiece
The LJ Hutchen Bb Trumpet offers new musicians an easier playing time. The mouthpiece is designed for optimum performance, while the stainless steel valves and rose brass leadpipe ensure durability. If you prefer a trumpet that comes with a 5C mouthpiece, then the LJ Hutchen Mark II Bb Trumpet is your best bet.

LJ Hutchen Bb Trumpet with Plush-Lined Case


Features
LJ Hutchen was created by Paul Effman, a music educator and instrument repair technician with over 30 years of experience. He created the company to meet a need he had encountered over the years. He had discovered that as a result of increasing costs, many students were forced to play inferior instruments, as they could not afford well-made ones. Today, LJ Hutchen offers instruments that let students play without the frustration of having to play poorly built instruments. The company's instruments combine quality and affordability.

The LJ Hutchen Bb Trumpet ($249.99 - Manufacturer's Recommended Selling Price) is carefully crafted to offer young and new musicians an easier playing time. This product uses a mouthpiece cut and shaped for optimum performance, while the stainless steel valves and rose brass leadpipe ensure durability even with poor care. It removes the frustration associated with playing low-quality trumpets. Its features include the following:
  • Professional bell and bore size
  • Rose brass lead pipe
  • 7C sized mouthpiece
  • Braced tuning slide
  • Stainless steel valves
  • Clear lacquer finish
  • Resistant to poor maintenance
It includes a luxurious ABS impact-resistant trumpet case.
The Mendini by Cecilio Classic Bb Trumpet is perfect for student musicians. It has smooth action valves, and an adjustable throw ring on the 3rd valve slide that combines with other features to deliver efficient performance. If you would rather have a pocket trumpet, try the Mendini Brass Bb Pocket Trumpet.

Mendini by Cecilio Classic Bb Trumpet with 7C Mouthpiece – Available in 6 Colors


Features
Cecilio produces musical instruments that have value and inspire musical talent. If you are in the market for inexpensive instruments that will get you started on the path to musical greatness, you have an ally in Cecilio.

The Mendini by Cecilio Classic Bb Trumpet ($89.99 – Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) is the beginner or student musician's perfect instrument. It has smooth action valves and an adjustable throw ring on the 3rd valve slide that helps deliver efficient performance. Its full features include:
  • Five-inch bell
  • 0.46-inch bore
  • Phosphorus copper leadpipe
  • Faux mother of pearl inlayed buttons
  • 1st valve slide thumb saddle
  • Smooth action valves
  • Hard shell case with backpack straps
It also comes with a 7C mouth piece, a bottle of valve oil, a soft cleaning cloth and pair of white gloves.

How Do I Choose the Best Trumpet?

If you’re lucky enough to be a musical person, then firstly, we’re very jealous! There’s nothing cooler than being able to whip out your saxophone, acoustic guitar or even harmonica at parties and wow the crowd! But, these may not be your instruments of choice. Perhaps you’re more of a trumpet playing kinda guy. The journey to the kind of player you want to be begins with the kind of trumpet you choose. The more time you spend practicing on your instrument, the better you are likely to become. Therefore, you clearly need a trumpet that will inspire you to spend a lot of time practicing on it.

There are different types of trumpets with different features. The types of trumpets include Bb trumpets, C trumpets, bass trumpets, E trumpets, piccolo trumpets, pocket trumpets, slide trumpets, herald trumpets and Eb/D trumpets. The Bb, C, E and Eb/D trumpets describe the keys to which each trumpet is tuned. The bass trumpet plays on a lower octave, while the piccolo trumpet is suited for playing high notes. The pocket trumpet has a tightly wound tube, making it compact and very portable. The slide trumpet does not use the regular valves, but employs the use of slides like a trombone. The herald trumpet is designed to look like a ceremonial trumpet. It has elongated tubing that pushes the bell far out in front of the player.

Aside from the choice of the type of trumpet, other factors that should be considered when choosing a trumpet include: the bore size (determined by the player’s level of expertise), and the material from which the leadpipe or mouthpipe is made. You must also consider the material the valve piston is made of, because some require more frequent cleaning and lubrication than others. Look at the bell type and the type of finish used. Other important factors, like type of mouthpiece, can always be changed, as you can buy a different mouthpiece from what came with the trumpet.
Price
Pricing is a very critical aspect of any purchase, and it's no different in this case. Trumpets can cost thousands of dollars, depending on the kind you are going for. However, from our research, we discovered that if you know where to look, you can get a good trumpet for between $100 and $700.

The major things that will affect the price of a trumpet are the type of trumpet, quality of materials, and type of bell. The more expensive trumpets will have more features and be made with higher quality materials. However, we have taken time to select trumpets that, even at this range, will give you good value. We did not add cheap trumpets that we found to be totally lacking in any kind of quality. Decide on your budget, or simply pick the features you want and pay for them.
Features
There are some features you need to be aware of as you try to choose the trumpet that is right for you. These features include:
  • Type of trumpet
  • Bore size
  • Mouthpipe material
  • Valve piston material
  • Type of bell
  • Type of finishing
Construction and Design
The construction of a trumpet can affect its suitability for any given user. It is important to know the bore size. The choice of a bore size should depend on the player’s level of expertise. Most players use bores of between .458 inches to .460 inches. The larger the bore size, the more strength is required to play, making it more ideal for professional players. Young and beginner players should go for smaller bore sizes, as they are easier to sustain a tone on.

Another factor to look at is the bell. There are two kinds of bells, one-piece and two-piece. The one-piece bell is preferred by professionals, as it is said to vibrate more uniformly, improving the tone of the trumpet. Student trumpets usually have a two-piece bell, as this is less expensive.

One more thing that needs consideration is finishing. Many trumpets have a lacquer or silver plate finish. Silver plate finishes are usually preferred because they're lighter than lacquer and let the metal molecules vibrate more easily.
Performance and Ease of Use
For ease of use, a Bb trumpet will be the ideal choice, as a lot of music has been written for it. Smooth valve action is critical to playability. Valves made from different materials require different levels of care for continued smooth action. Nickel-plated valve pistons are preferred for student trumpets because they are hard, durable, and not seriously affected by infrequent cleaning. Valve pistons made from Monel require frequent cleaning and lubrication. They are, however, highly resistant to corrosion and are very durable. Valve pistons are also made from stainless steel.

Another thing to consider is the material from which the leadpipe, also called the mouthpipe, is made. It can be made of yellow brass, red brass or sterling silver. Yellow brass requires constant care, while red brass is less susceptible to corrosion. Red brass leadpipes are good for student trumpets.

Get the Best Trumpet of 2023!

We are glad we could provide you with this information. We hope it has helped you decide the kind of trumpet that will be best for you. Now it’s time to take that next step. Place your order now and begin the process of taking your playing to the next level.

Our Top Choice
Allora Black Nickel Pocket Trumpet
Best Value
Jean Paul USA Student Trumpet
Yamaha Standard Silver Trumpet
LJ Hutchen Bb Trumpet
Mendini by Cecilio Classic Bb Trumpet