$280 Fake Bach Stradivarius Trumpet 

I stared with a coronet in 6th grade and when I reached high school I wanted a trumpet, I answered an ad in the paper for a used one for $75. It was handed down from a kids grandpa who was a trumpet player in the Cleveland Symphony! It was a Conn with engraving inside the bell and outside going up the bell, finished in gold and silver! WHAT A FIND!

I guess you could call this a "Mach" Strad trumpet.

May I just mention that the rod is actually supposed to be for the valve casings. Not for the lead pipe.

The day the Chinese decide to make quality stuff, we're all out of business.

If you need someone to test it for a few years, I got u lol

I've been a pro trumpet player for 30 yrs, a pro repairman for 10 yrs. I recently had one of these in my shop for a routine chem clean. It looked like a Strad. However, I must honestly say it was constructed like crap. When I first saw what I saw, I thought maybe the horn had been dropped and damaged, but the owner said she had bought it new, and always babied it. There was not a single slide tubing perpendicular with the valve casing! The slides worked sufficiantly, somehow. But the horn looked like it had been put together by a drunk. There is only one Bach Strad, and it is NOT built in china......

My Daughter started learning at age 7 Trumpet beginners class in a band and she had the old trumpet out of the band room storage and old Earlham one day it literally fell in half! so I spent £50 on a chinese Trumpet on Ebay as i did not know if she would carry on learning. After 2 yrs aged 9 she got in the band and i got her a yamaha 4335GS she could hardly lift it...lol... but now age 17 she still plays it in bands and orchestra now she wants a Pro Trumpet (Stomvi) along the journey I also got her a 1965 Conn Director Cornet for xmas caroling cost £80 and also a York Trumpet made by Musica Steyer cost £80 and 60's conn Doc Severinsen 1000b Trumpet cost £90 all I would think better than this Bach BUT remember the chinese Trumpet for £50?..it still is going strong and plays well..although the lacquer is shot! my advice buy a good old one. BUT the kids today want a flashy looking one even if it is not a good quality. As said here "it looks the part"

Re: "Sexy" horn features The sleek, braceless lines of my reverse-construction Schilke-style (Yamaha-made) trumpets used to always draw attention! But when I use a gold-plated mouthpiece, nobody notices the horns. :(

I bet Bach doesn't agree with his recommendation to buy a fake for any reason....

I'd have to disagree with that reccomendation, For around that price on Ebay, Craigslist, or possibly a local music store, you could get a decent Olds Ambassador, Bach TR300, or for a little bit more, a Yamaha 2335. While these instruments wont be as flashy and might take a little bit of work to get perfect, it will overall be a better investment. First off it would play a hell of a lot better, and it would last you much longer if you choose to pursue the trumpet. Never buy cheap chinese brands, you're much better off paying the same or a little extra for a nice used horn.

1) Brass doesn't rust. Trumpets are made of brass. The tuning slide discoloration is normal because as with "real" trumpets the inner tubes of the slides including the tuning slide are raw brass with no "coatings" on them at all except for slide grease. Letting them discolor naturally is fine. Trying to polish the slides to pretty them up will remove brass metal and over time you'll end up with leaky slides. I know from experience as decades ago I used dish scouring steel wool pads to pretty them up, LOL. 2) Intonation problems like from the C to C, which I'd agree isn't a good thing, could probably be attributed to faulty valve alignment. 3) I agree with comments below about the "knock off" issue. It's too bad that China gets away with stealing designs, patents, and other intellectual property. I used to sell decorative figurines from SMC which were "exclusive" to their catalogue, but still saw out in the market other exact same figures only with different name plates on them, heh.

