Re: [Hornlist] What makes Conns desirable?
I grew up in the Los Angeles area and went to college in the late 60's and early 70's, which meant, 8D was "the" horn. I remember sitting around with my horn playing friends listening with awe to Cleveland (another 8D orchestra), where Szell conducted and, more importantly to us, Myron Bloom was principal. So, we were just a little prejudiced, all wanting to grow up to be Bloom-clones. Anyway, I listen to these old recordings now, and the horns sound 'tubby' - too dark and, to use James' term, unfocused (you have to wonder why Szell put up with this sound while recording classical and early romantic era pieces - e.g., the opening of their Schubert's 9th!). It's been a lesson to me how tastes change over the decades. I remember now that my teacher at the time, who was the LA Phil 2nd horn, told me once that the 8D was not his choice for an orchestral horn, but was what was played in the Philharmonic. Seems as though the 8D became the horn of choice way back when there were not many good choices, and these pre-letter 8Ds grew into legend that has continued to this day (though, the 300k 8Ds were and are really something - I got to doodle on one once and was amazed how much better and more focused than was my 'N' series). As Kendall has indicated on this list, there are better choices available now. Fred - Original Message From: James Wester <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: The Horn List Sent: Monday, April 23, 2007 8:23:04 AM Subject: Re: [Hornlist] What makes Conns desirable? I have never cared for the 8D for 2 main reasons. First, was the up close sound. Admittedly, that isn't what is heard in the audience, but when I played with a local Professional orchestra( subbed with while in College ) the Principle horn and second horn played Conn 8D's. And I always found the sound sloppy and unfocused sounding, especially when playing technical passages. Second, is when I played the 8D, I found it incredibly difficult to play technical passages cleanly. Which explained to me why I heard what I heard when playing with the orchestra. I played a Yamaha 868 at the time and playing cleanly was easily accomplished. Based on those experiences, I have always thought of tubby, unfocused, and sloppy when thinking of a Conn 8D. And never understood why they are so coveted by such a great many. But then again, look at the number of 8D's for sale on hornplayer.net compared to the other makes and maybe that trend of favoring the 8D has changed. I did play an 8D for a little while in the military and that one played better than with first few I played. But it was still far inferior to my Yamaha and the Lawsons available ( Band owned ) to play. just my 2 cents. -James - Original Message From: John Dutton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: horn@music.memphis.edu; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, April 22, 2007 3:20:15 PM Subject: re: [Hornlist] What makes Conns desirable? [quote] Can anyone tell me what makes the tone of the Conn so nice? [/quote] Well, since no one else is actually answering your question... The 8D "sound" is made up of the particular nickel alloy, the tapers of the mouthpipe, 1st branch and bell tail/flare, and thickness of the flare. The basic design of the 8d is from (circa 1937) Arthur Berv's Kruspe-Horner model with modification of the mouthpipe (some say to a CF Schmidt style pipe) and no doubt other slight design differences. First production 8D was circa 1938-moved to Abilene TX in1972-moved to current location in Eastlake OH 1988ish. *In the most **generalized** fashion* of description: 1. The mouthpipe affects the intonation and slotting and focus of the tone. 2. The bell and first branch affect the carrying power and tonal characteristics of the sound. 3. Type of metal can alter either of the above to a greater or lesser extent. Given ***identical*** parts the color of sound would progress dark to light: sterling silver-rose brass-yellow brass-nickel silver (sometimes referred to as German silver). Some mix and match materials ie a rose brass mouthpipe with a yellow brass corpus and nickel bell. P.N. could probably give a better description if he chimes in. --- One of the most important things one needs to accept about horn shopping is that the sound up close is not the sound the audience hears. Test drive a horn with TRUSTED ears listening in a performance venue. Now swap so you can hear the horn too from the back of the hall. People often make poor choices based upon the up-close sound they perceive. Don't misunderstand me, the horn should sound good up close too but that is definitely not an indication of how the sound develops and blooms in a hall. Don't deceive yourself. The Jack Attack! ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.e
Re: [Hornlist] What makes Conns desirable?
