What are the best brands of trumpet for a student?

I have been shoping on ebay, and I have seen several brands, but the more I see, the more I think I need a little help. I am sure the Rendavaual would have been a steal at $75 or so, but that surly would not have been a horn for a 13 year old boy. I am seeing Olds, Conn, King Clevland, and Bach as the better instruments in my oppinion, but wonder which would be best? Also, it seems that the better horns all have peral valve caps?

If you have no idea of what is a good instrument, why would you go to some place like Ebay? If you don't know what to buy, why try to shop someplace that is so easy to rip you off? The best answer is to rent first, and then buy. What if your son doesn't want to play next year? Even if you got some no-name brand like Rendavaual for $75, you have to then try selling it because you aren't using it, and I doubt you'd get the $75 back for it.
And better horns has nothing to do with the valve caps. That is just where some people have a personal preference of metal or faux pearl under their fingers. There are plenty of pros that play on either, and it has nothing to do with the level of their horn.
Go to a local music store, and rent a trumpet. If your son likes it, most stores have a rent-to-own policy. They will carry quality instruments at reasonable prices. Do not buy ebay, do not buy period.

Remember, you get what you pay for. A new trumpet for 75 dollars is simply a BAD idea, even for a student. These instruments are made of poor quality pot metal that cannot be repaired once dented, usually have tons of mechanical problems, and buying such a poorly made instrument will only frustrate your sons ability to learn to play properly. Buying a quality used trumpet for 75 dollars would be a great idea, but your teenage son may not like the way it looks. Some of these old student model instruments were built really well and last a very long time, but if you don't know what to look for, that could be problem. I would enlist the help of a real trumpet enthusiast if you decide to go this route (pro player, collector, etc.). Most could quickly look over any Ebay/Craigslist postings and sift out the crap. Your easiest solution is your local music store, but be aware that they will charge a premium for the convenient service they offer. There are also numerous online retailers that would offer a quality instrument at a good price.

Dillonmusic.com, wwbw.com (woodwind and brasswind), musiciansfriend.com

My parents bought me a used Conn trumpet that was quite adequate for 6th through 8th grades. I loved that horn.

I started on a Bach TR-200, and my brother (who is an accomplished trumpeter) plays a Bach Stradivarius Pro. I still play my TR-200. If you can get one for around $150 on E-bay, go for it.

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I would stay away from brands that are not well known. A 75.00 horn will probably show a lot of wear in the pistons. All of the brands you have mentioned make decent student horns. Bach probably being the best. My student horn is a Bundy which was designed by Bach. Conn also makes good horns, the 23B is their student model. Just because the valve caps are pearl does not make it a better horn. I have a pro Conn and it has metal caps. I would also advise you to stay away from older horns like those from the 20s and 30s as they are typically very hard to tune.

When I first started playing the trumpet, I had a Conn student trumpet that served me well from 6th grade through high school. I now play with a Yamaha.

If your son is not serious about being a trumpet player, I would buy a cheap horn. You can buy a decent student horn for a couple of hundred dollars. If he seems to enjoy playing, I would take out the wallet and upgrade him. For musical instruments you get what you pay for. A good B flat trumpet is about $1000 (new). A good used horn should be about $500 to $800.

When I was in school you could also rent instruments. Check this out as well. You really don't want to pay big bucks until you know your son is going to practice without your encouragement.

As far as brands are concerned, I wouldn't worry about it. All the major brands make trumpets for different level of play. Again you get what you pay for.

Finally be careful about buying instruments on EBay. A friend of mine bought a trumpet, and it didn't have a first valve slide. He asked me if you could play a trumpet without the first valve slide. I told him it would be very difficult to play just the notes that you could make with the 2 and 3 valves :>)

i play clarinet and sax, but i like the sound on bachs better than the other ones. i know they have some pretty good student models