Small But Perfectly Formed! CarolBrass Mini Trumpet Review & Gig Test

[@AirflowMusicNYC]

It's been a while, but I'm back with a different sort of video, today! Do you have a pocket trumpet?

[@psx20072010]

Hey Brian! Love the videos!

[@AirflowMusicNYC]

I appreciate it. Thanks for looking in.

[@KristofferEngstrom]

Actually bought this one. So fond of it Imabout to sell my normal one. Just got myself a Jo-ral harmon mute and it fits good. Love it.

[@unknownquantity4440]

I've been a pocket player for years, until I return to a full Bb. I just stumbled upon this little pocket rocket. Very nice. Question: I saw another review where the guy's horn had an 'anti-mute,' which is just a full size 5"ish bell with neoprene cork that you insert into the bell of the mini pocket like a mute. Supposed to give a more trumpet like sound? Did you get one of those in your box? Perhaps it's an optional accessory?

[@PB23723]

Just ordered one and can’t wait to try it out …😊

[@chandave1552]

Was here for the review, But stay for that killer solo

[@Quadstriker]

Shirtless yoyo guy and his friends seemed quite captivated by it. Perhaps that's the best measurement of performance.

[@AirflowMusicNYC]

I’m not sure if it was that or some of the more interesting “dancers” in front of the band that they were enjoying. Either way, folks are still be entertained because of the music being played, so that’s a win!

[@terribleart6269]

@@AirflowMusicNYC What's really kinda funny is shirtless yoyo guy is a celebrity of sorts! He's a pro BMX bike rider and model! Austin Augie! Odd when interests collide! Amazing video! Thank you for making it!

[@FlowJunkie65]

Damn, nice solo! You sound great, man, and you made that little mini pocket trumpet sound really great! Bravo!

[@amadismusic_SWORDFISH]

That fire solo man! that little thing must have been burnin'! haha sounds great as always

[@KristofferEngstrom]

Havent heard you play such a solo before. Nice ! This pocket trumpet seems like a winner.

[@laserjim]

You'll hit the big time with unboxing videos! I've got a John Packer JP159 in shiny red lacquer, bought for travelling. Full-size bell takes standard mutes. I like it, sometimes wonder if it is easier to play than my Ingram. Index finger over the bell works for me holding it. Oh! You played it on a gig! Brilliant! Definitely sounds that much louder being right in your ear.

[@AirflowMusicNYC]

The Packer horns appear to be really well put together. I’ll be interested to try a different pocket trumpet with a full size bell, at some stage. Can’t beat the portability of this one, though! Apparently the smallest on the market.

[@blueheelerfriend8450]

Great stuff man!!! Thanks for the info and great entertainment! ☺

[@ricaard]

Nice playing! 🎺

[@AirflowMusicNYC]

Thank you! 🙏🏻

[@giakara]

I have a nickel plated version, best horn for vacations, it helps me to keep my chops in place without carry a bulky horn/case combination. It works better with deep cups and open bore/bbore mpcs.

[@shiggins9]

Awesome video and playing! I'm interested in the mini pocket C Trumpet. I'm thinking about it.

[@ramasawmysokanaden4298]

Very nice sound piticularly the high pitch u r great hat off brian

[@davidpoppenhagen4278]

The full sized trumpet is all there. It's just, coiled up tighter. Nice playing. But I'm sure you hear that alought.😊

[@kylechappell3007]

Thank you for this in-depth review! Is the mini easier to play one handed compared to a standard trumpet? I primarily work as a piano bar musician and would love to incorporate a horn for occasional solos while accompanying with my left hand, but the weight of a standard trumpet is awkward to balance without both hands

[@christophervivestrumpet7565]

wow nice review, now I want a pocket Trumpet.

[@ttrumpetguy]

Sounds great, Bryan! It seems to play much better in tune than the cheap Jean Baptiste (Sam Ash) pockets I've owned over the past 15 years. I've been using them, not because they were good horns, but at $159.00 new/$99.00 Used, they were cheap chop insurance! I do some occasional NOLA gigs and ethnic Jewish clubdates where I sometimes have to go into crowds and play amongst crowds of people, so since pocket trumpets are shorter than even a cornet, I can avoid injury by using the Heisman maneuver and stiff arm any antsy crowd members out of my harms way! It would be great to finally own one that plays well. Thanks for the recommendation!