I have a 10D that I bought in 1997. For a production horn, it's pretty darn good, and for those of us that can't afford to drop $7000-10,000 on a custom horn, it's a great compromise if you're looking for a Geyer-type horn. The only thing I need to do with it is change the leadpipe, for the usual reasons that players change leadpipes. I played an 8D forever before I got to Northwestern for my graduate work. I was able to play some other horns (Lewis, Yamaha customs, etc), and realized that I was working way too hard playing an 8D. I was able to pick up a 10D for a song, so I did. John's point about getting someone else to listen to you from out in the hall is very important. If you are judging your sound from playing in band rooms or other places that are not accoustically suited for music, you're fooling yourself into thinking that things are worse than they really are. I made that mistake last fall; telling John "dude, this horn, man, I gotta change it, it sounds horrible, blah blah blah..." and he told me "no, you need to have someone else listen to you in a real hall." Once I got into a good hall, the horn blossomed with all sorts of colors that I didn't know were possible (I bought the 10D when I was in the Marines, and we didn't play in a lot of nice places). Perhaps the popularity of Conn is due to them virtually cornering the market many years ago? There's just a damn lot of them out there, and at the time there weren't that many different horns to choose from. I don't know. I just like my 10D. Gary Get Firefox!!http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/central.html ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
Re: [Hornlist] What makes Conns desirable?
I have never cared for the 8D for 2 main reasons. First, was the up close sound. Admittedly, that isn't what is heard in the audience, but when I played with a local Professional orchestra( subbed with while in College ) the Principle horn and second horn played Conn 8D's. And I always found the sound sloppy and unfocused sounding, especially when playing technical passages. Second, is when I played the 8D, I found it incredibly difficult to play technical passages cleanly. Which explained to me why I heard what I heard when playing with the orchestra. I played a Yamaha 868 at the time and playing cleanly was easily accomplished. Based on those experiences, I have always thought of tubby, unfocused, and sloppy when thinking of a Conn 8D. And never understood why they are so coveted by such a great many. But then again, look at the number of 8D's for sale on hornplayer.net compared to the other makes and maybe that trend of favoring the 8D has changed. I did play an 8D for a little while in the military and that one played better than with first few I played. But it was still far inferior to my Yamaha and the Lawsons available ( Band owned ) to play. just my 2 cents. -James - Original Message From: John Dutton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: horn@music.memphis.edu; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, April 22, 2007 3:20:15 PM Subject: re: [Hornlist] What makes Conns desirable? [quote] Can anyone tell me what makes the tone of the Conn so nice? [/quote] Well, since no one else is actually answering your question... The 8D "sound" is made up of the particular nickel alloy, the tapers of the mouthpipe, 1st branch and bell tail/flare, and thickness of the flare. The basic design of the 8d is from (circa 1937) Arthur Berv's Kruspe-Horner model with modification of the mouthpipe (some say to a CF Schmidt style pipe) and no doubt other slight design differences. First production 8D was circa 1938-moved to Abilene TX in1972-moved to current location in Eastlake OH 1988ish. *In the most **generalized** fashion* of description: 1. The mouthpipe affects the intonation and slotting and focus of the tone. 2. The bell and first branch affect the carrying power and tonal characteristics of the sound. 3. Type of metal can alter either of the above to a greater or lesser extent. Given ***identical*** parts the color of sound would progress dark to light: sterling silver-rose brass-yellow brass-nickel silver (sometimes referred to as German silver). Some mix and match materials ie a rose brass mouthpipe with a yellow brass corpus and nickel bell. P.N. could probably give a better description if he chimes in. --- One of the most important things one needs to accept about horn shopping is that the sound up close is not the sound the audience hears. Test drive a horn with TRUSTED ears listening in a performance venue. Now swap so you can hear the horn too from the back of the hall. People often make poor choices based upon the up-close sound they perceive. Don't misunderstand me, the horn should sound good up close too but that is definitely not an indication of how the sound develops and blooms in a hall. Don't deceive yourself. The Jack Attack! ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/ndspmustang%40yahoo.com __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
re: [Hornlist] What makes Conns desirable?
