I am the same high school player who comes on occasionally, asking about many
things.
This time it is the second time I'm coming on about equipment.
If you don't want my history, then skip the next block of text.
I play on a school horn, a Conn 8D. I've held a love hate relationship with
it, and I'm really starting to dislike it. It has served me since the summer
before my freshman year. It was made sometime in the 90s we think, but it does
have the C G Conn signature on the bell flare. I thought it was the greatest
horn in the world when it was issued to me. As I progressed and got more
skilled, as do most high schoolers do, I started to feel it was limiting me, or
that I just wasn't progressing right. Two years in, I was able to play a
Paxman triple for about two minutes, and most of my problems that I had on the
8D seemed to vanish. I still sounded my age musically, but it was a lot
easier, and I didn't have to work extremely hard to do it. I started venturing
to play as many horns as I possibly could. Because of where I was this meant I
could play two models of Holtons, and seven other Conn 8Ds owned by the school.
Both Holton's(an h281 and an h179) and the other 7 8Ds al
l fixed my problems just like the Paxman did. A year after I played the
Paxman, I played an E Schmid (not Schmidt) triple and not only were my problems
fixed, I actually sounded like a real horn player. Plus I had a high range.
Like a real high range. From the high G to an octave above that just sung out.
I got to play the other range of the scale as well. I had all the problems I
normally had, added with a stuffy sound when I played a Bach. When playing an
Alex 200 at TMEA(Texas Music Educators' Association convention, if you're not
familiar), it was also stuffy, but the low range was quite good. So it seems I
just got a bad 8D.
I am going to be a music major in college, so I need my own instrument.
However, due to some issues, this is not looking to be possible.
For one, I am from an income bracket that doesn't allow the purchase of an
instrument, unless careful financing is allowed. Most places are a single
payment, or two payments, but anything beyond that isn't possible from what
I've tried.
For another, I live in middle of nowhere Texas. There aren't any different
horns to try here. The two school districts own Conn 6Ds and 8Ds, plus a few
179s. The symphony players play 3 Yamahas and one Rauch...I think that's how
you spell it...
Therefore, the only time I have to try out different instruments is at the TMEA
convention, which happens once a year, and I don't have that much time to do a
good test there, seeing as I can only go during lunch break.
My question for the experienced players on the list:
Is there a way where I can just get a random horn, test it, get another, test
it, etc?
Preferably without a down payment needed?
I don't want to ask this of the list, because I don't think I would want my
baby sent to some highschooler for testing.
Thanks in advance,
John Stacy
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