Valve
Horns
A Photo Album of "all available horns past and
present" has been posted on the Yahoo Horn
List by an anonymous ("ndspmustang") poster, including
photos of some 132 models of horns. If there was ever a
horn you wanted to see a picture of, any horn at all,
this is the place to look.
Erin Schmidt of the University of Evanston has compiled a
list of horn manufacturers that
compares models, alloy, bore, (approximate) price, and
other details.
See also Wikipedia's List of Horn Makers
See also Horn History for information on
historical instruments
Ever wonder Who Plays What? - list
players (teachers & orchestra players) and what horn
model(s) they currently play.
Ricardo Matosinhos has crafted an online survey that lists type of
player (professional/amateur/teacher), type of horn,
mouthpiece model for a random and limited but
interesting comparison of what players are using these
days.
Medlin Horns - "Traditional
horns with modern attitude"
Horn maker Jacob Medlin offers one price for a custom made
Geyer wrap double horn "any way you want it" (one price for
all - no extra charges for (e.g.) cut bell, water key,
different metals,etc. Variety of bell flares, mouthpipes,
etc). He also offers a single Bb horn with ascending and
descending tuning slides.
Sorley
Horns
Maker Darin
Sorely makes a Geyer wrap custom double horn with a host
of features, including detachable bell, adjustable
finger hook, (optional) garland, various leadpipes.
Engelbert Schmid
Engelbert Schmid is both a virtuoso horn player and horn
maker, and his horns are among the most sought-after - and
expensive - in the world. He offers a variety of horns:
various kinds of single horns, double horns, triple horns,
natural horns, Wagner tuben, as well as bells and
mouthpieces. Read the interview with NY Philharmonic
principal horn Phil Myers here. Schmid is the only maker to offer an
F/Bb/high Eb triple horn. Check out this
video portrait of Engelbert
Schmid (in
German) about his career as a player and as an
instrument maker.
Depicted below is a double horn with a stopping valve.
Lawson Horns
Former ace repair shop turned custom
horn maker. Bell, mouthpiece, and leadpipe specialists.
Much interesting information on acoustics as well. The
company was purchased by Kendall Betts and is now
located in New Hampshire.
Patterson Horns
Maker
Jim Patterson has performed as an L.A. freelancer and with
the L.A. Baroque Orchestra on natural horn as well.
He is a maker of highly regarded double horns, descant, and
natural horns. Another specialty is making
hybrid/conversion horns, where he installs his custom
leadpipe, slides and valve caps to a factory horn, which he
says makes for significant improvements.
Left:
the Patterson Custom Double; Right: the Patterson descant
with stopping valve
Hatch Horns
Custom hand-crafted Geyer wrap yellow brass horns by Wes
Hatch.
The web site provides an interesting look at each component
of the horn (slide tubes, branches, leadpipe, valves,
etc.), plus a memoir of Hatch's early experiences with the
Holton company.
Ricco Kühn horns
have gotten rave reviews lately. Available in the US
from Ken Pope and Brass Arts
Unlimited.
Below is Model 293.
De Haro
Horns
Stuart DeHaro
has put his excellent skills as a repairman to a higher
purpose: He now makes custom Geyer-style double horns, a
"culmination of over ten years of study and design." A
variety of options are available.
Cantesanu Horns
Felix Cantesanu is a both a professional hornist and an
instrument repairman and horn maker.
Below is his Cantesanu Horn Model C
Rauch Horns
No link. Dan Rauch is an American horn maker living in Oslo
(coincidentally married to Frøydis Ree Wekre),
whose Geyer model horns are in great demand.
Berg Horns
Custom hand-crafted Geyer style brass horns.
Karl Hill - Kortesmaki Horns [no web site]
Hill horns are played by Bob Ward, Adam Unsworth, Dave
Krehbiel, Gail Williams, and others
Address: 1474 Calvin SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49507
Dürk horns
Respected European maker of single, double, triple, and
descant horns.
Also makes a Lewis-Dürk horn (left) iin partnership with Chicago
horn maker Steve Lewis. On the right is the Lewis double
horn.
Finke is another German horn
manufacturer whose horns have had considerable
popularity. Finke makes a wide variety of models
(including natural horns and Wagner tuben), plus some
very unique ones, such as a G/F single horn, a compact
horn (great for small beginners), and a Bb /hi Bb double
descant. Below is the Finke double horn:
Alexander Horns
Among
the most popular horns ever made, especially in Germany and
Asia.
Maker of a huge assortment of brass instruments. Below is
their famous Model 103, followed by the same with silver
and gold plating.
Paxman horns have been legendary for generations.
They make everything: doubles, compensating doubles,
descants (Bb/High F doubles), triples, compensating
triples.
They are famed for their dual bore system and titanium
valves.
Below L to R: new Paxman Series 3 horn, Paxman 25, and
Model 83 Compensating Triple Horn.
