We bought one of these as a trial for our beginners' band.
To be honest, we weren't expecting much for the price we paid. What a surprise!
We are VERY impressed with the quality of this cornet and its accessories. It was played by several people in our senior band and they can't believe what we paid for the cornet.
The instrument plays very well. Whilst top C was a bit of a struggle, we can't see this being an issue with beginners, who this instrument is aimed at.
When checked with a tuner, all notes from bottom C to top G were fine (except bottom C# and D - no surprise there - 3rd valve slide soon sorted that).
One thing to note is the sound is quite bright (almost like a trumpet), especially with the supplied mouthpiece with is similar to a 7c. This may not suit all bands (hence 3 stars for sound). I tried a Denis Wick 4W and this made quite a difference so something a little deeper might be better.
As for what you get for your money besides an excellent cornet, the instrument is well protected in a neat compact case with velcroed handles on top, single handle on the end and a carry strap. All pretty sturdy. The case also has an outside pouch for pencils/cleaning cloths etc although you won't get any sheet music in there (not a big deal). Inside, along with the cornet, you also get a mouthpiece, bottle of valve oil, pair of white gloves (which we won't be using) and a cleaning cloth.
What more can I say, excellent instrument, excellent price.
