Now in:
Alexander 90, Detachable bell, with F extension - POA
Recent sales:
Paxman 23T, Medium bell, titanium valve rotors, detachable bell - £5,375 - sold
Gerhard Schneider model 'M' full double - £885.00 - sold
Josef Lidl F/Bb compensating double - £475.00 - sold
Yamaha 667 F/Bb full double, good condition - £2,375 - sold
Yamaha 567 F/Bb full double, nearly new - £2,175 - sold
Meister Hans Hoyer F/Bb Compensating double, fully restored - £750 - sold
Courtois copy natural horn with crooks couplers and sauterelle - sold
Reynolds 'Pottag' F/Bb full double horn; fully restored - £2,250 - sold
Fisher FD2 full double - single seam bell with garland - £3,750 - sold
Josef Lidl, Brno, Compensating double - £375 - sold
Fisher FD3 Full double - £4,790 - Sold
John Packer 621 full double - £675 - sold
Reynolds FE01 ('Chambers' model) £1,750 - sold
see below for details
Alexander 90 with detachable bell and F extension
This is an example of Alexander's highly regarded Single Bb horn, probably from the 1970s. This model has been popular with leading players from Denis Brain onwards, and as a single Bb horn, it is perfect for high orchestral parts. The F extension can be detached and replaced with a crook the right length for stopping, and with the F extension you have a horn with all the notes down to below low C. The bell is distinctive, in that it is made with a 'gusset' - a triangular piece let into the last foot or so to maintain the metal thickness to the edge of the flare. Bells like this are no longer made even by the best craftspeople in Germany. This is altogether a most desirable instrument.
As the pictures show, it comes in a flat case with a gorgeous crushed velvet lining. This is in good condition - the catches work and all the interior fittings are present.
Price on application.
This is an example of Alexander's highly regarded Single Bb horn, probably from the 1970s. This model has been popular with leading players from Denis Brain onwards, and as a single Bb horn, it is perfect for high orchestral parts. The F extension can be detached and replaced with a crook the right length for stopping, and with the F extension you have a horn with all the notes down to below low C. The bell is distinctive, in that it is made with a 'gusset' - a triangular piece let into the last foot or so to maintain the metal thickness to the edge of the flare. Bells like this are no longer made even by the best craftspeople in Germany. This is altogether a most desirable instrument.
As the pictures show, it comes in a flat case with a gorgeous crushed velvet lining. This is in good condition - the catches work and all the interior fittings are present.
Price on application.
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Gerhard Schneider model 'M' full double - sold
These horns were branded 'Boosey and Hawkes' and made in Markneukirchen when it was in the former East Germany. They were patterned after the Alexander 103, though they have a bore of 11.9mm, and a slightly more generous bell throat. The bell is lightly made, so it responds easily. This example has been restored to as new functional condition with a new set of valve rotors, giving 100% valve compression and it plays well across the range. The thumb lever has been revised so that it will stand in Bb, and the finger hook moved to make it suitable for a smaller hand. With these modifications it would make an ideal first full double for a learner, or it would suit a serious amateur.
These horns were branded 'Boosey and Hawkes' and made in Markneukirchen when it was in the former East Germany. They were patterned after the Alexander 103, though they have a bore of 11.9mm, and a slightly more generous bell throat. The bell is lightly made, so it responds easily. This example has been restored to as new functional condition with a new set of valve rotors, giving 100% valve compression and it plays well across the range. The thumb lever has been revised so that it will stand in Bb, and the finger hook moved to make it suitable for a smaller hand. With these modifications it would make an ideal first full double for a learner, or it would suit a serious amateur.
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Paxman 23T, detachable medium bell - £5,375 - sold
Now Paxman have moved away from titanium valves, a horn like this is increasingly rare. This one dates from the the early 2000s and has been well looked after. With its medium bell, it has a nice focused sound and has that characteristic ease of blowing that has made Paxmans so popular. And its titanium valves make it light - it weighs just over 2.4kg.
There is no significant damage, though there are scuffs that a well-loved instrument will pick up over twenty years. There is a little lacquer loss where there has been abrasion but it remains a great looking instrument. It comes with a Paxman fixed bell case and is fully serviced. Contact us for a trial - a new horn of this quality is costing nearly double the asking price for this instrument.
Now Paxman have moved away from titanium valves, a horn like this is increasingly rare. This one dates from the the early 2000s and has been well looked after. With its medium bell, it has a nice focused sound and has that characteristic ease of blowing that has made Paxmans so popular. And its titanium valves make it light - it weighs just over 2.4kg.
