Looking for a way to jumpstart your child into playing the trumpet? Then why not consider getting them a plastic trumpet. These instruments come with all the required features of their brass counterparts and allow young players to practice effortlessly. Not to mention that there is a plethora of fetching colors to choose from. Also, not to be fooled by the plastic construction, the best plastic trumpets are engineered of sturdy plastic paired with some metal parts. They offer impressive sound quality on par with traditional trumpets and are easier to carry for younger players.
The same level of craftsmanship goes into producing good quality plastic trumpets as their traditional versions and that is why we have highlighted all the important features like bore size, length and weight, along with warranty information for you to look at so you can understand your instrument better. Getting these specs right will help you choose an instrument capable of handling the wear and tear suffered at younger hands while still yielding a stellar performance.
We researched several plastic trumpets to put this guide together for you. Our team tried their hands on trumpets of different sizes and weights and came up with a list of the five best products in this category. The trumpets we liked the best are given here in a tabular comparison with their specs and details compiled in individual product reviews. Read on to go through our buying guide so you can find the instrument of your choice and enjoy playing it for years to come.
The mouthpiece is really important as it determines the sound quality of your instrument. Mouthpieces are available in different shapes and sizes catering to different playing styles. An entry-level mouthpiece will suffice for starting out with trumpeting, with shallower cups yielding brighter and more piercing sounds and a deeper cup producing a warmer and mellower sound.
Thanks so much for this article! I ended up ordering a Tromba TRP and added a metal mouthpiece. I can<t wait for it to arrive next week! I am excited at returning to trying to play the trumpet !
FYI, I’ve purchased, played and performed on most plastic trumpets starting with the doomed Tiger trumpet years ago that I picked up directed from Warburton at his shop. The only exception is the pTrumpet. I’ve been playing or over 40 years now, still performing *exclusively* on plastic horns — jazz, funk, R&B, latin, etc — as both soloist and lead player. Okay. Enough of my credentials
I agree with most of the conclusions the conclusions here.
Let me add a few of my own opinions here, as I think many people considering a plastic horn will, like me, find this post, and will want to know as much about these horns as they can before purchasing one.
1. The *original* Tromba, which is the same horn as the first generation Allora ATR-1301 (not the newer 1302) is IMHO the best sounding horn of them all. The problem is that it has the most mechanical issues over all these horns. I’ve owned probably 10 of these horns over the years, both Tromba and the Allora brands, and have found them to be rather delicate. They are the most work to *break in* the valves. These horns are notorious for having the valves stick and valve caps and spit valves break. You can usually find a few in this condition for sale on eBay for ‘parts only’. I’ve managed to break valve stems when my horn fell over on its side at a gig. I’ve had a brand new Allora literally break apart on me at the bow while inserting a mute because the braces weren’t glued sufficiently. The finish on the metallic versions will flake off, leaving a rather ugly plastic base color underneath. I’ve learned how to repair these horns myself, using an 2nd horn as a donor instrument for parts. Unfortunately, getting spare parts is either prohibitively expensive or impossible. These horns now reside in my plastic trumpet graveyard.
2. I am confident that the Coolwind and Kaiser brands are the *identical* trumpet, sold under different brand names. And, also I’m pretty sure the newer Allora model, the ATR-1302 is also the same horn sold under the Allora brand. These horns play well, with much better valves than the original Tromba/Allora horns, with valve caps that screw on rather than snap on. However, the shortcoming of these horns is that the designers made a single-valve design (same valve works in all 3 casings). They did this by moving the 3rd valve slide to the same side of the horn as the 1st valve slide, which the opposite of a traditional trumpet with the 3rd valve slide on the left side of the player. Consequently, there is no 3rd valve slide to get those squirrely D’s and C#’s in tune. However, I think this horn as the most consistent sound, albeit a bit more compact, than the Tromba/Allora trumpets.
