Apollo Trumpet in gold lacquer, complete with case and accessories

This looks and feels like a well made instrument, perfect for the beginner. The best part is that it comes with a case that will be easy for the student to carry around with them with all the different handles and strapping options you can configure to the semi rigid case. For the younger student that can make all the difference in the world. I remember when I first took trumpet lessons, I had the old hard plastic cases that were bulky and heavy. I gave up the trumpet because I hated carrying that thing around!This instrument comes with everything you will need to get started and at this price point, it actually makes more sense to buy it then to rent an instrument for the school year. Overall, I'm very happy with the quality of the instrument and the accessories that it comes with.

Just a few short years ago, I wouldn't have thought it was possible to make a decent trumpet for under $200. Today we are incredibly lucky, as there are so many valid options in the under $200 range. I've even seen ABS plastic trumpets in the $100 range that are completely valid. None of these are going to come even close to a Yamaha, Kaizer, or Getzen, but there are several options in these lower price ranges that are perfectly valid practice horns, student horns, or even concert horns.The most important question for any horn is, how does it sound? Is it brighter and brassy, or does it sound dull and flat. This one surprised me, it's really not bad. Don't have inflated expectations, it doesn't hold a candle to my Bach Stradivarius. However, I would say the sound quality is a 6 or 6.5 out of 10, which is impressive for this price point, and a beginner or K-12 student won't notice the difference.The next question is, Is it a good value? The current bestseller in the trumpet category is $150, and I see some brass horns for even less. So is this horn a good value at $191 (the current asking price)? In my opinion, yes, it does have enough amenities to make it a good value for the asking price:-The leadpipe is an upgraded material - rose brass, which helps with sound quality and durability. This isn't going to make a huge difference for most people, but it is a nice touch, and makes the horn more aesthetically pleasing as well.-The spit valves have stops, to prevent touching/scratching the finish of the instrument. This is a nice, thoughtful touch that you won't see on most generic instruments.-The third valve has a slide stopper screw, to prevent it from coming off unless you unscrew it. This is also something you don't see in most generic horns. And, the stopper screw is positioned so it will never scratch the finish.The slides all work fine, and the valves move freely. I have seen some generic brands where even out of the box, the valves never work right.The bore size is on the larger side (0.46"), meaning the horn is capable of some power. Most name brand trumpet bore sizes range from 0.459" to 0.468". The larger the bore size, the more air you can push through it, so more sound. It's not a "blast you out of your seat" horn, but it's a surprisingly thoughtful and versatile design for a generic brand, making it a good choice for a concert horn or marching band.The bell size is on the large side as well (4 7/8"). The average bell size for trumpets is 4 1/2", though this varies by brand.Materials are just as important as size and dimensions. The nicest horns are silver (like my Bach Stradivarius), and the next nicest material is rose brass. This is yellow brass, which puts this horn in the average category. But in this price range, I have seen cheap generic instruments from china have a painted finish on top of cheap stainless steel, which is simply rubbish and unacceptable. So while this is a basic horn, it is solid, with no fake parts. I cannot be certain that it's 100% brass, but I have examined every tube and pipe with a flashlight and camera, and everything I see is real brass.I did, however, find a few cheap parts and cut corners. Any trumpet in this price range is going to have some cut corners. That's not an insult - if you want a horn that doesn't have any cut corners, get a $900 entry level Yamaha.The finger hooks, the spit valves, and the bottom valve caps are all made from cheaper materials. And the biggest cut corner are the valves themselves, you can tell they weren't machined very well.I also found a couple quality control issues. They forgot to lubricate the second valve slide. Also, the corkpad on the spit valve on the third valve slide wasn't installed properly. It works fine, but it's off center,I suspect I'll have to replace it at some point.My other complaint is that it doesn't come with many extras. They include valve grease, valve oil, and a large fairly luxurious cleaning cloth. However, in my opinion, they should have included a cleaning snake and/or spitball, gloves, a case tag, and a mute.The bag is nice, it's durable and looks sharp, but I do have some issues with it. There is no room in here for a mute, which is a big problem for me personally - I generally tote around 2 mutes. Even grade school concerts call for a mute sometimes, and they're a pain to carry separately, as they can get crushed easily. There is no room in this case for a folding music stand. And there is only one slot for a mouthpiece - whereas I generally carry around at least 2 mouthpieces, usually 3. All of this reiterates the fact that this was made as a practice horn or student horn.Overall, though, I'm still pretty impressed with it. If you are thinking of a starter horn for your child, this will last for years. And, they will fit right in - they will not be embarrassed by this. Even up close it looks pretty much like a Yamaha.Most beginners or student players could probably save a few dollars and get an all yellow brass horn without the rose brass leadpipe, such as the Mendini for $150. I suspect only college players and above would really notice the difference.Final note - this horn comes with a 7C silver plated mouthpiece.

I am homeschooling my kids and want to provide a variety of instruments for them to pick to learn on. This is beautiful and light weight. However, I personally found it difficult to get enough air to make this work well. But I am not familiar with trumpets so I'll accept all the blame. But because it is difficult for me, it will probably be awhile before they are big enough to be able to blow it and make a decent sound. It seems easy to use otherwise, and everything seems to press and slide well. I'm happy with it and I think it will make a great addition to our musical instrument collection. It seems like it's a nice quality for a student instrument. And the case is very nice and useful.

I’m not a “professional”, so I want to have someone who is check this out. Here’s what he had to say. . .. .It has a good sound in the lower to mid-range. It is stuffy and the air flow is very restricted in the upper range. One student even said it sounded like the student playing it had socks in his horn. I recommend the instrument be for beginning players only.This trumpet is Made in China. If you have someone who thinks they might be interested in joining the band. . . This is an option that is not going to break-the-bank so you can find out if they are going to be a long-term player, or not.

When I first removed the Trumpet from its well made, padded and zippered case, I removed the soft cloth sleeve to reveal a shiny and gleaming instrument. It appeared almost silver in color tone, yet as the air continued to surround it, that color turned to the gold lacquer tone that is described in the description. While I am no authority on Trumpets, I am impressed with the quality that went into the craftsmanship. As a beginner, this Trumpet is well suited to newbie’s and their quest in learning to play. My teacher was also impressed by the craftsmanship and quality and commented that it could be mistaken for a more expensive and advanced instrument. It will take a while for me to feel comfortable playing notes all the while minding finger placement and exercising my lungs for good wind power. Recommend