[@AirflowMusicNYC]

Hi Tony. I was honestly shocked by how well it plays! Definitely worth a look.

[@ttrumpetguy]

@@AirflowMusicNYC Thanks so much for your honesty! You could make a tin can sound good!

[@TreDeuce-qw3kv]

Who would of thought such a great sound out of what looks like a toy....👍👍

[@madtater5948]

I just bought one of these on eBay. made in India under $100 with free shipping. it's made very well. perfect for a student on a budget

[@AirflowMusicNYC]

You may have purchased a pocket trumpet, but it’s not “one of these” - i.e. the CarolBrass horn I reviewed. Nonetheless, I wish you much music from your new instrument.

[@jcv3848]

Absolutely killed it!!!!

[@amberstreetfilms]

I'm trying to find a review on the CB pocket Cornet. Have you played it before?

[@AirflowMusicNYC]

I have not. Sorry I can’t be more helpful.

[@jantox6037]

amazing playing mate!! will u racconand this as a first trumpet?

[@AirflowMusicNYC]

Personally, I’d only recommend a pocket trumpet as a first instrument for a younger child, who might struggle holding up a full size trumpet.

[@silviokawakami3906]

Just saying! This model is a mini pocket trumpet! You can use your mutes in the pocket trumpet because the bell is the same size of a regular trumpet!

[@AirflowMusicNYC]

Like I said, I’ve never had a pocket trumpet before. That could well be true!

[@LeandroLoan]

Great solo!

[@chris430811]

Sounding good. Any other instruments of CB that are good ?

[@AirflowMusicNYC]

This is the only CarolBrass horn I've personally tried. I know a few people who play them and really like them.

[@chris430811]

@@AirflowMusicNYC Thanks for your reply. Really find all of your vids inspirational.

[@daveblackann6789]

That was great

[@jameschaburka5708]

Use questions about mouthpiece size for one's lips? Thanks Jimmy 😊

[@AirflowMusicNYC]

Jimmy - please repeat your question. I don't understand.

[@jameschaburka5708]

Hi, I'm about the miscommunication about my question. I was trying to ask about the mouthpieces. How does one know if your

[@jameschaburka5708]

This phone! I'm sorry for the mistakes. It's my big fingers. I was talking about the right size mouthpiece for different lip sizes, so to speak! Does everyone use a common 🤔 size for playing a trumpet 🎺 such as the rim being too wide or too small for small mouths?if that makes any sense. Thanks, Jimmy. I'm just learning, but I like the pocket trumpets. Do you recommend one ? 🤔. Thanks again.

[@AirflowMusicNYC]

@@jameschaburka5708 - I see. There are mouthpieces in a variety of sizes for that very reason. If your lips are on the larger side you will, perhaps obviously, need a mouthpiece with a wider cup diameter. This is the only pocket trumpet I’ve ever tried. I’m impressed with it, as I expressed. Great quality and reasonably priced.

[@johnrobertfox7775]

HEY BRYAN !DONT FOGET TO GET THE ANTI -MUTE , IT WILL IMPROVE THE SOUND OF THE HORN ,YOU CAN GET IT FROM CAROL BRASS OR ANY CAROL BRASS DEALER , PLUS THEN YOU CAN USE ANY MUTE WITH THE HORN ONCE YOU GET IT !

[@AirflowMusicNYC]

Thanks for the tip. Forgive my asking, but why are you shouting at me?

[@johnrobertfox7775]

@@AirflowMusicNYC I'M NOT SHOUTING AT YOU ALL CAPITALS JUST LOOK BETTER TO ME ! YOU'RE THE GREATEST , SORRY BOUT THAT ! ALSO I HAVE THE HORN AND I USE THE ANTI- MUTE ALL THE TIME ! ONCE AGAIN SORRY BOUT THAT !

[@ungmd21]

Great review. But as they say, "Its not the ARROW but the Indian"

[@jameschaburka5708]

What about the Stagg pocket trumpet 🎺 🤔

[@AirflowMusicNYC]

I’ve never tried it, so I can’t comment.

