Trumpet and Brass Manufacturers

There are dozens of trumpet manufacturers, representing a full range of quality and price from those who produce primarily inexpensive student-line instruments, to the custom trumpet makers who make each instrument individually and by hand (and which cost up to 7 or 8 times as much). Some manufacturers make two or more models; one for younger students and the other(s) for professionals in various facets of performance. Several of them make not only trumpets (and cornets, and flugelhorns), but also other brass and even woodwind and keyboard instruments. Below is a short list of major brands.

It is very important that you consult your teacher or a professional musician before you purchase a new instrument. They can be expensive! and it is important to consider your skill level and what kind of playing you expect to do in selecting your instrument.

Alphabetical List of Trumpet Manufacturers

Vincent Bach Corp.

bachbrass.com

Bach “Stradivarius” trumpets have long been a standard to which other trumpets are compared, particularly those intended for classical and orchestral playing.

Benge

burbanktrumpets.com

Principal trumpet player in Detroit and Chicago in the 1920-30s, Elden Benge made excellent trumpets starting in the 1930s. His brand was picked up eventually by King, then Burbank Trumpets, which continued to make them until recently, and are looking to start back up soon. In the meantime, there are a lot of Benge instruments on the used market that are worthy of consideration.

Benge trumpets tend to be lightweight and responsive in the high register. They are particularly well appropriate for jazz and studio playing, and they made an excellent piccolo trumpet.

Conn-Selmer

conn-selmer.com

Conn-Selmer is the manufacturer of brass instruments in the world, having acquired many of the top US brands including Bach, Selmer, King, Holton, and of course, Conn. Their website is a good one-stop-shop for cornets, trumpets, flugelhorns, horns, trombones, tubas and sousaphones, euphoniums, mellophones and other marching instruments.

Depending on brand and model, their instruments range from good to excellent.