Pickett Brass and Blackburn Trumpets

What Pickett Brass and Blackburn Trumpets does

Pickett Brass and Blackburn Trumpets is a privately held, founder-owned precision manufacturer of brass instrument mouthpieces, trumpets, cornets, and aftermarket parts, headquartered and producing entirely at 308 North Ashland Avenue in Lexington, Kentucky. The company operates two intertwined brands: Pickett Brass, founded by Peter Pickett in 2003 and originally focused on trim kits and later mouthpieces, and Blackburn Trumpets, a heritage trumpet brand founded in 1972 by Cliff and Bunny Blackburn that was acquired by Pickett in 2016 and relocated to Lexington. The firm serves professional brass musicians, orchestral and jazz players, commercial performers, music educators, students, and authorized retailers worldwide through a multi-channel model combining direct e-commerce, an in-person showroom in Lexington, an international authorized dealer network (Milano Music, Thomann Music, Prince Brass Repairs), and a wholesale and OEM program for other brands.

The core technology is precision CNC machining guided by proprietary CAD/CAM software, with every mouthpiece and bell designed, machined, finished, and individually inspected in-house. Mouthpiece offerings span trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn, French horn, trombone, and tuba in one-piece and two-piece modular configurations, with custom options for rim diameter, cup depth, throat size, backbore, material (brass, acrylic, stainless steel), and plating. Blackburn trumpets and cornets — including Bb, C, Eb/D, piccolo, rotary, and specialty models — are handcrafted to order with an 8–9 month delivery window and feature ambronze bells and proprietary leadpipe designs. Signature artist mouthpieces (Allen Vizzutti, Bert Truax, and others), the Young Artist Series, Educator Kits, the Asper Visualizer diagnostic tool, and the Tromba 1 Baroque mouthpiece broaden the catalog down-market and into adjacent use cases.

The business model is predominantly one-time hardware sales at premium price points: mouthpieces $85–$210 and instruments approximately $5,000–$8,000+, with ancillary revenue from custom services (replating, engraving, Full Mouthpiece Scan), OEM manufacturing, and an outlet channel for discounted or scratch-and-dent inventory. The team of 10–12 includes the owner, a Director of Sales, manufacturing managers, a bell craftsman trained under Cliff Blackburn, sales specialists, and apprentices drawn primarily from Eastern Kentucky University's Music Industries program. The company holds no external funding, has no parent entity, and is sustained by a global distribution footprint, a 5.0 Google rating across 105 reviews, and active participation in major industry events including ITG, Midwest Clinic, TMEA, NABBA, and the National Trumpet Competition.

Name

Pickett Brass and Blackburn Trumpets

Legal name

Pickett Brass & Blackburn Trumpets

Website

https://pickettblackburn.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pickett Brass and Blackburn Trumpets is a Lexington, Kentucky-based precision manufacturer of brass mouthpieces, trumpets, and aftermarket parts, serving professional musicians, educators, students, and dealers worldwide through direct e-commerce, authorized dealers, and OEM services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Musical Instruments

SIC

Musical Instruments (3931)

akta.pro primary industry

Audio Accessories & Consumables (Cables, Stands, Cases, Strings, Picks, Heads) (MPAIAJAF)

Keywords

• Brass instruments
• Trumpet mouthpieces
• Handcrafted trumpets
• Brass instrument parts
• Musical instrument manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Mouthpiece Sales: Primary revenue from manufacturing and selling brass instrument mouthpieces (trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn, trombone, tuba, french horn). Products available as 1-piece or 2-piece configurations with various materials (brass, acrylic, stainless steel) and plating options.
2. Instrument Sales: Sale of Blackburn trumpets and cornets including Bb, C, piccolo, rotary, and specialty trumpets. Instruments are made to order with 8-9 month wait time. Price range from approximately $5,000 to $8,000+.
3. Parts and Accessories: Sales of leadpipes, tuning slides, bells, mouthpiece cases, and other brass instrument accessories. Also includes aftermarket services like mouthpiece replating.
4. Wholesale/OEM: Wholesale distribution to authorized dealers and OEM services for brands looking for custom mouthpiece products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Pickett Brass and Blackburn Trumpets designs, manufactures, and sells precision brass instrument mouthpieces and handcrafted trumpets and cornets out of its Lexington, Kentucky facility. The Pickett Brass line covers mouthpieces for trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn, French horn, trombone, and tuba in 1-piece and 2-piece configurations with multiple rim, cup, throat, backbore, and plating options, while the Blackburn line offers made-to-order Bb, C, Eb/D, piccolo, and rotary trumpets, cornets, and replacement leadpipes, tuning slides, and bells. The company also provides signature artist mouthpieces, a Young Artist Series, Educator Kits, custom services (replating, engraving, duplication, Full Mouthpiece Scan), and OEM manufacturing for other brands.

