Antique VIENNA HORN with F-crook, hand-made, Germany, c. 1880
Antique, hand-built Vienna Horn (right-handed) by unknown German maker c. Nominal Pitch: F-crook (old philarmonic pitch) is included, other pitches require other crooks Provenance: I bought this instrument a number of months ago from a lady in Vaud, Switzerland who had owned it for two years. She said it had come from (possibly the estate of) a collector in Zurich who acquired it in the 1960s. Judging by the dust it hadn’t been played much for a number of years and needed a minor clean and oil. Nothing is known about it prior to that, other than the maker was probably German and that judging by the materials, method and design of its manufacture, it dates from around the 1880s. Playing condition: All valves work properly and move smoothly with a decent seal (not tight by modern standards, so use a thick oil). Due to the older pumpenvalve design and the aging springs, fingering is a bit sluggish but the design makes legatos very smooth. Intonation is a bit rocky compared to the likes of a modern Alexander but an experienced player whould be able to master it. Plays best when playing period music and treated as a natural horn that can instantly change key. In my experience it works best with a deep, small-bore mouthpiece. Physical Condition/Description: Comes with an old wooden case (not matching) Made of lightly laquered gold brass, with German silver trim (garland) on the bell. Fully metal construction except for o-rings added on the linkages to reduce noise and wear. Valves fit well ONLY in their own cylinders due to their being hand-made, so take care to keep them matched up when disassembling to clean/oil. Bell flare external diameter is smaller at 27.5cm but with a bigger throat as is common with Vienna horns. Crook receiver inside diameter is 13mm. A few minor dents and divots are present as is to be expected for its age, but it is in very fair condition structurally and aesthetically and the playing characteristics are not comprimised. The brass is of high quality and has totally resisted serious corrosion, so no red spots of death or big green splotches. Every screw and screw-hole is hand-turned and knurled, and for some reason they are not interchangable, so again take care not to mix them up when disassembling. The bell is entirely hand-hammered and hand-joined in the traditional manner from flat brass sectors, not machine-pressed from a disk as most bells have been for a 90 years. I hope I can pass it on to an enthusiast who will appreciate it both as an instrument and a work of art. This item is in the category “Musical Instruments\Brass\French Horns”. The seller is “mi_7817″ and is located in this country: AU. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- Set Includes: Case
- Leadpipe Material: Brass
- Colour: Gold
- Valve Material: Brass
- Brand: Unknown Maker
- Type: Vienna Horn
- Body Material: Brass
- Bell Material: Brass, Nickel Silver
- Number of Valves: 3
- Instrument: French Horn
- Finish Material: Brass, Nickel Silver
- Country/Region of Manufacture: Germany
- Finish: Antique
- Key: F
