Last updated: 1 November 2020: Added "A Timeline of Trumpets"
The following products are ones that I have the utmost confidence in recommending to fellow trumpet and brass players, as applicable. These are things I have purchased and consistently use. That being said, these are my opinions, so YMMV:
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Leadpipe Swab -- If there is one thing from this list that I would recommend most, it would be this. And if you've never bothered to use one, or even if you have tried others, do yourself a favor and contact user trpthrld on trumpetherald.com and ask to buy "The Best Damned Leadpipe Swab Period". I bought one to try; I have now purchased three. Your leadpipe will thank you.
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Mouthpiece Covers -- Messina Covers has a great reputation for their instrument covers and trumpet bags. Highbrasslass of Messina Covers runs a separate store on eBay selling absolutely awesome mouthpiece bags. Custom embroidery is free. I firmly believe there is nothing better on the market unless, for some reason, you felt the need for a hard case. I'm still trying to get her to sew a quad mouthpiece bag in a square configuration with a patched black and white color scheme that she could call the "Udderly Best Mouthpiece Bag". (You'll have to check out what the bags look like to understand where I'm going with that.)
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Valve Oil -- Back in the '80s and '90s, I used to swear by Al Cass Fast Valve, Slide and Key Oil. I've used several others as well, including Blue Juice, Ultra Pure, Yamaha, Holton, and Jupiter. Used correctly, these are all decent. However, some enterprising trumpet dudes got together a few years ago and formulated Monster Oil Brass Lubricants in three different viscosities. Their "original" and "faster" oils have become my favorites by far.
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Studies -- Charlier's Thirty-Six Plus, from qPress, is one piece of literature you must have. Even if you have a previous copy of this particular work, this is one you simply must buy. Having the additional study integrated into Charlier's work is a time-saving stroke of genius and it is clearly a labor of love. I paid for the upgrade to print which takes about 10 business days for shipping and is spiral bound.
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History -- A Timeline of Trumpets, by Ron Berndt, is a wonderful, full-color book describing the people, the companies, and the trumpets of the modern era. Clearly another labor of love, Mr. Berndt conveys an enormous amount of information along with photographs and drawings of cornets and trumpets beginning roughly at the turn of the 19th Century through present. If you have any interest in the rich history of the trumpet, this is the book for you.
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