[@logotrikes]

Looks very well made and finished. No need to pay a fortune for a decent trumpet perhaps....?

[@AirflowMusicNYC]

It's definitely the best pocket trumpet I've tried. Granted, that's a fairly small field. It undoubtedly has it's uses, although I personally wouldn't be able to use it for the majority of my work.

[@getrich1867]

Sir wat do u think about the mandeni pocket 🎺 is it a good buy I want one but some r too expensive

[@AirflowMusicNYC]

No idea. As I said, a number of times during the video, I’ve never had a pocket trumpet before.

[@BobH-m5p]

How much was it? I’m interested in buying.

[@AirflowMusicNYC]

I haven’t checked the price since the video was out. At the time, it was about $500. Click the link in the description to find the current price on Amazon.

[@Charmelen]

What mouth piece do you use

[@jameschaburka5708]

How do you know what size mouthpiece to

[@dbhcvi]

You're the 3rd youtuber/trumpeter that I see reviewing this trumpet in a few weeks time and giving discount codes on amazon. No one ever say something bad about this horn, which is very suspicious for a pocket trumpet from Taïwan with a plastic mouthpiece. TBH this review seems to be the least dishonest since you did say that you recommend it only for travel purposes. I'm not a pro trumpeter but I can recognise a good horn when I play one and I find it hard to believe a trumpet teacher would ever recommend this horn, or even play a gig on it. The choice of word you use seemed "optimistic" at best. Hope the deal was worth it, I guess times are hard for artist nowadays, you have all my musical sympathy.

[@AirflowMusicNYC]

My opinions, in this review, are my own and were not paid for or influenced in any way. I was pleasantly surprised by how well this instrument plays, so I said so. What you find hard to believe is irrelevant, as I am a trumpet teacher and do recommend this instrument for certain purposes, and I went as far as to present video of my playing a gig on it. It’s not uncommon, particularly in this day and age, for companies to send products out for review to content creators who present in their niche. I imagine it serves them well as a strategy if they have a product they are proud of, but which has to get past a presupposition of poor quality based on the reputation of their competitors. But what would I know? I’m apparently a liar and a sell out.

[@Natefirethemagnets]

What do your own ears hear? Sounds good to me.

[@unknownquantity4440]

