Carol Brass “Saxy” Trumpet - played like a sax... For Sale

For the trumpet player who secretly wants to be the sax player…

Here is something you don\'t see every day.

This is theCarol Brass “Saxy Trumpet,”a specialty instrument that takes a real Bb trumpet and essentially replumbs it into a completely different playing position. Instead of holding the valves horizontally in the traditional trumpet position, the horn hangs vertically and your hands operate much more like a sax player\'s.

It takes a little getting used to.

And that\'s part of the fun.

This isn\'t a novelty instrument with questionable valves and plumbing. It\'s Carol Brass, and unusual brasswork is something they do exceptionally well. The bends, construction, valves and overall execution are exactly what I\'ve come to expect from them.

There was also an unexpected benefit for me.

I\'ll admit that every now and then I\'m guilty of being a“face player.”That high note is almost there, so you give the mouthpiece just a little extra squeeze against your face.

This horn doesn\'t particularly like that.

Because of the way the instrument hangs and the different hand position, I found myself relying much less on mouthpiece pressure. It actually helped me become more aware of how much pressure I was using on a conventional trumpet—and helped me break some of that habit.

That alone made owning it worthwhile.

But mostly,it\'s just a wonderfully strange and fun horn.

It plays well, sounds like a trumpet, feels unlike anything else in the collection, and I can pretty much guarantee that when you take it out of the case, someone is going to ask:

“What in the world is THAT?”

These are uncommon instruments and expensive when you can find one new. I\'m thinning out a collection of unusual and wonderful horns, and I\'d rather see this one go to another player who will enjoy it.

For the trumpet player who already has everything—you probably don\'t have one of these.