From time to time new innovations crop up which, according to their inventers/designers, will revolutionize all trumpet playing. In a few cases, we are benefited by these improvements but in most cases the new ideas fall way short from their advertised benefits. Case in point is the continuing push for plastic trumpets.
I have been performing on one such innovation for several years. When the PBone first came out, my wife surprised me with one for Christmas. After many Dixieland jobs and constant work to improve the less than adequate slide, I finally became satisfied with the “pretend plastic trombone”. No real trombone player has ever considered the PBone as an adequate replacement for a brass trombone but it does have situations where it works. This is also true for the plastic trumpet.
I have played on several of these plastic wonders and have found a huge difference in both design and manufacturing quality. The widest gap came today when I tried the plastic Allora trumpet and trombone today in a local store.
As I mentioned before, I have tried the PTrumpet and came to the same conclusions that Alison Balsom came to as reported in this video….
I totally agree with her review of the instrument and under the right conditions and for a specific purpose, the plastic imitation of a real trumpet could have value.
But today I had my hands on a ATR- 1301 Are Series Plastic Trumpet for the first time and needed to share my views of this instrument.
I found the ATR- 1301 Are Series Plastic Trumpet to be the sorriest excuse for anything resembling a musical instrument. Even before I “tried” to play a note I knew I was going to be very disappointed and I was. The first sound which came out of the bell resembled a small dog choking on a large number of cotton balls. Trying to center any pitch on this piece of junk was impossible. The only way I can describe the feel I endured while trying to play on this hideous instrument of torture would be if you had all of the water keys open and still tried to play.
I think you understand my lack of appreciation for this piece of junk. It wouldn’t even make a good boat anchor.
So if you are interested in trying a plastic trumpet in the future, save some time and check out the PTrumpet first and save yourself some time and money.
I tried the Allora plastic trombone today and found it also to be a piece of junk. Don’t waste your money.
PBone works and PTrumpet works.
