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Simba Cornet
Just for clarification, I ordered the one in the soft case (to the right), but received the one in the hard case (to the left). The one on the left is on the Simba website (Simbaproducts dot com). They seem like different horns---notice not just the valve cap felts, but the length of the third valve tuning slide. It might just be the angle, because, as far as I know, they only make one model. This is a student cornet.
Positives
On the positive side, the seller has great communications. The price is obviously a bargain at $99.00. Shipping is fair at $20 and they ship very quickly. The instrument is very nice looking and is in the shepherd's crook format. All tuning slides move smoothly and effortlessly. There is good compression and it has a fair sound, though not as mellow as I expected. The Berkeley cornet has the kind of rich sound you want on a cornet. (Too bad Berkeley's aren't in tune). The case is adequate and looks sharp in black with chrome trimming.
Negatives
It doesn't matter what else nice the cornet has, if the pistons aren't working properly, you might as well forget the possibility of having fun practicing. Let's not even mention performing. This is the problem with the Simba cornet. The pistons stick or are slow. Mostly, they stick.
I am going to ask Simba to send me another horn. If the next one turns out to have acceptable pistons (valves), then I'll update this to indicate it.
For now, my conclusion is that if this is simply the horn that people are most likely to get when they get a Simba cornet, then I would not buy this for any student. If you like to hang shiny things on your wall, then the Simba cornet is as cute a collectible as you'll find for display. A little expensive for decor, but, hey, to each his or her own. :-)
However, if you want something to play decently while you're traveling, or if you want to perform, or if you want to get your kid a playable instrument, then I would NOT recommend buying a Simba cornet. Save your money for a good new shepherd's crook cornet made by a standard, mainstream manufacturer (Yamaha, Bach, etc.) or buy a used Olds Ambassador cornet (no shepherd's crook). The Olds might cost even less, certainly not much more, and true that it won't be pretty to behold at the low end of purchase price, but valve action will be lightning fast and you'll get a horn built like a tank.
In short, Simba does not manufacture a good cornet. If or when they redesign the valve section to be satisfactory, I'll have another look at it.
(FYI: I own a Simba clarinet. It does a fair job as a student model clarinet. So this is not a blanket critique about Simba products.)
Just for clarification, I ordered the one in the soft case (to the right), but received the one in the hard case (to the left). The one on the left is on the Simba website (Simbaproducts dot com). They seem like different horns---notice not just the valve cap felts, but the length of the third valve tuning slide. It might just be the angle, because, as far as I know, they only make one model. This is a student cornet.
Positives
On the positive side, the seller has great communications. The price is obviously a bargain at $99.00. Shipping is fair at $20 and they ship very quickly. The instrument is very nice looking and is in the shepherd's crook format. All tuning slides move smoothly and effortlessly. There is good compression and it has a fair sound, though not as mellow as I expected. The Berkeley cornet has the kind of rich sound you want on a cornet. (Too bad Berkeley's aren't in tune). The case is adequate and looks sharp in black with chrome trimming.
Negatives
It doesn't matter what else nice the cornet has, if the pistons aren't working properly, you might as well forget the possibility of having fun practicing. Let's not even mention performing. This is the problem with the Simba cornet. The pistons stick or are slow. Mostly, they stick.
I am going to ask Simba to send me another horn. If the next one turns out to have acceptable pistons (valves), then I'll update this to indicate it.
For now, my conclusion is that if this is simply the horn that people are most likely to get when they get a Simba cornet, then I would not buy this for any student. If you like to hang shiny things on your wall, then the Simba cornet is as cute a collectible as you'll find for display. A little expensive for decor, but, hey, to each his or her own. :-)
However, if you want something to play decently while you're traveling, or if you want to perform, or if you want to get your kid a playable instrument, then I would NOT recommend buying a Simba cornet. Save your money for a good new shepherd's crook cornet made by a standard, mainstream manufacturer (Yamaha, Bach, etc.) or buy a used Olds Ambassador cornet (no shepherd's crook). The Olds might cost even less, certainly not much more, and true that it won't be pretty to behold at the low end of purchase price, but valve action will be lightning fast and you'll get a horn built like a tank.
In short, Simba does not manufacture a good cornet. If or when they redesign the valve section to be satisfactory, I'll have another look at it.
(FYI: I own a Simba clarinet. It does a fair job as a student model clarinet. So this is not a blanket critique about Simba products.)
Guide created: 10/11/07 (updated 05/18/08)
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