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Paxman Model 60 Bb/A(+)/Bb soprano descant |
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 A beautiful Paxman full double descant horn in Bb/A(+)/Bb soprano. These are rare instruments. It is on an identical horn that Tuckwell recorded the famous Zelenka Orchestral Pieces in which he plays with (apparent!) ease right up to written F sharp above top C... This horn is in extremely good condition. There is some slight discolouration (but not wear) to the lacquer around the bell flare, and the bell flare has had a crease removed - you can still just see the ghost of this. Otherwise, it's pretty near perfect. Of course it IS perfect playing-wise: valve compression is awesome (the horn has hardly been used) and the slides are all tight. It feels like a new instrument and it plays wonderfully. It comes fully reconditioned with a full 3-year guarantee. Hard case included. £POA |
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Paxman 25A in 'brand new' condition |
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Instrument Reference 1601
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or phone +44 (0)1452 536 264 for further information  This is a beautiful Paxman 25A (or 'New World') in lacquered yellow brass with a screw bell. It's only been played for a matter of 3 weeks or so and is, effectively, brand new - not a scratch or blemish anywhere. This is Paxman's famed dual bore horn and it plays just wonderfully. It has Paxman's largest bell and so makes a beautiful, dark, warm, creamy sound - like a Conn 8D. But, of course, it's a Paxman - so a wonderful high register, perfect intonation and all the notes in their correct places.
It comes with a hard case and our standard full 3-year guarantee. It's selling at well below the new price and it's available now...
£POA
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Holton 105 - Tuckwell model - full F/Bb double |
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 Instrument Reference 1539
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Holton's flagship double horn
These truly wonderful instruments are extremely rare on the used market. And no wonder - new, they're megabucks and once a player's got one they rarely want to part with it.
Designed by the great Barry Tuckwell in the years immediately preceeding his retirement, these instruments are manufactured from gold (or rose) brass which has been specially hand planished. They are made by hand, and it shows: the workmanship and attention to detail is second to none, and these instruments are mesmerising to play. They have a detachable leadpipe system as standard, and each horn is equipped with two leadpipes for different playing styles and situations.
This particualr one is still fully lacquered and in as-new condition - not a scratch or a ding anywhere.
It produces a warm, focused, rich sound and has a beautifully even response across all registers. The high register - as you would expect - is excellent and the mid register is so warm it would melt ice. The low register is free-blowing, full and distinguished, and the valves are incredibly slick, smooth and silent.
£POA |
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Holton H179 full F/Bb double |
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 Instrument Reference 1550
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This is a Holton copy of the original Kruspe design for an extra-large belled horn with the change valve before the main valve bank. The Conn 8D is the most famous copy of this same Kruspe design, but many other manufacturers have followed suit, Yamaha and Holton amongst them.
The Holton 179 is a lovely, free-blowing horn which makes that same, characteristic 'Hollywood' sound that you either love or hate.
This instrument is in great condition - no dents, a few minor scratches on the back, and no dings - and it plays freely and easily with excellent intonation and rapid, smooth and silent valves.
An inexpensive, professional-quality horn to make that BIG sound.
£POA |
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Pre-92 Hoyer full F/Bb double |
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 Instrument Reference 1551
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Hoyer are a German company whose older instruments - like this one - are really very good indeed. For some reason they're not terribly fashionable and, as such, they represent excellent value for money. This is a professional-quality model in unlacquered yellow brass with a fixed medium bell. However, Hoyer's 'medium' bell is a little larger than many other manufacturers' 'medium' bells and so these fine instruments make a slightly darker, bigger sound than one would normally associate with a medium-belled horn. They're more like a medium-large, I suppose.
This instrument is in perfect playing order, having been fully reconditioned, but does have the odd, tiny little blemish on it here and there. However, this is reflected in the price and this horn plays marvellously well in all registers and so represents a great opportunity to get a fully professional double horn at a modest price.
The horn comes in a black, shaped case which is in good condition.
£POA |
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Yamaha 664 - 'student' full F/Bb double |
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 Instrument Reference 1556
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As we've said in advert reference 1555, we usually don't stock student instruments but here we're making another exception. This Yamaha 664 is a now discontinued 'student' instrument. These horns really should never have been labelled as student instruments because they really are of a professional standard.
