Buying a trumpet as a gift is not as easy as it sounds. Before you run to your local music store and whip out your credit card, consider certain details: Is your intended recipient a beginning music student or a professional, experienced musician? How do you plan on choosing the instrument manufacturer and model? Do you know what trumpet gear is necessity as opposed to luxury?
As with any major purchase, you should research to create an optimal gift-giving scenario and avoid any nasty surprises. The trumpet is a very popular instrument, so to make the buying process easier on yourself, whittle down your prospects before ordering or purchasing.
== Musical Instrument Purchases ==
Many professionals can become quite loyal to certain manufacturers. Purchasing a musical instrument for an experienced musician is similar to buying clothes or a car: Usually, the prospective owner must try it out personally and see if it feels and/or sounds comfortable.
If you want to follow this "test drive" concept, yet you don't want to lose the surprise aspect of gift giving, tell your intended recipient your intentions when you would normally give the gift. Then the two of you can schedule a time to visit a reputable instrument dealer, and you can buy whatever model s/he picks out. If you're worried about spending too much, set a specific, yet reasonable price limit. Do you homework ahead of time by searching the Internet or your local musical instrument shop for trumpet prices.
Also, this purchase deserves a major event, such as a birthday, or a traditional gift-giving occasion like a graduation, wedding, or holiday gathering. Therefore, you should plan ahead: If you've decided to do without a "test drive," give yourself enough time to research, buy, and wrap/package the trumpet so your recipient will get it on time and in pristine condition.
TIP 1: Consider yourself lucky that the instrument of choice is a trumpet. Yes, it can be loud and obnoxiously grating when the beginning trumpet student starts practicing, but financially, you're on the low end of the spectrum. Other instruments with more brass tubing (French horn, trombone, tuba) or lots of keys, pads, and other small parts (flute, saxophone, clarinet) can cost much more than a trumpet.
== Buying For A Child ==
Make sure the prospective student (or parent) has definitely chosen an instrument to learn, since there's no use buying a trumpet if s/he is indecisive and suddenly wants an oboe or xylophone, instead. Even if the child has already chosen and is excited about the proposition of playing a trumpet, inspiration can still be short-lived.
If you're not sure how long the beginner's interest in music will last, decide how much you are willing to pay for what may be a short-term investment. Make sure the child is old enough to be in school band class, and see if private lessons are in the plans, as well. Both of these will help increase the child's interest and musical longevity. (If you're buying for an adult, s/he he will most likely already have some experience from earlier in life, and simply want to get back into playing.)
Getting an inexpensive beginner model may be the more prudent option, and these include Yamaha, Conn, Getzen, Holton, Blessing, King, Olds, and others. Most major student brands come with documentation on care and maintenance, plus a mouthpiece, a case, and perhaps a bottle of valve oil. Don't assume, though - to be sure you know what is included, check with the sales person before purchasing.
TIP 2: Consider your priorities when researching student model trumpets: Like most goods and services, you get what you pay for. If you try to save money by ordering a $100 trumpet that comes from, say, a no-name manufacturer in K-Mart, you might get a piece of metal that resembles a trumpet, but has awful tone, sticky valves, and falls apart after a few months. In short, you should be willing to pay a moderate amount (approximately $400 to $1200) to increase the chances of the beginner enjoying his/her lessons and practice time.
== Buying A Used Trumpet ==
Buying a used trumpet is risky and demands meticulous attention. It may look fine on the outside, but might have internal problems you can't see: Corrosion usually occurs after much neglect, or perhaps the valves need re-aligning, or maybe the tubing just needs a good cleaning. At the very least, ask the seller for previous owner history, and find out if the trumpet has ever been overhauled or repaired at a reputable musical instrument shop.
Not sure where to find a used trumpet? If you can't readily get a recommendation from an actual trumpet player, ask people you trust, either online or face-to-face. You never know who knows a musician.
TIP 3: Some great deals can be found on eBay, but you need to know exactly what is being offered. Consider asking these seller-based questions: How many musical instruments have they successfully sold and shipped? Is their feedback rating above 95% (or whatever percentage makes you comfortable)? What is their return policy? Why are they selling? Are the pictures clear? Is the trumpet clean inside and out? Do all the valves, slides, and triggers work?
TIP 4: Craigslist is another possible way to shop and buy, but without the ratings and safety features of eBay. Be very careful if you go this route. If you're not comfortable with a seller's information or security, keep looking until you are.
== Buying Used: Shipping ==
Online shopping is convenient if you have enough information, but shipping can potentially cause great damage. Who knows what condition it will be in when it arrives at your door? Trumpets may seem strong, but a couple of dents in the wrong place can mess up the delicate alignment of parts, so ask the seller for shipping safety contingencies, like insurance and a return policy.
== Buying A New Trumpet ==
Most nationwide musical instrument retailers sell a great variety of instruments for students and professionals, and Woodwind and Brasswind (http://www.wwbw.com/Trumpets-Brass-Instruments.wwbw is an excellent starting point when researching new trumpets. Also read online forum comments from trumpet teachers and performers.
An overwhelming majority of trumpets are manufactured in the key of B-flat, so this is the key you will be shopping for, unless otherwise instructed. Top trumpet models include Bach, Conn, Stomvi, Kanstul, Yamaha, Schilke, and Getzen, among others.
Prices vary, depending on the manufacturer. For a brand new trumpet right off the factory line, you can expect to pay roughly $900 to $1400 for an intermediate model, and $1500 to $3700 for a professional model.
TIP 5: High-end manufacturers commonly do not include a mouthpiece or case, allowing the professional player to choose his/her own accouterments. More universal manufacturers (i.e. Yamaha, Bach, Conn) will most likely include a middle-of-the-road mouthpiece (Bach 7C, for example) that will comfortably fit most trumpeters' lips.
TIP 6: If your intended recipient has played previously and you are willing to divulge the gift surprise before actually purchasing, ask if s/he has a favorite brand. If so, it will cut a lot of time from the decision-making process.
TIP 7: If your recipient is new to music, or is getting back into it after many years and has no accessories, consider getting a straight mute. Mutes change a trumpet's sound slightly, and the extremely popular straight mute is sometimes called for in beginner level music.
== Possible Extras ==
Do you have a little leftover cash in your gift budget and want to go that extra mile? Consider buying one or two of the following items:
- Other mutes (cup, Harmon, plunger)
- Slide grease (or Vaseline)
- Extra mouthpiece
- Polishing kit
- Instrument stand
- Music stand
- Tuner/Metronome
- Songbook (ideally featuring traditional trumpet solos)
Most, if not all of the above items (listed in approximate order of importance) will be necessary during your recipient's musical career, so adding to his/her arsenal will likely garner you more appreciation, since it will be less hassle and expense for the player.
== Summary ==
Whether your gift recipient is a novice or a professional, a child or an adult, you have much to consider when buying a trumpet. Finding out the level of interest, checking for brand loyalty, and figuring the best value for a new or used instrument will assist you in choosing a trumpet your recipient will enjoy playing for decades.