Trent... the “cleaning rod” is a valve casing cleaning rod... thread a cloth through the eye, wrap the cloth around the rod and insert it into the valve casings (with the pistons removed) and clean out debris and/or slick stuff inside the valve casing. Sometimes one needs more than just a prickly brush to clean out the valve casings. You do not insert the thing into the bell or into the mouthpipe. Just sayin’

that plastic rod was to put cheese cloth through to clean out the valves casings not put in the main pipe, i use a metal one that my instrument repair tech recommended

my friend in marching band has the same trumpet and I am in drum line but I play Trumpet too and I have a Bach TR-300 and I'm afraid to tell him that he's gotta fake Bach Trumpet because I think he'll be pissed and u know trumpeters with them egoes

"Nothing sixier than having gold trimming"

I play a chinese Bb tuba that performs very well and it even in my opinion performs better then 2 European made tubas that i have access to. The company that made my Tuba was Jinbao but sold by an american company called the Tuba Exchange, Mack Brass and Wessex tubas also sell the same instruments which i think perform very well.

Believe it or not, a strategically placed expansion in the bore can fix that problem with the octave between the 2nd and 4th partials. Figuring out where to put it is the hard part, but it can be done by a repairman the same way he might remove a dent.

You should try something from Wessex Tubas, they have cheap horns made in China, but have received a great reputation.

Omg yesterday someone in the band room found a Bach stratavario trumpet that belongs to the school and even people who own professional trumpets in the band says that it was the best trumpet they ever played on

I do like the finger buttons though :) The rod is meant to clean out the valve casings before reapplying oil btw.

I got a $100 trumpet from Amazon, and it's been pretty good. I wouldn't use it as a primary instrument, but if you're just messing around or using it a few times for something it's not the worst thing on the planet.

I owned a 1959 Bach Mt Vernon Strat. I played it in JH and HS. Sold it to a band director so it would played

Trent, thanks for posting this video. A couple of things, and so you know I'm not blowing smoke I own an original Bach Strad (1 of the last 3 he made by hand) and have played it for over 30 years! Before that I owned and played several different brands including Olds and King for an overall career of 45 or so years. As for "greasing" the VALVES, NEVER do that! Valve oil yes, grease no. All you will accomplish with the grease is to slow them down or, at the least, make them "mushy". However all trumpet players that have had any training at all grease their tuning slides so they don't corrode or get stuck in place and are much easier to slide when needed. As far as the octaves being a bit sharp on the upper end most of us, when there is no tuning slide for it, as in C to C, will just lip it up or down as needed so as to be in tune. All in all, for the $280 delivered I'd say you have a very nice intermediate instrument. As opposed to the real article for over 2 GRAND. I was going to replace or add to my Strad but the $2,600 price tag changed my mind! Maybe I'll just replace my ratty looking original wood case with real leather corner trim with a new one and be done with it. Your Chinese mouth piece is just tarnishing. Maybe there is more silver in it than there is in the BACH originals! As far as the "RUSTING" on your tuning slides??? They are brass, which doesn't rust! It's just the natural oxidation of brass, which as anyone who's ever worn a brass ring or a fake "Gold" necklace will tell you, it turns green, verdigree! If it actually corroded to where it gets THROUGH the brass, then you have a problem. You may be able to find someone to braze the hole in the slide and polish it down so it will fit again, but I've never heard of the corrosion, if cared at all, getting through the slide brass. Enjoy it! I think you've got a good instrument that should last for a century! Best wishes, and thanks again for the video!

When you suddenly notice your “Vincent Bach” trumpet bought from a reputable retailer has “made in China” stamped on which you haven’t noticed in the seven years of owning it and only has valve 1 and 3 stamped on and your suspicions bring you this video. Damn, all I’ve ever wanted for 24 years is a genuine Bach trumpet and I thought I had one given the money I’d paid, now I’m doubting it after this video ☹️

I believe Trent is primarily a low brass player, and a mighty fine one at that. His recommendation is his opinion and probably has appeal to younger players who want a horn that looks good. I really have no argument with him. For someone who is more interested in sound and quality, my recommendation for a inexpensive trumpet would be to search eBay for a good used 'Made in the USA' horn from no later than the 1980's. Getzen and King are my two favorites for a solidly built, reliable instrument. Back then, their student model horns had the same high quality valve sections as their top grade horns. I have an inexpensive 1970's modified King 601 (462 bore) trumpet that I usually take along on trips and have as a back-up for my Bach Strad Bb. If it gets lost or damaged it won't be expensive to replace. It's reliable, sounds great and though its raw brass, it doesn't look bad with a little hand polishing.

