Trumpet: Benge, Et Al

   Ask trumpeters which brand they associate with pocket trumpets and most of them will say Benge.  And they say it for good reason: Louis Duda.
   Duda designed the modern-style pocket trumpet in the 1960s for Benge.  And it is a design recognized for its folded back third valve slide and its kicked forward second valve slide (a design duplicated by Kanstul).
   The pocket trumpet made its original appearance in the 1860s.  But these early horns left much to be desired due to their stunted bells and to their mid-size bores.  Their intonation was lousy and their dynamic range severely limited.  Thus any convenience offered by their size was offset by their playing characteristics.
   Duda changed all that by featuring a full size bell and modern bore sizes.  At last the pocket trumpet could compete with a standard trumpet in sound, range and dynamics.
   There are two designs prevalent in modern pocket trumpets.  The first design (older) features a folded forward first valve slide and a straight-out second valve slide (on the left side of the instrument).  The bell can be stunted or full-size.  And the common bore size is .460 (medium-large bore).  The second design is the previously mentioned Duda creation.  Bore sizes for the Duda design run from .459 to .470.
     People can be amazed when they learn both the pocket trumpet and the standard trumpet have the same tube length (roughly five feet).  The difference in length between the two instruments is determined by  the number of winds in the tubing.
   Players, when first exposed to pocket trumpets, tend to complain about the tiny trumpet's resistance.  And this is especially true when the player's experience is limited to the older design with its folded forward first valve slide.  These horns are a bit stuffy.
   The best resistance reducers in pocket trumpets involve the bore size and the amount (rate) of constriction in the leadpipe.  The larger the bore and the more open the leadpipe the less the resistance.  And when players are talking about a trumpet wound like a pretzel, they come to appreciate less resistance.
   Two popular misconceptions surround pocket trumpets: quality and effectiveness.  There are trumpet players who have little to no experience playing pocket trumpets who automatically assign them student quality status which renders the little instrument as being suitable for nothing more serious than daily practice (as if practice is not serious enough).  And even then, only when the player cannot lay their hands on a standard trumpet.
   Nonsense.
   Frequently bias/misinformation is reason for such attitude.  But there is a common denominator those quick to condemn pocket trumpets tend to overlook: labor cost.  Hello to the union.
   Most pocket trumpets are manufactured overseas where labor cost is a fraction of what it is in the United States.  Thus quality comparable to the Benge or to the Kanstul pocket trumpet is found in Hoxon Gakki private label pocket trumpets manufactured in Taiwan.  And since these trumpets are made in Taiwan, they can be had for roughly half the cost of either the Benge or the Kanstul pocket trumpet.  As to the sound quality and the playing characteristics, the Gakki, Benge and Kanstul are close enough to call them the same (provided bore size and leadpipe constriction match).
   In addition to Gakki pocket trumpets are those pocket trumpets manufactured in China and in India.  Quality control seems to be the biggest complaint with these instruments.  Valve alignment and sealing of valve slides are frequent issues.   And too, many of these less expensive pocket trumpets have poor intonation as well as stunted bells along with a less than desirable fit of the mouthpiece to the leadpipe in the mouthpiece receiver.
   Another complaint about pocket trumpets concerns the manner in which they are held.  And for those players who insist on the traditional fingers around valve casings hold...yes.  Attempting to hold a pocket trumpet in this manner can present challenges.  For me, the best grip is to rest the instrument on the palm of my hand and close (or spread) my fingers on both sides of the valve casings.  Not only does this allow an easier grip, it allows the grip to occur with less tension in the arm and in the shoulder.
   A pocket trumpet takes getting use to.  But once the player does, switching back and forth from the pocket trumpet to a full-size trumpet is done with ease.