There is no significant damage, though there are scuffs that a well-loved instrument will pick up over twenty years. There is a little lacquer loss where there has been abrasion but it remains a great looking instrument. It comes with a Paxman fixed bell case and is fully serviced. Contact us for a trial - a new horn of this quality is costing nearly double the asking price for this instrument.
Josef Lidl F/Bb compensating double - £475.00 - sold
This style of instrument suits players who want a lighter double horn, hence its popularity as a choice for smaller players. This particular design, the 'Walzen horn', has a devoted following, originating as it did in an invention by Carl Lehman in the 1920s, then being made in number by Lidl later in the twentieth century. This example is in excellent condition, with 95% of the lacquer intact and excellent valve compression. It has been fully serviced and plays very well.
This style of instrument suits players who want a lighter double horn, hence its popularity as a choice for smaller players. This particular design, the 'Walzen horn', has a devoted following, originating as it did in an invention by Carl Lehman in the 1920s, then being made in number by Lidl later in the twentieth century. This example is in excellent condition, with 95% of the lacquer intact and excellent valve compression. It has been fully serviced and plays very well.
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Yamaha 667 F/Bb full double, good condition - £2,375 - sold
The 667 is no longer made and good examples are becoming harder to find. This is a medium bell professional quality instrument in the 'Knopf' pattern, quite light in weight with articulated valve levers and Yamaha's precision valves. It has had relatively little use and is in excellent playing condition. The valves and slides have been serviced and they show no wear. Some dents have been raised in the bell tail, and some small dings remain at the top of the corpus. The lacquer is in 99% as new condition. The horn comes in the original case, with the original mouthpiece.
The 667 is no longer made and good examples are becoming harder to find. This is a medium bell professional quality instrument in the 'Knopf' pattern, quite light in weight with articulated valve levers and Yamaha's precision valves. It has had relatively little use and is in excellent playing condition. The valves and slides have been serviced and they show no wear. Some dents have been raised in the bell tail, and some small dings remain at the top of the corpus. The lacquer is in 99% as new condition. The horn comes in the original case, with the original mouthpiece.
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Yamaha 567 F/Bb full double, nearly new - £2,175 - sold
This is a little used example of Yamaha's 'student' full double horn. It is in excellent condition. The case is clean, and it includes a 34C mouthpiece, and even the original instruction book. This is an ideal instrument for a serious learner, and many adult players have hung on to the 567 that they acquired as a teenager. There is one tiny ding on the horn, but otherwise, this is like a new instrument for about 2/3 the new price.
This is a little used example of Yamaha's 'student' full double horn. It is in excellent condition. The case is clean, and it includes a 34C mouthpiece, and even the original instruction book. This is an ideal instrument for a serious learner, and many adult players have hung on to the 567 that they acquired as a teenager. There is one tiny ding on the horn, but otherwise, this is like a new instrument for about 2/3 the new price.
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Meister Hans Hoyer compensating F/Bb double horn - £750 - sold
This horn is a product of the Hoyer factory from the years of the Cold War, when they were imported from the GDR through Paxman's - therefore it is pre 1989, and possibly from the 1960s. It is a remarkable instrument. The bell is among the lightest it is possible to make, made from a single piece with a continuous seam right to the edge of the flare. Consequently, the horn responds very well and has a particularly good high register. The valves are in good condition, and were well engineered, so the F side also works well - playing it, there is little sense that this is a compensating horn and all the low notes speak easily, down to the fundamental F and below. Given its age, and the relative fragility of its bell, the horn has signs of repairs, but that does not affect how it plays. This will be a much valued instrument at a reasonable price.
This horn is a product of the Hoyer factory from the years of the Cold War, when they were imported from the GDR through Paxman's - therefore it is pre 1989, and possibly from the 1960s. It is a remarkable instrument. The bell is among the lightest it is possible to make, made from a single piece with a continuous seam right to the edge of the flare. Consequently, the horn responds very well and has a particularly good high register. The valves are in good condition, and were well engineered, so the F side also works well - playing it, there is little sense that this is a compensating horn and all the low notes speak easily, down to the fundamental F and below. Given its age, and the relative fragility of its bell, the horn has signs of repairs, but that does not affect how it plays. This will be a much valued instrument at a reasonable price.