i dont know why but the case falling apart made me laugh so hard

I'm reading these comments, and I think it's sad that people think that the caliber of the instrument determines the skill of the player. So what if it isn't a real Bach? I agree with the part about taking the name, but otherwise, this is a decent trumpet. If you're a good trumpet player, what difference does it make what kind of trumpet it is?

In case someone hasn't already pointed this out that plastic rod isn't for the leadpipe it's for a swab for the the valve casings.

You got a BACH PRELUDE and the case is maybe a fake strad case. Bach and a huge list of other well known brands have MOST of there horns made in China. That's why you see NEW STRADS for list for $3000 new, and can't get $900 on auction for a newer used one. They are so inconsistent in quality that you must test play THE horn you buy or find someone you can trust to check it out and fix or return it. AKA TRENT AUSTIN ACB BRASS !!

Never, EVER use Vaseline, aka petroleum jelly on tuning slides on any brass instrument. It will dry out and seize the slides. Just buy some slide grease or even cork grease. In a pinch use valve oil on the slide until you can get some proper grease. And Brass does not rust, it tarnishes then corrodes. Only steel or iron (Ferrous metals) rust. The slide legs are not gold plated or lacquered, just bright brass and will eventually tarnish.

Dont waste money on shit like this. Buy a well cared for Olds Ambassador. They play like a dream, are tough and will not break or dent badly with rough handling and last but not least they are cheap as chips and you`ll get your money back when you sell.

i didnt even know Stradivarius's had gold trimming.

The cleaning rod is for the valve casings

I purchased a knock off Strad to travel with. I think it was made from boat anchors, and is heavy to play as well. It was however made in the USA by a domestic craftsman. Doesn’t match my real Strad of course. I picked up a pocket trumpet from amazon about a year ago that apart from being a cramped horn to hold is much nicer to play than the knock off. It’s actually fun to play.

Those valve caps are more than likely a different size and size thread than a real Bach.

Gold trumpet trim gets the girls.

+Trent Hamilton - Nice review. The biggest red flag as to it being a phony, fake and fraud is the ridiculous low price. For it to be a bona fide Bach Stradivarius trumpet, add at least another zero to the price. But you already knew that. When this cheap Chinese knockoff finally gives up the ghost (which will be sooner rather than later) you can always have it made into a nice decorative end table lamp or desk lamp. By the way, there are Chinese-made trumpets selling for $99(US) on Amazon.com. I might purchase one of those cheapos just to have it made into a lamp. It’ll make for a nice addition to my rolltop desk.

I would also be interested in hearing your thoughts on instruments from Wessex Tubas, Mack Brass or any other source of Chinese-manufactured instruments, direct or indirect. And does quality depend on the particular instrument or is there consistent quality from certain sources? Thanks!

The cleaning rod that appears at 3:33 is for the valve casings, not the leadpipe.

Just started to play trumpet and rewatched this gem of a video

The black cleaning rod is actually for the valve casings, not the lead pipe.

That model looks quite nice in that it's got an Avocadoe Holder for to adequately hang your Avocadoes on...

Love the videos Trent.

Hi I like your demonstration Trent I play trumpet and it's a good video to see.

