Buying a Used Instrument

Check the Valves:

Valves must fit tightly and move freely when clean and oiled.

• Make sure valves are clean and oiled and that felts and pads are in decent condition.  
• Check that valve motion is fast, smooth and consistent. If the valves are sticky even when freshly oiled, it is a big warning sign — the valve casing may have been deformed by an impact to the valve crook. This is almost impossible to repair without great expense. 
• Grasp each valve by its finger button and try, gently but firmly, to move it side-to-side within its casing.  There should be no side-to-side play.
• Remove each valve from its casing.  Examine each piston and the lining of each valve-casing for corrosion or wear.  There should be no thinning of plating, dents, or excessive scratches.
• Remove second valve crook, press the 2nd valve down all the way, and see that the holes line up.

Check for Holes and Dents:

• Holes in the metal are absolutely unacceptable.
• Dents in the leadpipe are absolutely unacceptable.  (Tiny dents may be okay).
• Dents in valve casings are rare but usually consequential
• Only tiny dents in valve slides are acceptable.
• No major dents in bell.

Check the Finish:

• What is the finish? (gold, silver, raw, lacquered, nickel…)  See above.
• Is it tarnished?  How badly?  Tarnish can be polished away, but some of the metal goes with it. Most instruments with a raw finish are tarnished. Don’t sweat it too much… you can leave it that way if you don’t mind the look.
• Are there any deep scratches? pits? chips?
• Is the plating or lacquer worn through, anywhere?

Check Overall Construction:

• Slides (first, second, third, and main tuning slide) must slide smoothly when greased.
• Braces should be solid, and firmly soldered on both ends.
• Water keys (“spit valves”) should be fully functional.
• Case should be in good shape.

Instrument should come with a mouthpiece and case.  Music lyre, valve oil and slide grease are optional, but easy to obtain.

In general, trumpets do not age well.  A newer instrument is, on the average, better made and in better shape than an equivalent old one, although an older, better-cared-for instrument is better than a newer, mistreated one.  Let your eyes and ears be the final judge.

Finally: Play it!

The proof of the trumpet is in the playing. Just as some of the “professional-line” makers often come up with a lemon, there is an occasional jewel among the lesser brands. You may also find a used instrument in great shape which plays better than a particular new instrument. The only way to be sure of the quality of an instrument is to put it to the test.  Start by playing every available trumpet, to get the feel for the differences.  Decide what you like and don’t like about each one.  Then, go to a trumpet store which has a good selection and play each one in a variety of ways… high & low, loud & soft, fast (technical) and melodic, tongued and legato.  Play the same thing on each, eliminating those  that are unacceptable and spending more time on the good ones.  Some trumpets will be better at certain types of playing than others.  A good trumpet will do all things well, with no glaring weaknesses.  

Also: the sound you hear as a player is different from the sound in front of the bell and farther away. Take a trumpet-player friend or teacher to assist you.  A good teach will be happy to help you in making this very important decision (after all, they have to listen to you every week!).