[quote] Can anyone tell me what makes the tone of the Conn so nice? [/quote] Well, since no one else is actually answering your question... The 8D "sound" is made up of the particular nickel alloy, the tapers of the mouthpipe, 1st branch and bell tail/flare, and thickness of the flare. The basic design of the 8d is from (circa 1937) Arthur Berv's Kruspe-Horner model with modification of the mouthpipe (some say to a CF Schmidt style pipe) and no doubt other slight design differences. First production 8D was circa 1938-moved to Abilene TX in1972-moved to current location in Eastlake OH 1988ish. *In the most **generalized** fashion* of description: 1. The mouthpipe affects the intonation and slotting and focus of the tone. 2. The bell and first branch affect the carrying power and tonal characteristics of the sound. 3. Type of metal can alter either of the above to a greater or lesser extent. Given ***identical*** parts the color of sound would progress dark to light: sterling silver-rose brass-yellow brass-nickel silver (sometimes referred to as German silver). Some mix and match materials ie a rose brass mouthpipe with a yellow brass corpus and nickel bell. P.N. could probably give a better description if he chimes in. --- One of the most important things one needs to accept about horn shopping is that the sound up close is not the sound the audience hears. Test drive a horn with TRUSTED ears listening in a performance venue. Now swap so you can hear the horn too from the back of the hall. People often make poor choices based upon the up-close sound they perceive. Don't misunderstand me, the horn should sound good up close too but that is definitely not an indication of how the sound develops and blooms in a hall. Don't deceive yourself. The Jack Attack! ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
Re: [Hornlist] What makes Conns desirable?
I personally, do not find Conns desirable. Regardless of where or when they were made, I find the high register restrictive, and that does not work for me. I've tried old Conns, new Conns, ones in between, and did not like any of them enough to shell out thousands of dollars. Since people are making recommendations, check out Atkinson's horns. I currently have (and will probably have forever) an NR501, Kruspe model with a rose brass bell. All the registers are fantastic, and considering the handmade aspect, it was a steal at less than $4,000 for the horn, case, detachable bell, and all. It gets a warm tone, and while it is shaped like an 8D, it plays much more freely and the sound seems to project better. I know I don't have as much authority as some on the list, and definitely not as much as some of Conn's biggest players, but it's a good horn and I like it. Have fun shopping for horns. I'm glad that I'm done with that. Anna -- >From: "Valerie WELLS" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: The Horn List >To: horn@music.memphis.edu >Subject: [Hornlist] What makes Conns desirable? >Date: Sat, 21 Apr 2007 15:55:08 -0700 > >I'm enjoying horn shopping & may take it up as a permanent hobby since it's >so fun and I can't seem to settle on what I want to buy. AnywayCan >someone please tell me what makes Conn horns desirable (especially the Conn >8D)? I've looked at several different models of new Conns & other new >horns of comparable price range & have found the workmanship of the Conns >to be generally inferior (slides that don't fit well, awkward triggers & >grip configuration, etc.), but the tone on all the Conns seemed equal or >superior to their competitors (although it varied from instrument to >instrument). Can anyone tell me what makes the tone of the Conn so nice? > >I was told by someone who should know (whose name I will not mention here) >that the Conn 8D, ANY year, is the "only horn" he'd ever buy. Hmmm... I'd >love to hear comments & discussion on this. > >I also found the Conns' intonation lacking & the lower register on all of >them consistently weaker than all the competitors (but that could be due to >my lack of familiarity with Conns). I found Yamaha horns to have excellent >intonation and the notes seemed to just "pop" into place. Thanks in >advance for your comments. ~Valerie > - Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell? Check outnew cars at Yahoo! Autos. ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
Re: [Hornlist] What makes Conns desirable?
