The range
The two horns I play:
top - Benge 3X, mid-60s, stamped Burbank but allegedly made in Chicago. Benge collectors drool over it, as it was made in the master's shop. Basically a hand-made Bb trumpet. A little long in the tooth, but somewhat valuable and with a sound that I cannot separate from me. Often played partially disassembled or with numerous rude appenages attached: clips, CD, plastic tubing, pieces of mutes, rubber bands, etc.
bottom - pocket cornet, Indian or Pakistani-made, found on eBay for $50, needed another $80 of work to make it playable. Also a Bb instrument, same range as regular trumpet but with a softer, mellower, more 'singing' sound. Very unreliable in range from F2 - up. These are military band instruments. They're made that way so they're easy to carry around and also so you can march in tight formation without worrying about banging your horn on the fellow in front of you and smashing in your teeth and lips.
The range
The two horns I play:
top - Benge 3X, mid-60s, stamped Burbank but allegedly made in Chicago. Benge collectors drool over it, as it was made in the master's shop. Basically a hand-made Bb trumpet. A little long in the tooth, but somewhat valuable and with a sound that I cannot separate from me. Often played partially disassembled or with numerous rude appenages attached: clips, CD, plastic tubing, pieces of mutes, rubber bands, etc.
bottom - pocket cornet, Indian or Pakistani-made, found on eBay for $50, needed another $80 of work to make it playable. Also a Bb instrument, same range as regular trumpet but with a softer, mellower, more 'singing' sound. Very unreliable in range from F2 - up. These are military band instruments. They're made that way so they're easy to carry around and also so you can march in tight formation without worrying about banging your horn on the fellow in front of you and smashing in your teeth and lips.