Jim Donaldson, the author of the web pages for The Schilke Loyalist and The Trumpet Gearhead sadly passed away in August 27, 2017. His old web pages have been successfully retrieved from the Internet Archive and are now being hosted at EverythingTrumpet.com as a tribute to Jim's love of the trumpet. He was always willing to help out anyone who was keen on the trumpet. Out of respect to Jim, the internal web pages he created will remain as he left them.

No copyright infringement is intended. However, If you believe there is content within Jim's pages which belongs to you make a request to have it immediately removed from EverythingTrumpet.com. There is no intention of monetizing Jim's content. It is provided here simply for your enjoyment and informational purposes.

Back to EverythingTrumpet.com

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Jim Donaldson's answers to a few frequently,
or at least occasionally, asked questions

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Added since Jim's passing.

• Practice Mute Comparison Survey by Bill Dishman (06/15/2016)

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• The Gearhead Consumer Report

  • How should I test a new trumpet?
  • When I am testing a trumpet, what exactly am I testing it for?

  • What pro quality B flat trumpet should I buy? (revised and updated as of May 2008)
    • Yeah, but what about student trumpets?
  • What flugelhorn should I buy?
  • What piccolo trumpet should I buy?
  • What is a pocket trumpet and why are they so cute?
  • What do I give a trumpet student for Christmas?
  • What is the deal with the Yamaha Silent Brass?
  • What about all the 'regular' practice mutes out there?
• Mouthpieces
  • What is the "correct" placement on the chops for the trumpet mouthpiece?
  • What mouthpiece should I get after my faithful 7C?
  • Should I have the bore/throat of my mouthpiece enlarged?
• Home workshop
  • Is there anything I can do to remove a stuck mouthpiece, without hurting my horn, before I take it to the repairman or music store?
  • How can I make a practice mute out of a Renuzit air freshener?
  • How can I build a (fake but serviceable) baroque trumpet at home?
• History, mostly obscure
  • Whatever happened to Couesnon?
  • Have we mourned adequately the fate of Benge?
  • Who was on the committee that designed the Martin Committee?
• Other odds and ends, mostly odds
  • How do I empty all the water from my trumpet without using the spit valves?
  • Now that I have braces, what do I do?
  • If my trumpet were a car, what make would it be?
• Check out Jim Donaldson's other trumpet page, The Schilke Loyalist

 

Last revised: October 14, 2008.

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Please e-mail your comments or observations to:
Jim Donaldson.

 

This site brought to you courtesy of Philip Smith and Dallas Music
and is included among the ITG
Top 25 Online Trumpet Resources.

 

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© 1999 - 2008 by James F. Donaldson
All rights reserved