The Paxman web site also offers used horns, sheet music,
books, CDs & DVDs, accessories, mouthpieces, cases, a
list of dealers, horn posters, care and maintenance
information, "assisted purchase scheme," and more.
Nirschl French Horns
Good student instruments at very good prices. The D-500LQ [lacquered version of the the
D-500 depicted below] is a 3/4 wrap (size) Geyer style
double that currently has a street price of about $1420.
The smaller wrap is a better fit for student beginners
than full size, which is often uncomfortably large.
5 models: 3 Geyer style, 2 Kruspe style
Read a description and review of these NIrschl horns by
John Ericson here.
3 depicted below:
The Czech instrument maker Amati's V. F. Cerveny horns (below L
to R: CHR32 & CHR 345 student models)
are available in the US from Winston band instruments (listed as
the 101L and the 104L in their catalog)
Cerveny professional models: CHR 681PX & 781DX
Hans Hoyer is another major
German horn manufacturer. Geyer model double horn
depicted below. Osmun offers a Kruspe-wrap Hoyer , the
6800 series.
Italian horn maker Kalison makes a variety of
models. Below are the A2000 (Geyer model), Crott, and
Giuliani models.
Dawkes Music in the UK sells
several makes and models horns that have a smaller wrap
for children - why don't more manufacturers make horns
that actually fit children?
Left: Rosetti Series 5 Kinder Single Horn in Bb
Right: Besson 602 Kinder Single F Horn
Dieter Otto
German maker of double, Bb/high F, and triple horns.
Depicted is the new Model 166K.
Willson Band Instruments
of Switzerland
specializes in low brass, but makes a variety of double
horns
Fehr Horns
Dutch Maker Klaus Fehr makes handcrafted double horns.
Cornford Horns
"Christopher Cornford has
developed in co-operation with Peter Steidle, formerly horn
player in the Radio Symphony Orchestra, Frankfurt, a new
double compensated triple horn, which is marketed under the
name: Mod. 3 S. Characteristic of this horn is that it
weights only 2250 grams, therefore being lighter than usual
double horns." Cornford also does repairs, overhauls,
lacquering, plating, etc.
Atkinson Horns
Depicted L to R: Atkinson-Geyer model, Elkhart model,
Erfurt model, Professional model
Haagston
is an Austrian maker who makes both regular double horns
and Vienna horns.
Below L: 148GM Center: 148M R:Haagston Vienna horn
Yamaha makes all kinds of
horn models in various metals. Below L to R YHR-668N,
the 667D, and the 668IID
See all models here or here (Yamaha site).
More: L to R: YHR567, YHR314 (single F)
Holton Farkas horns are very
popular in the US and offer many models.
Below, left to right: H179, H281, H378, H175[Merker-Matic]
The Holton H652M, left, is a single F horn
"designed for younger, smaller students, with a tighter
wrap and 10" bell. Street price of about $1700. Middle,
the H651M, a single Bb with a tight wrap
also designed to fit smaller, younger players, 10" bell,
about $1680 street. Right, the H650, a regular-sized student single
Bb, about $1730.
Conn also has many models.
Left to right: 8D, 10D, 6D
Jupiter Horns are popular
student instruments.
L to R: 952RL Mainz Model, 854L Student model,
Wisemann Mini French Horn in
Bb
"This is a great instrument one can practice playing high
one without worrying about accuracy as much as on the
regular Bb horn." -Jeff Nelsen
The Vienna Horn is a unique instrument -
you really have to play it to appreciate it fully. These
single F instruments are a joy to behold, to play, and to
hear. Play one of these once and you come down with
incurable Vienna horn envy - until that fine day that you
acquire one yourself.
Note the terminal crook, wide garland on the bell, and the
pumpen valves.
Below, left to right, are Vienna horns made by Robert
Engel, Alexander (92M), and Yamaha (YHR-601)
Check out the Vienna Horns CD(sensational!!),
The Art of the Vienna Horn CD, the
Wikipedia article on it, and the
Scottish Vienna Horns web site, with
its Vienna Horn Gallery, Buyers Guide, and Links. For
some scientific data and studies on the Vienna horn,
click here. For YouTube videos of the
Vienna horn in concert, click here.
See Making a Vienna Horn
- a YouTube video of
Robert Engel making a Vienna horn.
Comparison between the Double Horn and
the Vienna horn - YouTube video.
The Vienna Horn - (pdf) - translation of the thesis of
Thomas Jöbstl, then principal horn of the Vienna
Volksoper (2001), now of Die Wiener
Philharmoniker
And now for something
completely different: the German maker Thein ("The Brass Brothers") uses a
nontraditional wrap for the valve configuration. Below
is Model R, doublehorn.
M. Jiracek also has a
different vision for the double horn:
Something
Completely Different, Part II: The Veneklasen Horn
Walter Hecht's article on Mark Veneklasen's idea for a
revolutionary horn.