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Courtois copy natural horn, with crooks, couplers and sauterelle. £poa - sold
Here is a faithful copy of one of the two Courtois horns in the Bate Collection, Oxford, dated from the 1830s or 1840s (#6 in the catalogue: https://bate.web.oc.ac.uk/files/hornspdf). The reproduction is faithful to the construction details, with brass tube for the braces and 10.6mm parallel bore. The bell is a piece of superb craftsmanship in itself, made by Bernd Sandner with a single seam and garland, like the original.
The crooks included are Bb, A, G, F, E, Eb and D, with three couplers and two tuning slides to sit the horn at A=440 and A=415. The sauterelle consists of a set of valves by W. Brown of London, restored to playing condition by plating and fitting.
The crooks included are Bb, A, G, F, E, Eb and D, with three couplers and two tuning slides to sit the horn at A=440 and A=415. The sauterelle consists of a set of valves by W. Brown of London, restored to playing condition by plating and fitting.
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Reynolds 'Pottag' Bb/F full double horn, fully restored - £2,250 - sold
This is 1959 instrument, rescued from a busy life in a US school and returned to 'as new' condition. It started life as a 'Pottag' model horn, and is from a period when the quality of Reynolds' instruments was second to none. Carl Geyer is reputed to have considered the valves the best then made in America. They have been restored to full compression. The bell and leadpipe have been replaced, so it doesn't carry the period engraving, but they were the only major components to be beyond rescue. The leadpipe is a faithful copy of the Reynolds taper, in gold brass, and the flare is Sandner's #1 with an Alexander screw ring. The instrument plays very well.
The thumb valve has been revised to be more ergonomic, and to make it possible to stand the horn in F or Bb.
The thumb valve has been revised to be more ergonomic, and to make it possible to stand the horn in F or Bb.
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Fisher FD2 Full double - £3750 - sold
This horn dates from 2007. It has recently been out on trial with with a busy free-lancer in the north west of the UK, who had this to say about it:
"I'm enjoying your horn, is it sort of after an Alexander 200 style with your own twist on it? It certainly plays nicely. Great “true” f side. Very good Bb side that facilitates some things I would normally put on a descant. An example is the “For No One” Beatles/Alan Civil horn solo is impossible for me to play well on my Hoyer but quite slotted and easy on this horn comparatively. It sounds a little darker than my Holton 200 descant. The sound and feel of the horn remind me of playing the Paxman natural horns we had at college. I mean that in a positive way!"
The horn has a single seam bell, which some would designate 'hand hammered', and this gives it a very quick response. The bell also has a very pretty nickel silver garland. It has seen some use but is nonetheless in excellent playing condition.
"I'm enjoying your horn, is it sort of after an Alexander 200 style with your own twist on it? It certainly plays nicely. Great “true” f side. Very good Bb side that facilitates some things I would normally put on a descant. An example is the “For No One” Beatles/Alan Civil horn solo is impossible for me to play well on my Hoyer but quite slotted and easy on this horn comparatively. It sounds a little darker than my Holton 200 descant. The sound and feel of the horn remind me of playing the Paxman natural horns we had at college. I mean that in a positive way!"
The horn has a single seam bell, which some would designate 'hand hammered', and this gives it a very quick response. The bell also has a very pretty nickel silver garland. It has seen some use but is nonetheless in excellent playing condition.
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Yamaha 668N full double - as-new - £3750 - sold
This is a professional level, nickel silver horn, with large bell throat. It is in 'as new' condition, with only the tiniest signs of use. The lacquer is perfect and it plays very well. The valves and valve slides are serviced. At this price, it is practically a new horn for half price.
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Josef Lidl compensating double - sold
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This is a good example of an interesting design of compensating horn. It has three single-storey valves and one long rotary valve in the centre of the instrument. It is a pattern patented by Carl Lehmann in the 1920s - you can find out more about it here:http://www.rjmartz.com/horns/lidl_021/. It is not easy to date this example, though it has a distinctive feature that may indicate a date soon after the second World War. The bell is made in a single length, from flare to valves, without the usual join at the top of the instrument. It shares this feature with instruments from that period. It plays well, with a distinctive plummy tone and has an excellent low register. Damage has been repaired in the bell tail, but it has a lot of life left in it and would make a good first double horn, weighing only 2.39kg.