Lawson Fourier Lite in nickel silver/nickel bronze to be exact, most of the time. I have played in one capacity or another, different Lawson models since 1981. I still use my large descant from time to time. Now that I have my choice "off the shelf," I can play any Lawson model I want, whenever! The new Classical Lite in red brass/Ambronze is a great player and I may use it some for chamber music this summer. To comment on Robert Fant's earlier post, I was never really a "champion" of Conn. The only ones I really ever liked were the early ones. My daily driver was #320440, made in 1937. I never played that horn regularly when it was stock. It was "Lawsonized" with a leadpipe and bell flare and I used it like that until I got my first Lawson in 1981, I had Walt restore to the original with a Texas bell (which is closer to the original) and it has sat in the case ever since except when I get it out to show people what a "good" Conn is. Other horns I used in public were: Holton 181 (also Lawsonized), King Eroica (you can hear on old Rubinstein/Ormandy Brahms Piano Concerto #2 on RCA, 3rd horn), two other Conns (39 series that was good until damaged in car wreck and H series was Lawsonized and turned into very good horn), 2 Mirafones (silver and red brass, both decent horns with bad intonation, new Hoyers are very similar), 3 Kruspes (1 brass, biggest bell I have ever seen on a horn, still own it, 1 silver, rare medium bell, pre WWI, not very good, 1 late brass, good horn with Lawson pipe, out of tume with original pipe), 2 Alexander descants (both very good w/Lawson pipes). I had recommended Conn, both 8D and 6D for students for years, though, but I can't any more. Too many problems with the latest ones and better stuff available at the same price. My opinions of the current $3,500 ball park instruments: CONN - not very good but some have a decent sound. They are essentially "Kings in Conn clothing" and have many fit and finish problems. If you get a decent one, a valve job and leadpipe will turn it into a very good horn but I think you are better off doing this to an Elkhart model in the long run. The 10D, really a 6D wrapped up like a Geyer, is a decent Geyer type instrument but suffers the same problems as its siblings. HOLTON - I have not seen any Holtons that were made since the change of ownership, so I can't comment on those. Of the older models, I always liked and recommended the 179/180/181 and later the Merkermatic as well to students. I never felt the 177/178 to be as good a player as the 6D for that size horn. Holton's problems have always been in the valve area and with some inconsistencies in fit/finish. I never felt they sounded as good as Conn, though, in general, but they don't sound "bad." YAMAHA - 567 and 667 are very good Geyer type horns for the money. The new 668ii is the best large bell horn available now in this price range. Good workmanship, valves, finish. All Yamahas still have some sound issues to my ears, but that seems to be improving a bit. These horns give you the most horn for the money now days. HOYER - I have only seen a few of the newer model. These were very similar to my old Mirafones from the early 70's. Good valves, nice workmanship, decent sound but many intonation problems. BTW, the "special, pre-aged metal" that they advertise has been cryogenically frozen. I'll leave that one to another discussion. Now for a shameless plug. Every horn listed above can be improved dramatically in regard to response, intonation and sound with customization. As the new owner of Lawson Brass Instruments, I want to tell you that I intend to broaden our product line over time to give more options for customization of different makes of instruments. We are in the very intense process of training at this point and the mover is coming in two weeks. I don't know how long we will be down as we settle in the new shop. I'm hoping to be running full bore again in two weeks or less, though, after the move. We now have a good stock of mouthpieces as well as leadpipes for Conns and Holtons. If you want a leadpipe for another make, please inquire and I will try to give you a firm completion date. If you are thinking about a bell flare, please inquire as I am planning a bell run first thing after we move. I am now scheduling valve jobs for the summer months, so please inquire about that.. I'll keep you posted on things as they develop. I thank you for your continued interest and support and I look forward to working with you on your equipment needs in the future. Also, please keep KBHC in mind if you want to address your other playing problems as well. Thank you and best wishes, Kendall Betts In a message dated 4/22/2007 10:11:57 AM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Schmid Triple (
Re: [Hornlist] What makes Conns desirable?
