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[Danobone78]

I am considering buying a Jupiter Soprano trombone (314L B flat). Does anyone here own one? What do you think of it? Thanks!

[Stewbones43]

Yup,I have one.

First of all, the 7c mouthpiece is too shallow and too long so you finish up with a flat slide trumpet. I use a Yamaha flugel horn mouthpiece shortened by about 3mm; it makes it in tune and makes it sound more like a trombone.
Secondly, the positions are so close together that playing it in tune requires a lot of time and effort.
Thirdly, playing on a much smaller mouthpiece can be difficult for some people; I am luckily not one of them and can play trumpet and french horn with some success-40 years as a general brass teacher helped! So try a trumpet for a while if you are not sure- your trumpet range should be two and a half octaves otherwise you can cover all the notes and more on a tenor or an alto!
Both these points may be detrimental to your trombone playing so think carefully and don't forget that most trombone players make their money with a tenor or a bass. I don't know of any who make their money with just an alto and I definitely don't know any full time descant trombone players.
I'm not saying "Don't do it!" but think carefully.

Cheers

Stewbones

[bonesmarsh]

Three local trumpet players bought them when the store selling had a "too good to be true" close out sale.

totally unplayable. One of the trumpet players asked me to lube the slide to try and get it to actually physically work. Impossible with valve oil. Even more impossible with Superslick.

No stocking on the slides. TOTALLY unplayable.

Save your money and AVOID.

[SilverBone]

I bought one recently.

Build quality seems good.  Slide works well.  Bell feels like it could use a little more mass in it - it's very light.

I'm not a good enough soprano bone player to really comment on what it can do, but I can say it sounds rather trumpety.  I'm using one of the Al Cass trombone-to-trumpet doubler mouthpieces because I can't handle a trumpet mouthpiece.

I bought this just to goof around with.

Positions are very close together!  Hard to play in tune.

[WiiWii]

As a trumpet player, I can say that (although the Jupiter mouthpiece makes it sound a lot like  trumpet) any true Bach C cup mouthpiece or Schilke/Yamaha D cup will give it a more darker tone. the V cup (or cornet/flugel) mouthpieces will let you produce a warmer sound that is difficult on a normal trumpet. As far as I know from playing it, the soprano trombone has an inherently warmer sound than a trumpet. (same comparison of a tenor trombone to a bass trumpet).

Still, I feel that there should be more of a difference between the trumpet and soprano trombone timbres. And the playing in tune is not that hard (not any harder than playing in tune on a tenor trombone). It just takes practice. I'm sure no one could play perfectly in tune just a few months from picking up their first trombone.

Also, Schilke makes a size 24 mouthpiece (18.3 mm inner rim) compared to a Bach 3C tpt mpc at 16.3 mm Bach 12C tbn mpc at 25.5 mm. I think that Schilke 24 is as big as you can get on trumpet mouthpieces. try to find that schilke in a D or E cup if you can, their Cs are generally shallower than Bach's.

[Danobone78]

You people have been very helpful. Thank you.

[WiiWii]

Your welcome. Also, if you get a Jupiter, make sure you get a new one. used ones are generally from before the E serial numbers (when Jupiter stuff was still bad). I saw a few going a around at A serial numbers (yikes) a few weeks ago on eBay. Save and get new for about $390 on WWBW.com (http://wwbw.com/Slide-Trumpets-c61+4294903455.music). You won't regret it (as much). If you feel you need a warmer trombone-like sound, consider the dual-bore Miraphone also on WWBW. They are both listed as slide trumpets (erroneously).

[SilverBone]

Your welcome. Also, if you get a Jupiter, make sure you get a new one. used ones are generally from before the E serial numbers (when Jupiter stuff was still bad).

Mine has a serial number that starts with H.  Any way to know the manufacture date?

[Stewbones43]

Bonesmarsh, are you talking about "Jupiter" models or are you talking about the cheap Chinese? copies that are around? The Jupiter ones seem to be reasonably good and the slides work and have stockings on them and leadpipes.
Mine is 20 years old(No letters in the serial number) and works OK.

Cheers

Stewbones

[WiiWii]

Jupiter's not Chinese, it's Taiwanese.

[skygazer]

Wasn't Taiwan once known as the Republic of China?

[Stewbones43]

Jupiter's not Chinese, it's Taiwanese.

WiiWii,
That was the point I was trying to make.
Jupiter have been established quite a while now and, although their products were not very good originally, they have really upped their game and some of the modern stuff is of good quality. We are not talking Shires/Rath/ Kanstul/Edwards but we are not talking that sort of price range. Jupiter are good student and step-up horns.

Cheers

Stewbones

[Aloysius]

If everything goes according to my admittedly bizarre plans, the Jupiter 418L may become my first horn.  I have researched the issue of older / less reliable Jupiter instruments.  The series 'E' said to be the first 'model year' where Jupiter overhauled their quality control, came out in 2002.  Current 2008 production starts with a 'K' in the serial number;  'H' was apparently produced in 2005.  I have found the 418L offered at Pro Winds for $329 including shipping.  See:
 https://www.prowinds.com/merchantmanager/product_info.php?products_id=1025
Pro Winds suggest that for a slightly darker sound and easy intonation, I may want to try the Bach Megatone 5C mouthpiece on the 418L.  Opinions on Pro Winds and their suggestion of mouthpiece?

I am not a brass player. . . yet. 

Before the 'French Revolution', I had experience with composition, voice, piano, flute, baroque recorders

Regards,  Guido
 

[bobertthebone]

Welcome to the forum, Guido.
May I ask why you decided soprano trombone would be a good instrument to learn?

[Aloysius]

Thank you bobertthebone, good question.  The little Jupiter fits both my budget constraints, as well as my desire to take the instrument with me when I travel around the country--on otherwise tediously unmusical business.  It also fits my particular interest in less than common musical instruments.  Guido

[Joel Felberg]

Good timing...one just popped up on TTFC

http://classifieds.tromboneforum.org/detail.php?id=2309

[Aloysius]

I have seen the ad also on Trumpetherald.  Probably in very good condition as Dorival Puccini is associated with Axiom Brass. My only concern is that the horn is from the transitional 'E' series, probably from 2002 and may perhaps be not as reliable/durable as current production.  Guido