General brass instrument playing in-tune and "tone-shaping" (ref my earlier reply to Mal-2 KSC's comment): In the mid-1960s as a youth interested in learning then playing brass instruments cornet/trumpet in particular and being of extremely modest means my parents and I decided to discuss my situation with the high school band director, who incidentally enough played trumpet semi-professionally, too. His advice on playing in-tune on a brass instrument, in my case the cornet/trumpet: "It is best to learn from the beginning--but anytime is ok--that it is critical for an instrument player to learn and get a feel, as in a sound, a picture, a vibe in their memory for what the true (accurate or perfect) pitch/tone of a note is, its form and what it sounds like (pictured in your head before/while playing)." That said, after a year playing a recorder/tonette in the 4th grade recorder-band, he rented me an acceptable cornet that he demonstrated to me very well along with a small 7c type mouthpiece (to which I eventually advanced to a 1 1/2C Bach and later other mouthpieces as I grew physically, became more experienced/better player as well as the design of mouthpieces and their corresponding specifications/shape and how they relates to a player's mouth-teeth shape, lip placement, and embouchure: another discussion for another time). He also lent me his tone generator (this is critical) and advised from the very start not only how to play the cornet but how to visualize each note in my mind before/as I was playing it and comparing the tone I made with the tone "true pitch" generator. I found in short order that I could alter/"lip" practically any note 1/4 to 1/2 tone above/below its true pitch. As the years went by and my expertise/experience grew, I found my ability to "stay in tune" from this training invaluable if not practically necessary/critical, regardless of whatever "acceptable" quality cornet/trumpet I played regardless of brand. Thus, I would advise the author to practice his "tone shaping" ability and he could easily play both Cs in pitch on practically any horn assuming of course that the horn slides are adjusted to their respective best positions for him. Interesting enough I recall in junior and high school bands that some large brass players (baritone/tuba) often had the same "tone shaping" to correct pitch difficulty between octaves only while playing the trumpet just like the author perhaps because they unintentionally "tried a little too hard" on the smaller brass instrument with its corresponding much smaller mouthpiece--and "narrower lip-contact" than the mouthpiece(s) they were used to playing on the larger instruments.

Selmer which has acquired the Vincent Bach name now labels its student trumpets as "Bach." They don't use the Stradivarius name, but, their Bundy is now Bach.

I haven't read all the comments, but if no one has said it yet, the cleaning rod is for the valve casing. Most trumpets come with one. I've got a very old one with a wood handle of all things! Beyond that: DON'T buy knock offs. It is corporate terrorism.

Nice*, it has Schilke valve caps! It's a completely grate looking and sounding horn imho. Those valve caps what sold me. Decent.

Oh please do not use Vaseline on slides. Never , never, ever. It will gum up the horn. Use well manufactured slide grease. Third valve slide, use valve oil. First valve slide use slide grease then a touch of oil.

I can't see it in the video, but I would wager that the "laser engraving" is actually electro-etched.

Did you buy the trumpet from Aliexpress?

I have a Blessing Super Artist from the 70s that I love, but a Stradivarius is amazing and I would love a real one as well

Don't play the piece of crap make a lamp out if. Save your money and buy a real one either used or new. I've had my Strad for 45 years and it still plays beautifully.

I play professionally, and this is a beautiful horn that I would use on stage.

I have a Schiller silver trumpet and it has the exact same valves and valve tops and bottoms

I thought the cleaning rods like that for trumpet were for the valves?

I was a middle school band director for 15 years and I'm professional trumpet player. I find it interesting that it says "Stradivarius" on the case, but "Prelude" on the instrument and pamphlet. Those are two very different model names. The trimmings like the valve caps, slide stop, serial number, etc. are all wrong. I've seen these on Ali Express online store, which I hear has been in some sort of trouble with the US government due to their constant fake products that break US copyright laws. This is perfectly legal in China. The trumpet I saw on Ali Express said "Stradivarious" on it, but didn't have a serial number. Also, Bach etches into the trumpet, not an outer, laser engraving. These instruments are made of "pot" medal, which is a mix of metals usually used to solder with. When these types of instruments break (and it will), music repair businesses refuse to work on them. He still does not have a "nice" trumpet and this trumpet will fall apart in very short amount of time. Check out his other video of a fake Bach Flugelhorn, which came with valves that wouldn't move out of the box!

