Yamaha horns are made of very low grade alloy that dents when you look at it wrong. King horns aren't usually soldered very well. Deg has cheap valve guides that wear out. They have to be in order to be cheap enough for those organizations to afford them. With the exception of the Yamaha Xeno trumpet, and possibly the Wilson-Deg tubas, every horn made for band and drum corps is made with student model level parts, material and assembly processes. It's silly because it sucks across the board. I think it's rather silly to be base one's opinion on this subject on quality of manufacturing and reliability. I've heard that their drums are pretty good though. Perfect, because that's about how long the horns will last. Maybe they outsell the other companies because they offer convenient two to three year financing. They just can't hold up to the rigors of competitve marching. I've heard 10 of the same model all with different sets of intonation problems. I've seen what a season or two can do to a Dynasty horn. I've seen new horns with parts missing that broke off during shipping. One company outsells all the others combined. So it's student model brass for our drum corps players. Twenty of them played by the Bluecoats would be heavenly, but that's not terribly realistic. It's also worth several thousand dollars, if you can find one. It plays like a dream and can blend well in legit, latin and jazz styles. My trumpet is a 1952 Martin Committee (not the current knock-off). If there's a problem, can you get a timely response on tour? Ask around. Not all these companies have sterling records here. One factor no one has mentioned is customer service. Likewise, BD's equipment suits their particular approach quite well.
![1952 olds ambassador cornet 1952 olds ambassador cornet](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vAQXXcfzy3Q/mqdefault.jpg)
You won't hear PR's lead sops (tpts) entering the stratosphere very often, but the horns they play are well suited for the register which they do inhabit. Others are outstanding in certain registers but inconsistent elsewhere in their compass.
![1952 olds ambassador cornet 1952 olds ambassador cornet](https://i0.wp.com/trevorjonesltd.co.uk/shop/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Olds-NL5M-Cornet.jpg)
Some horns are built to last but may not have the best overall tone quality.
#1952 olds ambassador cornet series#
But the reality is that drum corps play on student model instruments, and on balance these are quite similar, though each makes a different series of compromises. One could find a reason to recommend each of the manufacturers mentioned here, be it durability, price, ease of playing, intonation, cosmetic beauty or any number of factors. As someone who has been playing the bugle for almost 50 years, and the trumpet for 40, I am fascinated by the degree of expertise that current high school band players seem to possess.įull disclosure: I am a clinician for Dynasty, and have been for several years.