What an ignorant douchey comment. Dude, why don't you buy one of these, play it, and then espouse an informed opinion, rather than this nonsensical tripe of "lest dishonest" based on your own suspicions about reviewers, Taiiwan, and plastic mouthpieces, as if anything Bryan said, or better yet demonstrated, is somehow dishonest. WTF? I pretty sure Amazon makes it very easy to return it if you don't like it. So you're without excuse. So you're not a professional trumpet player? No shit! Try aspiring to the level of a professional like Bryan and myself rather than just dissin' a horn because you believe or don't believe this or that, based on nothing more than your bias driven beliefs. Your the kind of guy who loves to lurk on trumpehearld, redditt, and other haunts, post ing up trite and tired tomes of opinion based on nothing but but limited experience, feelings, beliefs and biases spawned from the past, rather than having any real world knowledge or experience to back up those beliefs. I speculate you're the kind of guy that would not believe how John Faddis could praise a Carol Brass 8060H, a 'cheap'' Taiwanese horn because it's not a recognized super expensive Shilke or something. Hmm. How would I know that Faddis said that about the 8060H? How would I know such a thing? Because I'm hangin' out in the real world with real professionals. Get out there and you too can glean this kind of inside-baseball intel. I own this horn and play it all the time. It's my daily driver due to it's size and weight, which allows me to easily travel with it internationally. If I'm in a location long enough and and gigging to where I need/want a full size Bb horn, I'll order one of those 'cheap' Chinese horns off Amazon and have it delivered to my new location in a few days. I know which ones are good (enough) because I'm not limited by my doubts and beliefs. I've purchased, tried, and performed them in live gig situations. So I know what I'm talking about when it comes to cheap Chinese horns. I'm amazed at the quality/price ratio some of these companies provide. Carol Brass is that the top of the 'cheap' Chinese (actually Taiiwanese) pyramid. But there are others that aren't far behind. I have owned and played MANY pocket trumpets over the last decade in my quest for the ideal travel/gig horn And now it's here, readily available, and delivered to your doorstep via Amazon i, of all places, in a matter of days! That's nothing short of incredible. I gig with this horn and have had a hella lot of fun with it, as well as my audiences. I string this little trumpet on lanyard around my neck like a big piece of gold bling on a chain as I strut up on stage. It's not only cute and entertaining, but doubly impressive when I play it. I convert the unbelievers to believers who doubt that such a small, toyish looking horn can do what it does. Funny enough, it's the other trumpet players that seem hardest to convert. Of course, it's me making the horn sound great. But the horn has to rise to my great playing abilities, which it does admirably. As Bryan said, and I can confirm, this horn handles screamin'' double C's and above just fine. Being a world traveler and performer, I'm good with this horn being my daily driver, picking up a full sized Bb horn if/when I feel I need to in other parts of the world... which is likely to be another a 'cheap' Chinese horn off of Amazon. Rather than doubt the quality of CC (Cheap Chinese) horns, I spent the time and money to them first, finding ones that are good (enough) and those that are not. I'm shocked at the quality of some of these horns for the price they're charging. Keep in mind it was barely a generation ago that had labeled all things Japanese as pure junk, just like they did with Chinese/Taiwanese products no so long ago. I'd put Carol Brass up against any Yamaha horn in terms of quality. Even the great custom makers are using Carol Brass valve assemblies in their super expensive horns. Oh, btw, on the subject of plastic mouthpieces. I play it with NOTHING BUT *plastic* mouthpieces from Michael Brand and Kelly, and a couple others, performing everything from sweet ballads to every genre of jazz, R&B, funk, pop, rock, etc. This horn does come with a plastic mouthpiece that's not really my cup of tea. But, honestly most beginners are not starting on a pocket trumpet, and any other player is going to toss the usual stock 7C that comes with most new horns. So why jack the price to give you a metal piece knowing that most players won't use it. But they have to provide something, just in case, lest guys like you diss on the maker for not providing any mouthpiece. It's a situation of damned if they do, damned if they don't.

[@winter4953]

JAZZ ?

[@AirflowMusicNYC]

I don’t understand your question.

[@johnrobertfox7775]

SORRY BOUT THE CAPITALS BRYAN THEY JUST LOOK BETTER TO ME AND THEY DO CATCH YOUR ATTENTION ! I WAS'NT YELLING AT YOU ! SORRY BOUT THAT !

[@ricaard]

"Small, but perfectly formed"? A trumpet humonculus?

[@perv8898]

Might have been my ears, but it sounded VERY flat when you played it in the Park!!!

[@AirflowMusicNYC]

Compared to what? It’s reasonably in tune with the band around it. Whether that matches with a tuner is irrelevant.

[@perv8898]

Not compared to anything but the note itself. To my ears, as I prefaced my comment, the notes seem VERY flat! If I was tuning your horn I would sharpen it a "tad" more on the tuning slide. But again, thats just how each note hit MY ears. Honest critique, man. No malace intended.

[@AirflowMusicNYC]

I went and listened again, as it's been some time since this video was originally out. I'm apparently not hearing what you're hearing. Any time my pitch drifts during the solo it sounds sharp to me, if anything. It's certainly not consistently off in one direction or the other.

[@perv8898]

Hopefully, someone else will "lend an ear" as to what they hear. It sounds perfectly tuned as you run yours scales when you unbox it. But in the Park it was off to my ears. You know, the speakers on my little Amazon fire7 android are OK, but I'm wonderingt....hmm? 🤔

[@agentofjazz6624]

I think it sounded in tune, as I am a professional Pocket Trumpet 🎺 player exclusively… I have played with many big named performers including Stanley Jordan, Kenny Blake, and numerous jazz musicians in the Pittsburgh PA and Waikiki Hawaii areas. I play a Schiller’s Pocket Trumpet 🎺 in key of C, they are not toys and are perfect for playing gigs where I am always on a plane or train..! Easy to carry and plays incredibly well. AgentOfJazz🎺