It would appear as it is a mix of styles. The 3rd valve stop is not that of a Bach, but maybe a Schilke. A Bach has a threaded rod under the slide with two nuts. The valve buttons and caps are Schilke looking too and not Bach. Bach are round with ridges. On this horn they look octagonal as are the top and bottom caps. Also the water key on the 3rd valve slide is not typical. The water key on the tuning slide is not quite the same shape as the original either. Thanks for posting the video very interesting.

If you want a nice trumpet buy a secondhand professional trumpet for 50 or 60 dollars instead of a crappy copy for 280 dollars. It will sound better look better last longer and cost less.

So I got one fake Bach Strad37 from Dhgate it plays great and sounds ok but it will never replace the original Bach even though I haven't tried one yet except my TR300 but I will soon but i would recommend it For you if you want to try something new for fun and you can definetly make this trumpet sound beautiful in any type of music

我是中国人，并且从事的是乐器相关工作，Bach是很有名的乐器工厂，还有其他国家的有名的品牌，是值得全世界尊敬的，他们制造的乐器不仅仅是一件产品更是这个乐器的文化传承，虽然有些仿制品的工艺也很不错，但是我觉得只要是用别人的品牌（除非有授权）就是很恶劣的行为，应该抵制

Please review a schiller tuba!!!

It may look like a Bach trumpet but I question whether it's worth even $280? I see these instruments from online auction sites come into my shop every now and then. Their biggest problems are the valves which wear out after 6 mos to a year and cannot be replaced or fixed. The other problem is the intonation which is noted critically in this video. If you only want a good looking trumpet to kick around for 12 months and then throw it away, go for it. You would be better served to spend the $280 on a good used name-brand trumpet. My main horn is a Conn (Euphonium) and it's 41 years old. I've never had any problems with it and the valves work great.

I purchased the knock off Chinses Bach. I am a armature to intermediate player. I have shared my trumpet to other intermediate to professional players. The consciences is that its not a bad trumpet. They believe for the money it's not a bad investment. In fact these trumpet players has purchased this trumpet to use as a second or actual performing instrument. Lets face it the original Bach or the Yamaha is very expensive. It's nice to have a reasonable back up.

Check the side of the second valve for the serial number

A counterfeit trumpet stealing the Bach Stradivarius branding/trademark is exactly that, a counterfeit trumpet. The counterfeiters could have just as easily made a decent playing value-based product without deceiving people into believing that this thing is something it's not...

Interesting! The Bach TR-500 is a foreign-made trumpet (Chinese) that I've found a local seller to me, willing to sell for $400 cash, and looking at comments on "the trumpet herald" it's not that well thought of, especially the valves. However, this looks like another case of what happens in the "tech" field, you have a factory in China make your stuff, and they make your stuff all right, during the day shift, then during the night shift they crank out more of the same stuff, variously re-named, no-named, etc. They do this with integrated circuits, where this problem is rampant. And apparently, with trumpets. So the Chinese factory has taken one of their nighttime-run Bach 500's and stamped Strad on it lol.

That's a real Bach Prelude in optional silver plate. The mouthpiece is not a "fake". It's a replica, just not a good one.

I actually figured it out… major companies downlow… pay Chinese companies to make lower quality of their products… and they get a part of anything bought. Think about it… why risk copyright infringement? You don’t have to worry about copyrights if you have a deal with the company! They don’t have to discuss it with the public… and you think international lawyers don’t have their hands in it too… we as the consumers have been suckered.

Trent I too believe that there is nothing sixier than gold trm. Jokes aside love your vids 😁

I play almost all Bb and F brass instruments. I love your content. It's very educational in my case. Being a high school euphenist

That is better than the trumpet I have an Elkhart Indiana U.S.A trumpet from 1929 and it plays very well actually. All real parts except for a 20 year old mouthpiece. I paid $50 (us dollars) off ebay and I guess the person just wanted to throw it away because it started for $10. It is smaller than a normal trumpet and the main tuning slide is at an angle and the third valve tuning slide is on the right side of the main tuning slide not the left side.