Reynolds FE01 ('Chambers' model) £1750 - sold
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The Reynolds 'Chambers' model double horn had been re-named the 'FE01' by the mid 1960s. Dating from this time, this horn has a more recent Paxman 'L' bell, which matches the original in its profile. The bell is also light. The horn has been thoroughly restored and is in 'good' cosmetic condition with some blemishes in line with its age - it is un-lacquered. The restored valves, the excellent Reynolds design and this high quality bell gives the horn a ready response and low weight - about 2.4kg. It plays well in tune, there are no 'duff' notes - altogether an excellent instrument at a very reasonable price.
This instrument has been modified to improve on the original specification - it has a water key and a more ergonomic thumb valve, to the design below. The valve rotors have also been plated, giving it 'as new' compression.
This instrument has been modified to improve on the original specification - it has a water key and a more ergonomic thumb valve, to the design below. The valve rotors have also been plated, giving it 'as new' compression.
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Fisher FD3 full double - £4790 - sold
This piston change-valve full double horn is built round a Sandner #83 bell, with a matching lead pipe and first branch. The bell profile gives a warm sonority, a ready response and particularly easy hand stopping.
The thumb lever's double-pivot design gives it a light and positive feel, with a short 'throw' (you don't have to push it down far to change from F to Bb). The piston valve is reversible, so the horn can stand in F or Bb and it makes switching between the two horns very smooth as well as introducing no resistance to the instrument - it is like playing two single horns tied together. This is accentuated in this example because the F side tubing is a larger bore than the Bb, which means it blows very freely. The horn is nicely balanced to hold as the weight is concentrated in the centre.
With feedback from a number of top players over the last year built into this instrument, the design will continue to be refined to maximise the potential in this configuration.
The thumb lever's double-pivot design gives it a light and positive feel, with a short 'throw' (you don't have to push it down far to change from F to Bb). The piston valve is reversible, so the horn can stand in F or Bb and it makes switching between the two horns very smooth as well as introducing no resistance to the instrument - it is like playing two single horns tied together. This is accentuated in this example because the F side tubing is a larger bore than the Bb, which means it blows very freely. The horn is nicely balanced to hold as the weight is concentrated in the centre.
With feedback from a number of top players over the last year built into this instrument, the design will continue to be refined to maximise the potential in this configuration.
John Packer 621 full double - £675 - sold
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This horn is in excellent condition, with only a little wear to the hand guard and a couple of the smallest 'dings'. It is a prototype for the instrument Packer sell now with the RATH name. It plays well, and would suit a learner progressing from a single horn.
King/ Reynolds full double - Sold
King/ Reynolds horn for sale. This instrument combines components from some of the best manufacturers of the post war era in the US. It is built round a yellow brass bell and first branch from an older King double horn, with valves by Reynolds. The valves have been restored - they are super quick and seal well. The thumb valve has been modified so it will sit in either F or Bb, with much improved ergonomics and an adjustable thumb plate.
Even with a detachable bell, with a Paxman ring, the horn is light (5.5lb) and it plays with an immediate response. There are small dings in some of the components, commensurate with their age.
It would suit a progressing student or amateur and is excellent value at £1250.
I can supply a new case at cost, or a gig bag in the price.
Even with a detachable bell, with a Paxman ring, the horn is light (5.5lb) and it plays with an immediate response. There are small dings in some of the components, commensurate with their age.
It would suit a progressing student or amateur and is excellent value at £1250.
I can supply a new case at cost, or a gig bag in the price.
Lidl full double - Sold
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The Josef Lidl company has been operating in Brno, Czech Republic, for 125 years and has a reputation for making solid instruments that will serve an advancing student well. This Full double horn is in excellent condition and has been completely serviced. It plays with a characteristic 'plummy' sound and is fitted with a water key on the lead pipe. The valve action is fast, partly because the rotors are hollow and the compression is good.
It comes with a solid, but tatty case - a new case can be supplied for an extra £55. Price: £650 |
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Reynolds 'Contempora' full double - Sold
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This is a classic Reynolds instrument from 1972. It has been completely overhauled and a water key fitted on the lead pipe. The valves have been re-plated and are as new and all other components are sound. Consequently, it plays very well - all the notes are available from a fundamental on the F horn to a top C. All the slides fit well and there are no thin spots. There are some surface imperfections and it would suit a learner as a first double horn - these Reynolds horns have a grip that can suit a small hand, this one particularly so, as it has been fitted with a 'duck's foot' and a more ergonomic thumb lever, which also makes it possible to stand the horn in Bb orin F. It comes in an original Reynolds case, that is in reasonable order.
Price: Sold A new case can be supplied for £55. |
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