Good enough for Yoko Ono?
Having a plastic band may be an OK concept for Yoko Ono, but for hardy brass playing traditionalists used to a trumpet or trombone produced by metallurgical means, it is still a bit of a bonkers idea.
That said - with the advent of ever cheaper 3D printers bound to flood the market place in the next decade or so, don’t be surprised that the day a band takes to the contest stage sporting more plastic than can be found at a S&M fetish convention is closer than you may think.
Great leap forward
First we had the plastic trombone - which has been an amazing success thanks to clever marketing and the obvious technological advantage of not having to be made with a complex set of valves.
Now we have the next great leap forward, with the production of a basic trumpet model led by what is surely to be the first of many to break into the market place - the Tiger Trumpet.
The instrument is a collaboration between instrument designer and manufacturer, J.D. Sun, Rheinsound Music of Beijing, Kidd Industries plastic injection molding, and Terry Warburton of the USA.
What’s it like then?
The Tiger is made of durable ABS plastic, and has three interchangeable valves (a nifty bit of engineering in anyone’s book), each covered by a thin aluminium sleeve which needs to be lubricated with bespoke non toxic ‘valve lube’ to ensure they work properly.
If you don’t (and you are warned according to the accompanying blurb), it may cause the silicone content inside the ports of the pistons to ‘swell over time’ and cause problems.
The only metal comes with the springs and housing threads to screw on the valve stems.
Apart from that it is as plastic as an Irish boy band - with snug main, first and third slides, single waterkey, a Warburton mouthpiece, cleaning brush, valve and slide lube.
Design:
First thing to say, even though it is surely aimed more towards the starter end of the playing range (although the makers say it is ‘ideal for everyone’) - is that it looks like a proper trumpet (and not something you find with a Fisher Price stamp on it) - although it does come in the colour scheme of a pre-school Mark Rothko painting set.
The one we had came in cracking Liverpool Football Club red with canary yellow slides, valve tops and bottoms (it comes in all sorts of colour combos – from blue, black and red to deep purple and pink!)
It’s also as light to pick up as Victoria Beckham’s packed lunch box - so even the smallest young player can use it without fear of suffering a hernia.
There is though a somewhat fiddly procedure to lubricate the valves: removing the bottom valve cap (being careful the metal spring doesn’t pop out), unscrewing the finger button stem, pushing down the valve, adding the lubricant and putting all back in place.
It comes in nearly every football team's colours too...
Plus points:
The instrument looks great, the interchangeable valves are a huge plus point, it’s as light as a feather and easy to handle.
Minus points:
The valves are fiddly to lubricate and can be sluggish (Parents beware - only bespoke Tiger lubrication can be used) and the case the instrument comes in appears to be made by a Blue Peter presenter out of plastic washing up bottles.
It may not last as long as the child’s initial enthusiasm for playing the trumpet itself.
Build Quality:
The instrument is pretty robust - surviving the odd drop on a hard floor and a bit of aggressive handling without a noticeable dent, crack or even scratch. If things are pulled out and left for mum to pick up, it can be put back together as easy as a bit of Lego.
Good news then for time strapped parents of enthusiastic but absent minded young performers...
The clever bit of valve engineering ensures that players can’t really mess things up by trying to force the equivalent of square pegs into round holes, although parental guidance may be required for lubricating the valves for the youngest players.
We wouldn’t recommend storing the instrument (or your child for that matter) near a roaring open coal fire either...
The clever valve set up is a huge plus point
Plus points:
Can take a fair bit of youthful enthusiasm when being played or not. All the slides work perfectly and the valves should last if treated properly.
Minus points:
That said, the valves do need to be lubricated as often as Oliver Reed to work perfectly, the waterkey and valve button tops are a bit flimsy and that case is a bit naff despite the bright colour.
How does it play?
It plays like a plastic trumpet.
If you are expecting your child to sound like a fledging Wynton Marsalis then think again, but if a young player gets the production basics right it sounds no better and certainly no worse than an traditional entry level starter instrument.
The valves can be a bit sluggish and need to be regularly lubricated, but they are certainly swift enough to manage a decent whip through an air-varie solo.
It is disappointing though that the instrument only comes with a very limited supply of ‘bespoke’ valve and slide lubricant.
You suspect that will be used up pretty rapidly - and the makers do stress the point that you must only use Tiger Valve Lube and Tiger Slide Lube on you Tiger Trumpet. You can buy a four pack supply set for around £14.00 (Ouch!)
As for tuning?
We were a bit sceptical at first, but it soon sounded fairly spot-on and the low register around the troublesome D and C# area is as close as you could wish to hope for.
If it looks like plastic and feels like plastic it will play like plastic...
Plus points:
If you expecting it to sound like Maurice Murphy on the theme to ‘Star Wars’ then think again, but it certainly doesn’t sound like a Morris Minor trying to start on a cold January morning either.
Minus points:
The key to the success seems to be keeping the valves in good nick. Forget to lube regularly and they become as sticky as a student’s finances.
Overall Value:
The first one on the market place is always sure to create interest, but also becomes the marker for rivals to beat.
Despite the clever valve block, great colours, robust build and lightweight feel, the Tiger has one huge problem which at the moment will surely see it on the endangered species list against future competitors.
It costs around £250 in the UK.
That’s right. And with rumours of rivals pitching their models at half the price it seems to be far too expensive to compete as a starter model or even a niche novelty addition to a serious player’s kit bag.
In the pink or a bit too pricey?
Possible extinction
It’s certainly fun, but for that price you would expect much, much more - including a better case and a more generous supply of free valve lube to start with. They need to get the price down - and by a huge margin.
As much as we enjoyed it - £250 or so is simply far too much to pay to keep this Tiger from facing possible future extinction.
For more information go to: http://www.warburton-usa.com/index.php/tiger-trumpet