The great Dale Clevenger has told us that, in his opinion, the 664 is THE best horn Yamaha have ever made - better even than the Custom instruments which many top professionals use. Certainly this 664 plays like a dream - at least as well as any Yamaha 667 or 667V Custom - and it therefore represents truly excellent value for money.
This particular example is in as-new condition - it's hardly been played. It must be at least 10 or more years old but, to look at it, you'd think it was brand new. It's a Kruspe wrap horn but with a medium, fixed bell, in lacquered yellow brass and comes in a black, Yamaha case which is also in excellent condition.
This horn will be a wonderful choice for a student who wants an inexpesnive yet truly excellent instrument, or a professional who agrees with Dale!
£POA |
 Instrument Reference 1557
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Lorenzo Sansone was an Italian-American horn player and maker who many people credit with the invention of the single Bb/A(+) having an in-built F extension. However, he also made full doubles and this is a fine example of one. In excellent condition given its age - maybe 50 years or so plus - this 100% hand-made horn is manufactured in unlacquered yellow brass and is fitted with a fixed bell.
As you can see from the picture, Sansone favoured the Kruspe wrap for his full doubles which he fitted with medium bells to produce that bright, perky 'Chicago' sound, presumably to compete with his contemporary, Carl Geyer, who actually worked in Chicago.
A very unusual aspect of his full doubles is his reversal of the usual tiering of the F and Bb horns. Traditional design locates the F horn on the top tier, whereas Sansone preferred locating the Bb horn on the top tier, apparently for purely cosmetic reasons. Indeed, when looking at a Sansone double, one can see his point - it does seem more logical and visually appealing to have the horns this way round.
This very unusual instrument is free-blowing, has superb intonation, and is very securely slotted or 'notchy' in the high register. The middle register is warm and fluid and the low register is very free and fruity. It does make the characteristic 'Chicago' sound (although Sansone worked in New York) and plays beautifully. Valve compression is perfect, there are only a few superficial blemishes and the slides all move freely and smoothly.
It comes with a black, Paxman style case which is also in good condition.
£POA |
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Conn 28D full F/Bb double |
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 Instrument Reference 1559
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Conn's 28D is simply a yellow brass version of their famous, and hugely successful nickel-silver 8D. There are people who will swear that a 28D sounds different to an 8D but, in double-blindfolded playing and listening tests, we weren't able to tell these two fine models apart.
This example does have the odd blemish and there is some lacquer missing but the horn plays superbly nevertheless, making that BIG, fat, warm 'Hollywood' sound. And it's not expensive...
£POA |
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Knopf compensating F/Bb double |
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 Instrument Reference 1561
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If you've ever wondered how the Amsterdam Concertgebouw recordings (mostly with Haitinck) from the late 1960s through to the early 1980s got such a simply beautiful horn sound, here's the answer: the players mostly used these wonderful Knopf compensating doubles. Listen to Haitinck's Mahler and Wagner recordings from this era with the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and you'll see what I mean. The playing is superb, of course, but the horn sound... simply sublime. A great player can make any horn sound good but a great player can make a great horn sound really good - and these Knopf comps invite one to play one's absolute best at all times.
This model is in unlacquered yellow brass and has a fixed bell. The overall condition is excellent - particularly when remembering that the horn is at least 30 years old - and, of course, it plays like an absolute dream. If you've ever driven a Rolls-Royce, you'll know what I mean...
Buy it now or regret it forever - you can't get these for love nor money nowadays.
£POA |
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King CF Schmidt copy - full F/Bb double with piston thumb valve |
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 Instrument Reference 1562
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There have been several copies of CF Schmidt's wonderful, turn of the century design for a full double horn with rotary valves for the main valve bank but employing a piston thumb valve. Wunderlich made such a horn, and Conn used to import unassembled CF Schmidt horns into the USA where they would assemble the instruments themselves and sell them as 'Conns,' thus dodging US import duty. Both these models are now highly sought-after by afficionados who appreciate the wisdom of Schmidt's design: the piston thumb valve makes slurring between the two sides of the double horn incredibly smooth and characterful and, when you think about it, this slurring between F and Bb sides is something we all do all the time and take pretty much for granted. On one of these it feels very different!
