Customer reviews help you to make better decisions. They give you confidence when you shop. They guide you.
At Warwick Music, we love feedback. Good, bad, buzzworthy or brassed-off. Hearing from our customers helps us to help you. We want to encourage more children to play musical instruments across the globe. Reviews help us to better ourselves and, more importantly, help to make better musicians.
That's why we have pooled together a whole host of reviews of our beginner brass instrument, pBuzz. There are almost three hundred verified reviews on Amazon, so we have picked out a few highlights.
But these are not just the five-star, "pBuzz changed my life" reviews. We've included a whole mix, to give you a snapshot of who pBuzz is and isn't for, to give you a feel for what pBuzz is all about. After all, this is a completely new musical instrument that we invented. Rather than hearing us, let's find out who else is buzzing about pBuzz.
The pBuzz reviews are in...
"Great fun and encourages embouchure development!"
Many pBuzz customers are brass players themselves. If kids see big, shiny, beautiful trombones, tubas, trumpets, and more, the chances are they will want to learn to play themselves! One five-star customer in 2022 fits into this category, even if the child's mum would probably prefer a quieter hobby around the house!
"I'm a trombonist. Bought this as a fun toy for my grandson age 4 who loves to blow my brass instruments. He loves it and is now wanting to bring it to Poppas to help him "with his work". I'm hoping it will serve to help his interest and later, when he is big enough, help when he is invited to audition for brass lessons at school. Mummy hates it :)"
"Excellent beginner trombone"
Some customers see the potential for pBuzz as a stepping stone to learning to play the trombone. This is particularly useful for younger children who want to make a head start, as this five-star parent review testifies:
"My 5-year-old has decided he wants to play trombone. Except we cannot find him lessons until he is 2-3 years older
He could get a sound out of it within 5 minutes of unwrapping it and we are working our way through YouTube lessons."
"Good starter for brass"
pBuzz is incredibly popular with educators, and many purchase their instruments through Amazon. Learning a brass instrument at a young age can be tough: with more children learning pBuzz, that means more budding brass players in the future! Here is a five-star review from a teacher on Amazon:
"I’m a brass player and teacher and find these things a really useful starter.
They’re cheap enough that a class set is affordable.
There are no instructions with them, so you’ll need either a teacher or to find some help online.
They are in C and play the range of a 5th from F to C with all the semitones in between. (Some info incorrectly says they’re in B flat).
It is possible to play them with your own small bore trombone mouthpiece."
"Excellent as an introduction to the trombone"
Another big positive about pBuzz is its affordability. Musical instruments can get expensive...fast! pBuzz gives children a taste of music-making at an attractive price. No pricey instruments gathering dust: children can play, have fun, and can later go on to more advanced models. This is particularly true for young children who are beginning to discover their interests, like in this five-star review from a UK parent:
"5-year-old wanted a trombone for his birthday and figured this was the best bet rather than paying a silly price for an actual trombone. He’s had it for a week and practices every day, he’s really chuffed with himself as he can make noises, not quite sure he’s doing it right yet but it makes him happy! (& gives me a giggle watching him!)"
"Solidly built and lots of fun"
The durability of pBuzz also figures frequently in our reviews on Amazon. Beginner instruments need to be able to stand up to the demands of young and sometimes destructive hands. This five-star review highlights our robust build quality...and the fact that pBuzz can produce "loud rude noises":
"My son is 2 years old and he loves this pBuzz for making loud rude noises, and "accompanying" me whenever I try to do some trumpet practice.
It is well made and has a good mouthpiece and has become part of the toy box collection but as the boy gets older he will get more benefits from it. As he is only 2 it's a fun thing and he enjoys getting notes out of it and sliding it back and forward while marching around the room."
Who pBuzz is NOT for
We promised you some negative reviews, and here they are. For some buyers, pBuzz is not the right solution. Maybe you are expecting a musical toy like a kazoo: in reality, pBuzz is simple but requires practice and perseverance like any other musical instrument.
"It's basically a fancy Vuvuzela. Very disappointing," reads one of our few one-star reviews on Amazon. Well, we like to think of the pBuzz as "fancy". And "Vuvuzela" is a fun word to say. But pBuzz offers techniques rather than toy-like tunes.
For others, pBuzz may be too much of a beginner instrument. If you are an experienced brass player, pBuzz is not really for you (unless you're looking to teach your tricks of the trade to someone else).
One three-star review reads: "OK for young kids but has limitations, as you can really only play just eight notes on this instrument. Maybe a learning tool before the real thing."
A two-star review said "No knowledge of how to play it leads to the fact of not being able to produce sounds on it / play on it. Quite disappointing in overall purchase. Good product though."
Good product...we'll take that! We understand that some previous purchasers of pBuzz might have missed out on the many, many free resources we provide for parents, educators, and children alike. You can sign up for our free pBuzz resources in our Education section.
Is pBuzz the right product for me?
Some words weave their way across the reviews on Amazon. "Fun" features a lot, and that's a testament to the enjoyment that playing an instrument (and yes, creating loud rude noises) can bring young children.
Other words like "affordable" and "robust" regularly crop up in our reviews. We pride ourselves on making instruments like pBuzz accessible and built to last.
We also understand that pBuzz won't be a fun musical solution for everyone. If you are an experienced musical pro or buying for an older child, there are other instruments that will suit your needs better than pBuzz.
For those who have picked up a pBuzz and are looking for guidance, our customer support team can help you. Whether you have purchased your product at Amazon or elsewhere, we want you to get the best experience possible. And that includes free access to our learning resources, to give your little learner the best possible chance to thrive.
Because whatever our reviews, we at Warwick Music want to create as many five-star musicians as possible.
- Want to find out how pBuzz is used in schools? Our Swansea case study is the perfect place to start!
- Giving your child the experience of music from a young age has lots of benefits...in fact, at least ten benefits of music in early childhood.
