My Favorite Trumpet Resources
Click here for my recommendations of brass restorations and repair services.
Custom mouthpieces by Mark Curry (email). (1-800-695-1076) A pleasure to do business with. Fast turnaround on top quality custom mouthpieces, at very reasonable prices.
One of the best discoveries during my comeback was the Trumpet Players' International Network, or TPIN. TPIN is a mailing list of trumpet players around the world. It has been a great help to me in re-educating myself about the art and science of trumpet playing.

Complete archive of TPIN digests
Read TPIN messages at eGroups

A similar dialog (with some of the same people that are on TPIN plus a lot of others) can be found on the usenet newsgroup rec.music.makers.trumpet. I get to usenet via Deja.Com. Or go directly via Deja to rec.music.makers.trumpet
eBay . The world's biggest flea market. Find a lifetime of work for your favorite brass repairman, right here! The good stuff is under Books, Movies, Music:Musical Instruments:Brass .
Giardinelli Purchase musical instrument stuff over the net!
Leather Specialties (Hand guards) 770-434-4705 (Atlanta area).... Handguards made to fit many specific trumpet models. If you are local and can bring them your horn, they can custom fit (if they don't have a pattern for your model). These are the best hand guards available... leather on the outside, then a layer of plastic as a moisture barrier, then a layer of felt, stitched together. It wraps around the valve casing and fastens with velcro fasteners. They also offer mouthpiece pouches, leather gig bags, etc. New! You can now purchase online at their website.
Medallion Products Inc Silver/gold plating products 1-800-REPLATE.... I use their Liquid Silver Lotion for touching up spots where the silver has worn off. It holds up ok in "low-traffic" area but must be reapplied frequently in areas with constant contact.
I use Ultrapure Candle Lamp Oil for valve oil on many of my horns. It lasts much longer than Al Cass, and it is a bit heavier, so it compensates for the somewhat worn valves on my older horns. Also, it is odorless and CHEAP. (16 ounces for about $3). I bought mine at Kroger's.
  BiNaK 495 valve, slide, key, and rotor instrument oil. A great valve oil which also claims to be free from harmful health effects. In my experience, BiNaK 495 has lubricating performance similar to Ultrapure lamp oil (that's a high compliment!), but with additional anticorrosive, anti-staining benefits. I use this on certain horns that seem to need the added protection from corrosion.
I use Tarni-shield silver cleaner. It is non-abrasive, cleans up the horn to a brighter shine than anything else I have tried, and it applies an anti-tarnish treatment which prolongs the shine. Also bought at Kroger's. I've been told it can be ordered directlyfrom 3M at 1-800-257-3451.
The highly acclaimed FLITZ metal polish. Can be used on brass, copper, silver and many other metals. Nonabraisive, nontoxic, safe to use with your bare hands.
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