The King we have for sale here is an intermediate copy of Schmidt's design: it's frankly not in the league of a Wunderlich, CF Schmidt or Conn but, nevertheless, it plays really well and it does have the characteristics which this design is famous for. This horn will make an excellent intermediate instrument for a student or perhaps an interesting additional instrument for a serious, established player. And it's not fortunes...
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Yamaha 668 full F/Bb double, yellow brass |
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Instrument Reference 1566
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 This is the yellow brass version of Yamaha's famous Kruspe copy, the 668. These fine horns have extra-large bells - to make that 'Hollywood' sound - and, obviously, are in the Kruspe wrap. Usually one finds them in nickel-silver, and, more rarely, in yellow brass like this one. Having compared them in the two metals, we can't say that we could notice any difference! They both played extremely well with a BIG, fat middle register sound, notchy, secure high register, and full, throaty lower register.
This instrument is in excellent condition and is lacquered - there are some very small areas of lacquer wear - and comes with a hard, black Yamaha case, also in great condition.
It plays superbly.
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Holton H180 - full F/Bb double |
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Instrument Reference 1567
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 This is one of Holton's Kruspe-type horns, but with a medium-large bell instead of the extra-large which one normally associates with such an instrument. These attributes produce a beautifully free-blowing horn with a very easy middle register legato facility and a warm, focused sound which is slightly brighter than a Kruspe copy would normally produce, although still darker than that of most 'medium' bells.
This example is in spectacular, as-new condition. It comes with a high quality Holton case in black, also in as-new condition.
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Geyer original full double - Wow! |
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Instrument Reference 1571
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 One very rarely sees one of these for sale nowadays and - when you do - they're almost always at absurd prices.
As most of you will know, Carl Geyer is the inventor of the Geyer wrap. He worked out of Chicago and many Chicago-style players still use original Geyers today, many of them over 50 years old. His horns were 100% handmade and they are regarded by many top players as being the best medium bore instruments ever made. Those of you looking for a Lewis - which is a wonderful, handmade copy of a Geyer - may prefer to have the real thing, and this is it.
This is a rare and genuine instrument. The bell is engraved: 'Carl Geyer Chicago' and, given its age of nearly 50 years, this horn is in spectacular condition. It's got a couple of small patches, hardly any other blemishes, and is in good, sound structural condition without any noticeable metal thinning. The bell has been (expertly) cut at some point, although the horn comes in a fixed bell, Paxman-style case. The valves are fast and free and compression is excellent.
As you would expect, it plays simply wonderfully. I won't go on about it here: the cognescenti out there will know what this is, how rare it is and how extraordinarily desirable it is. Go and find another one for sale - or don't!
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Lidl Brno Kruspe copy - bling or what?!!! |
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Instrument Reference 1579
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 This is an extremely unusual horn! It's an original Lidl - made in Brno, in the old Czech Republic - as opposed to the poor quality UK 'educational' horns which have been marketed under the same name. It's a much better instrument than these alleged 'Lidl' horns made under licence in Europe and the UK.
As you can see from the picture, it's been silver and gold plated! Yes, real silver and real gold! So it's something of an oddity but it does play extremely well. It's a Kruspe copy and has an extra-large bell - so it makes a really BIG, dark, warm, creamy sound, just like a Conn 8D or a Paxman New World. It's plays very well indeed, with an excellent high register; all the notes are in their correct places and the internal intonation is fine. The silver and gold plate are pretty much 100% intact. I've actually done a couple of shows on this horn for fun, and it does play really very well indeed - absolutely useable and you do get lots of comments!
Something different anyway, eh?!
£POA
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Jungwirth Vienna horn in as-new condition |
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Instrument Reference 1580
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 This is a Jungwirth Vienna horn in superb condition - as-new. It has a garland and is in unlacquered yellow brass.
It plays superbly - Jungwirths are extremely high quality, handmade instruments - and comes with a hard, black case which is also in good condition.
Beat the queue - these wonderful horns are made to special order only - and treat yourself to something really classy and special...
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