I would love to get a professional trumpet player's reaction to playing this instrument. How does it look now after eight years?

It’s funny seeing a “Bach Stradivarius” with a spit valve on the 3rd valve slide

Try playing it with the Tuning Slide not all the way in.

First off, brass doesn't rust, only iron, or anything iron based (steel) can rust. Second off, the word you wanted for petroleum jelly lacking oxygen was "anaerobic". It's also hydrophobic, which is much more important in every way. Thirdly, I love how enthusiastic you are about these budget instruments.

Yeah, that octave tuning issue is a deal breaker unless you know how to fix it with a cheap alteration to the mouthpiece.

I just want the case

Gold waterkeys?! Gold trimmed pistons!? Replace them with a complete real silver trumpet and it'll look better and still sounds the best.

Trent , I bought a flugelhorn. New, Low price 165 euros to be exact. It is made in Taiwan. Brand: Marathon reg. Trade Mark Supposedly. I guess the model 050311. I cant find any info on the internet. I bought it on ebay. A seller from Germany. The bell has a crease in it. The case is excellant but, the fit isn't perfect. I see how someone forced the lid shut distorting the bell. How can I send photos to you?

7:50 Ayy Stevie Wonder in Concert

Excellent review. The Bach Strad is not a great horn, played a Mt Vernon growing up and it had a ton of intonation problems, E in the staff terribly flat and above the staff very sharp, lots of restriction. The Chinese make wonderful horns but you get what you pay for. The $1-2K horns are top notch if you pick the right manufacturer and design that mimic’s Monette or other top designers.

I've got the real deal Bach Strad. Model 37 Elkhart Silver plated and I have a lacquer plated one the same model vintage 1970's

We have a Sousaphone at my school that has that same problem where you’ll play a low Bb and high Bb and it won’t be a perfect Octave. It’s way worse than in this case though.

I got one of those fake 3C mouthpieces for $5 and it works a charm

Do a video on why trumpet are stored in there case upside down.

When the Chinese start to mass produce cars we are all stuffed.

Always keep in mind that the quality fluctuation for chinese instruments is awful. It's not like they're selling under a brand name they could potentially damage, so I guess they're not seeing a point in decent QA. It's entirely possible that you were just lucky to get the one good instrument out of a batch and the next guy buying due to your recommendation gets one that's only good for melting down. So it's a bit of a gamble, really. The issue may be alleviated by buying from an importer who does that quality control for you, but that can raise the price substantially (and they will probably not sell under a fake label, but instead try to extablish some kind of 'brand' for their tested imports). Basically that's the main strength of established brands, they provide a maybe slightly better, but definitely a lot more reliable level of quality.

It is VERY UNLIKELY that the trim from this horn will fit any other trumpet made with the exception of other knock off horns made by the same company. I have measured and created high efficiency Mod Kits for almost every make and model (hundreds of variations) and have never seen a Chinese-made horn's parts ever fit an American made horn.

what is the thread of Bach Strad Trumpet Valve Stem ? Thanks

Holy crap, a positive review? This really must be great.

I can't tell if this is disclaimer or a recommendation...

tr500? sounds like someone got an old beginner bach trumpet and passed it off as a strad.

Thanks for this video. I just was about to buy a Chinese knock off had I not become doubtful and my research not led me to this video.

Where was this bought from? I found one on DHGate and it was a similar price and I just got it. Seems almost right. Gonna put it to the test tomorrow. If not, definitely going to return

A well trained trumpet player knows to use fingertips to press the valves, not the flat part of the finger as the presenter does. It's a good habit to start early because as you advance and need to change notes more quickly it is a lot easier using fingertips.

I wish my actual strad case had a backpack feature.

7:49 ..thanks

The octave c he played was sharp because the instrument was not in tune. The main tuning slide was pushed all the way in so that’s why it was sharp

My Boch is from 1978 and my mouthpiece looks nothing like that. I got a second Bach genuine mouthpiece and it's identical to mine and once again looks nothing like that