Product overview

Pickett Brass and Blackburn Trumpets is a precision brass instrument manufacturer offering two core product lines: Pickett Brass mouthpieces (trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn, French horn, trombone, tuba) and Blackburn Trumpets instruments (Bb, C, Eb/D trumpets, cornets, piccolo trumpets). The company operates a unified portfolio where Pickett mouthpieces serve as the entry/accessory line and Blackburn instruments represent the premium instrument tier. Products are precision-machined in Lexington, Kentucky using proprietary CAD/CAM software, with instruments featuring ambronze bell alloy and Blackburn's proprietary leadpipe designs. The portfolio includes signature/artist mouthpieces (Allen Vizzutti, Bert Truax, and others), the Young Artist Series for developing musicians, Educator Kits for teaching institutions, and custom services including OEM manufacturing. The company also offers replacement parts (leadpipes, tuning slides, bells) and an outlet section for discounted items.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pickett Brass Trumpet Mouthpieces

Quantifiable outcome

• 105 Google Reviews with 5.0 rating demonstrating consistent customer satisfaction

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Milano MusiccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized dealer of Pickett Brass and Blackburn Trumpets. Dealer testimonial notes they also play Pickett Mouthpieces and find them extremely comfortable.
• Thomann MusiccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor European music retailer carrying Pickett Brass products. Testimonial states 'Best mouthpiece that I have played! ... clear, open tone in all registers.'
• Prince Brass RepairscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized dealer testimonial: 'Working with Pickett Brass & Blackburn Trumpets has been nothing but an amazing experience! Peter, Eric, and the team are world class manufacturers who have an incredible passion for the art of brass playing.'
• Eastern Kentucky University (EKU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with EKU Music Industries program for internships and workforce development. Company has worked closely with EKU evaluating internship programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Curry Mouthpieces: Custom brass mouthpiece maker offering 3D-printed and traditional designs with extensive customization. Directly comparable to Pickett Brass in custom-fit mouthpiece offerings for professional brass players.
• Warburton Music Products: Boutique brass mouthpiece maker known for modular interchangeable components (top + backbore system). Directly comparable to Pickett's 2-piece modular mouthpiece architecture and customizable fit offering.
• CarolBrass: Independent brass instrument manufacturer producing handcrafted trumpets, cornets, and flugelhorns with extensive customization. Closely comparable to Blackburn in product line, premium positioning, and made-to-order model.
• Monette Brass Instruments: High-end boutique trumpet and mouthpiece maker serving elite professional players. Directly comparable to Pickett/Blackburn in premium pricing, custom work, signature artist models, and small-batch production.
• Schilke Music Products: Family-run boutique trumpet and brass mouthpiece manufacturer based in Illinois. Closely comparable to Pickett/Blackburn in scale, customization philosophy, professional-customer focus, and made-in-USA premium positioning.
• GR Technologies (GR Mouthpieces): Specialty brass mouthpiece manufacturer offering extensive customization and made-to-order configurations. Closely comparable to Pickett Brass in product focus, customization breadth, and professional/educator customer mix.
• Bob Reeves Brass & Mouthpieces: Boutique brass mouthpiece maker and custom brass workshop offering fittings, modifications, and custom builds. Comparable to Pickett's consultation-driven, customized mouthpiece business model.
• B&S Meister (Hoyer): German brass instrument manufacturer with strong cornet and trumpet lines (B&S, Meister). Comparable to Blackburn in brass instrument focus, mid-to-high price tier, and international distribution via dealers like Thomann.

Broad incumbents

• Yamaha Brass: Global musical instrument giant with a full brass line including trumpets (Xeno, Zeno) and mouthpieces. Competes with Blackburn at the mid-to-high tier and offers broader scale, dealer reach, and price-point diversity.
• Vincent Bach (Conn-Selmer): Largest legacy trumpet and brass instrument maker (Stradivarius line) and a dominant mouthpiece brand. Directly competes with Blackburn trumpets and Pickett mouthpieces, but operates at much greater scale across a full band & orchestra portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pickettblackbrn
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@pickettblackburn
• Facebookfacebook.com/PickettBlackburn
• Instagraminstagram.com/pickettblackburn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pickett-brass

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pickett Brass and Blackburn Trumpets