Need suggestions for a French horn

[Knottscott]

Hi all - Definitely an off topic question here, but I could really use some help from those who've been through it before.

We have a budding French horn player who's ending her 2nd year, is doing very well, practices regularly, enjoys playing, was selected for the all county band, and appears as though she's going to stick with this. We think it may be time to purchase a horn as opposed to renting one. Preferably something suitable through HS, but even an intermediate step would be acceptable. I think she's currently using a single horn by Conn.

We need brand/model suggestions that won't break the bank. I understand that a double horn is the way to go, and that the Yamaha and Holton horns are desirable (among others)...they're also fairly expensive. What we're looking for are suggestions for those brands and models that represent the most bang for the buck that might be picked up used in the $350-$500 range, that are still good functioning horns and that are a worthwhile purchases...basically hoping to avoid the junk. Used is likely where the better values are. I see all kinds of brands and no name horns...what's good and what's not?

Your comments would be greatly appreciated! TIA!

[jackellis]

Your question is almost 40 years too late. A good friend of mine in high school was a terrific 'horn player and he would know, but we've lost touch over the years.

[DustyandLefty]

good luck!

At home we've gone through the search routine, and just bought our college-age daughter a new flute (her third) this month. Good luck!

Here are some notes:
1) Talk with the music teacher about brands and desirable features. And or a professional.
2) Try out the various brands at a music instrument store. Some will just feel better or sound better to your musician. (I could NEVER hear the difference...too many power tools roaring away over the years in my background, I guess.)
3) If you find a used one, see if you can try it out for a week so that your musician can play it at home and for the music teacher and in the usual settings.
4) See if there's a horn convention this summer that you can get to. They will have lots of venders of new and used instruments, and a room full of musicians playing different notes and pieces loudly all at once. We attended a flute convention in NYC last year to get a better idea of what we were looking for.
5) You will get contradictory advice about the best brands and features from different people; so go with the instrument your musician wants to play.
6) This will not be inexpensive...

Dusty and Lefty

[LCHIEN]

+1 on the instrument the player feels comfortable with.
I know many instruments have their own feel and tone, if she is as good as you are saying, then she will want an instrument that feels good and is easy to play for her, responsive etc. Got to try a bunch and can't buy by mail order...

[Shep]

As an experienced trumpet player, I do have some insight to your question. While I haven't played french horn, here are my suggestions.

1. Since you're renting now, look into seeing if the company you are renting from will give you a credit towards the purchase if you buy through them. Some music stores will allow you a pretty hefty allowance after a couple years. Might be a good place to start.

2. I own a Holton Trumpet and it is very solid. Could be a little on the expensive side, so I might recommend the Yamaha. The Yahaha's offer good quality for a good price.

3. Reach out to local colleges with a music department. You should be able to find a slew of people who play the french horn, who normally have a couple. They might be looking to ofload their "starter" horn and keep their expensive one. This starter horn will likely be of good quality, good sound, and for the price you're looking for, might be a win-win arrangement. Also, many music departments have an area people can post fliers. You might be able to post a flier with what your looking for.

4. Make sure you buy a left-handed one.

[Uncle Cracker]

I wouldn't give her money for a horn... She's just gonna blow it.

[cgallery]

I wouldn't give her money for a horn... She's just gonna blow it.

Really not bad.

[jdon]

If you can find a way, the Conn model 8D is the way to go.

Based on our experience with two kids who have played horn:

Band teachers may not give the best advice- my daughter's recommended a Yamaha, which was hard to tune and relatively hard to play.

Try to get advice from somebody passionate and experienced about horn (?private teacher). There ought to be plenty at Eastman!

If you can got to NYC area, definitely check out Dillon Music in Woodbridge NJ- specializes in brass instruments (Google "NY Times Dillon Music" for background). My daughter and her teacher spent several hours trying out many horns before settling on a gently used Conn, at a fair price, which she found easier to play, with much better tone, than the Yamaha. (We sold the Yamaha at a small loss to another student at school who was following the band teacher's recommendation).

Definitely consider used. Dents and dings are often purely cosmetic- and can usually be fixed at a repair shop. Make sure the mouthpeice receiver isn't damaged and tuning slides move. The rotary valves require ongoing maintenance, and mating surfaces can become tarnished and sticky with neglect. Again, repairable, but should be taken into account (think used BT3000!). Enlisted an experienced horn player/tutor is again invaluable, including knowing the going price of a potential purchase.

Best of luck. I don't perform myself (a squandered youth), but the beautiful sound of a horn has no equal. Keep encouraging and supporting your child, and buy the best quality you can afford. If (as sometimes happens) she loses interest, a better horn will retain resale value better.

[DrChas]

We play stringed instruments, so I won't be too much help, but when my daughter got her cello she actually made an appointment to meet her teacher at the instrument store. They auditioned a bunch of cellos and basically made our decision with the teachers help. She also brought along her best friend who plays violin. Basically the more ears the better. Its best if you are on good terms with the store staff, so there is something to be said for buying from the store you rent from.

[Knottscott]

Thanks for the suggestions (and yucks!) .

We're currently renting an instrument that the school owns so there's no purchase plan with it....fortunately, we've only invested about $125 into it, which has paid the dividends of having a young enthusiastic horn player. I did check out Dillon's website, and will definitely check out a few local shops. I think contacting the Eastman, Rochester Philharmonic, RYPO, Hochstein, or several of the excellent HS music programs in our area is an excellent suggestion, so thanks for that...especially with another school year coming to a close, this is fairly good timing. We're going to take our time and see what comes along. I'll try to update this post and things develop.

[Knottscott]

Well, to close out this post, we bought an older Conn 6D made in Elkhart, Indiana around 1950 for $600. It was owned and played by a music teacher and was in very nice condition. She's happy!

[Uncle Cracker]

She's happy!

...and that's the most important thing!

[phi1l]

Flanders & Swann comes to mind ...

[JSUPreston]

It's been a long while since I played horn (I was primarily trumpet, but played anything with a mouthpiece). In addition to the Conn, the Holton Farkas used to be considered a good horn as well. Make sure to also get a good quality mouthpiece. They are sized according to lip/facial structure as well as experience/endurance.

Adding to the confusion, I would go ahead and suggest getting a double horn. This is the one with the 4th valve for the thumb so that the horn plays in both F and B-Flat. A very accomplished player can play in both keys on the horn, but most of us only learned to use the B-Flat side on certain notes due to some really weird overtones (on the F side, three notes in a row on the F Major-Bflat concert scale were all played with the same fingering).

IIRC, there is also a horn with a 5th valve, but I've never seen one used. (http://www.horntrader.com/Merchant2/...tegory_Code=O0) I wouldn't suggest this at all, just adding more info.

[pierhogunn2]

the Conn 8D is a popular choice, but you may have luck with the Yamaha brand horns, just ask have her play serveral, you actually have to test drive these things, Some horns from the same brand/model will play/feel different. if she has a band director or a priavte teacher, ask them for a selection for her to play on the horn, nothing complicated, just something where she has to hit the notes from C to G ( or even high A)

this is where you can tell a studend horn from a professional or even collegiate level hold ( like a paxon, or a holton-farkas)

stay as far away from the el-cheapo chinese horns as you can

do not get mechanical linkages on the rotors, stick with strings, yeah they are a pain, but the don't clank, and there are fewer places for the rotor-key assembly to stick

Double horns are always great,

Check to see if you can get a detachable bell, it's one more thing to break, but it's also easier to carry since it collapses into a more managble case size,

Getting a french horn on and off of a bus with a full 40lb back pack is a pita

anything else and I will edit the post