3. There are some new brands/mfgs in the market which I’m am now trying out. PAMPET, which appears to sell a Chinese mfg’ed, white-label trumpet on Amazon is an interesting horn (at only $80!) with pretty good mechanicals, and the very nice addition of both 1st and 3rd valve slides. I can’t identify the mfg. of this horn, which is one reason I think it’s a white-label Chinese horn marketed by this company. The second very telling reason is that they literally slap a white (silver) label with the PAMPET brand name on the horn. If that’s not a sign of ‘quality’ then I don’t know what is. SMH. The horn works pretty well, except it has a very odd shaped bell flare — a much more subtle, longer flare, which doesn’t work well with some of my harmon mutes. It also gives this horn a more diffuse sound, like how the gently continuous flare of a flugelhorn give is that much more mellow tone. That’s actually a benefit or much of my jazz playing. However, it’s not good for projecting high notes, as in leading a horn section or playing lead in a big band. I really have to change up my mouthpiece to get my sound projecting on this horn. Also, like the Coolwind/Allora above, these horns play *sharp* to my ears, requiring you to really pull out the tuning slide. That’s fine if you’re plaing the horn as-is, but a real pain if you’re playing with a mute that’s making the horn sharp to begin with.
4. There’s another plastic trumpet, the PLAYTECH PTTR100 horn that I recently saw for sale on eBay. It’s EXPENSIVE, being sold and possibly mfg’ed in JAPAN. Knowing the quality of Japanese mfg’ing, I’d love to get my hands on one of these horns. But, at nearly $300 (eBay) to buy one, It looks promising, with probably the nicest looking, highest quality metallic gold and silver finished plastic horns out there. But I’ll wait to purchase one until they setup domestic sales and distribution to get that price closer to $200. Also, I despise the ugly obnoxious logo printed on the horn’s bell. Common man! I’m hesitant to take a horn out with a giant PLAYTECH showing. If anyone from playtech.jp finds this post, remove that hideous logo!
Now, would I recommend a plastic trumpet for someone just starting out? No. I think it’s crucial to start on a real brass trumpet, some of which are actually less expensive than this horns (ii.e. Mendini) that will give a beginner a fighting chance to find a sound and blend in with his/her school band section. A plastic horn will make the beginner’s task more difficult than even a cheap trumpet.
IMHO.
Thank you for sharing your extensive experience and insights on plastic trumpets. It’s great to hear from someone who has played and performed on various brands and models. Your detailed analysis of each horn is very helpful for those considering a plastic trumpet.
It’s unfortunate to hear about the mechanical issues you’ve encountered with the original Tromba/Allora horns. It seems like they have some durability and quality control issues that can be frustrating for players. However, it’s good to know that the Coolwind, Kaiser, and newer Allora models have improved valves and better overall performance.
Your mention of the PAMPET trumpet is interesting, especially at its affordable price point. The unique bell flare and its impact on sound projection is definitely something to consider for different playing styles. The fact that it plays sharp and requires adjustments with the tuning slide can be a bit inconvenient, especially when using mutes.
The PLAYTECH PTTR100 horn from Japan sounds intriguing, but the high price and the presence of a large logo on the bell might be deterrents for some players. Hopefully, they will consider making some changes to the design and pricing to make it more accessible.
Your recommendation against starting on a plastic trumpet for beginners is understandable. Having a real brass trumpet can provide a better foundation for learning and blending in with school bands. It’s important to consider the sound and playing experience that a beginner needs to develop their skills.
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts and opinions on plastic trumpets. Your insights will definitely be valuable to those researching and considering these instruments.
HEAR, HEAR!
I can vouch for Tromba plastic trumpets satisfying professional players! My orchestral key-of-C trumpet is a plastic Tromba Pro Ultralight (not sure which letter-code), with a metallic-gold finish that looks exactly like lacquered brass, even up-close. Nobody has ever questioned whether it was a “real” horn. My sound fits right in next to players on Yamaha and Bach instruments, and the lighter weight is SO MUCH easier on my aging wrists and shoulders!! (Hmm… one of these days I should get around to buying a Tromba Bb trumpet as well…)
That said, ALL plastic trumpets NEED brass mouthpieces to sound their best!!
In my experience of playing and listening to others play multiple brands of plastic trumpets and plastic trombones, EVERY SINGLE PLASTIC HORN sounded noticeably better with ANY silver-plated brass mouthpiece that we tried, versus the OEM plastic or acrylic mouthpieces that came with the plastic horns.
For trumpets, we used Bach 3C, 5C, 7C, 10-1/2C mouthpiece sizes, for trombones we used Bach 6-1/2A, 7, 15. Our conclusion: on plastic horns, mouthpiece material matters much more than mouthpiece size.
FWIW, we know many players with metal horns who will use plastic (incl. acrylic or nylon) mouthpieces when playing in adverse-weather conditions — TubaChristmas, marching, pep band, Taps at winter funerals, etc. — but we don’t know anyone who uses their plastic mouthpiece full-time, because of the tone-quality tradeoffs.