Schmid Triple (High Eb), Lawson Fourier, and I believe a Hoyer, respectively. Paul Rincon On 4/22/07, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Do you know what Myers, Betts and Bloom now play? Would be interested to know. Ron ** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/parsifal560sec%40gmail.com ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
Re: [Hornlist] What makes Conns desirable?
Do you know what Myers, Betts and Bloom now play? Would be interested to know. Ron ** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
RE: [Hornlist] What makes Conns desirable?
Paul Rincon wrote: >Schmid Triple (High Eb), Lawson Fourier, and I believe a Hoyer, >respectively. answering the question "Do you know what Myers, Betts and Bloom now play?" Myers plays a Schmid triple high f, not high E-flat. Cheers, Steve Steven Ovitsky Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival www.santafemusic.org ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
Re: [Hornlist] What makes Conns desirable?
I really think you should examine how you have described the horn on your own. "have found the workmanship of the Conns to be generally inferior (slides that don't fit well, awkward triggers & >grip configuration, etc.), " "the Conns' intonation lacking & the lower register on all of >them consistently weaker than all the competitors" Why fight all of those aspects? As described by Melvin it is a horn of use to be... The biggest champions of CONN no longer support it Myers, Betts, Bloom etc.. That speaks volumes as well. JMHP Robert -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: horn@music.memphis.edu Sent: Sun, 22 Apr 2007 2:11 PM Subject: RE: [Hornlist] What makes Conns desirable? Valerie, "They don't make them like they used to" describes the history of the Conn8D quite well. I'm not their history expert, but I do know that the 1966 Conn horn I own was made in Elkhart, Indiana. But when the company moved, they changed enough of the horn to make it drastically inferior to what it used to be. It may have improved somewhat since then, but I do not know. Keep the dialogue going-I'm sure you will find some helpful info. Got to run! Melvin >From: "Valerie WELLS" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: The Horn List >To: horn@music.memphis.edu >Subject: [Hornlist] What makes Conns desirable? >Date: Sat, 21 Apr 2007 15:55:08 -0700 > >I'm enjoying horn shopping & may take it up as a permanent hobby since it's >>so fun and I can't seem to settle on what I want to buy. AnywayCan >>someone please tell me what makes Conn horns desirable (especially the Conn >>8D)? I've looked at several different models of new Conns & other new >horns >of comparable price range & have found the workmanship of the Conns >to be >generally inferior (slides that don't fit well, awkward triggers & >grip >configuration, etc.), but the tone on all the Conns seemed equal or >superior >to their competitors (although it varied from instrument to >instrument). Can >anyone tell me what makes the tone of the Conn so nice? > >I was told by someone who should know (whose name I will not mention here) >>that the Conn 8D, ANY year, is the "only horn" he'd ever buy. Hmmm... I'd >>love to hear comments & discussion on this. > >I also found the Conns' intonation lacking & the lower register on all of >>them consistently weaker than all the competitors (but that could be due to >>my lack of familiarity with Conns). I found Yamaha horns to have excellent >>intonation and the notes seemed to just "pop" into place. Thanks in >advance >for your comments. ~Valerie > > >___ >post: horn@music.memphis.edu >unsubscribe or set options at >>http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/melvinbaldwin%40hotmail.com _ Interest Rates NEAR 39yr LOWS! $430,000 Mortgage for $1,299/mo - Calculate new payment http://www.lowermybills.com/lre/index.jsp?sourceid=lmb-9632-19132&moid=14888 ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/xerocool9%40aol.com AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com. ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
RE: [Hornlist] What makes Conns desirable?
--- Melvin Baldwin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Valerie, > "They don't make them like they used to" describes > the history of the Conn8D > quite well. I'm not their history expert, but I do > know that the 1966 Conn > horn I own was made in Elkhart, Indiana. But when > the company moved, they > changed enough of the horn to make it drastically > inferior to what it used > to be. I would argue that the Texas horns and the new 8D's are not "drastically inferior" to the Elkhart Conns, but "drastically more inconsistant." I have an (early) Texas 8D that I'd put up against most 8D's, of any vintage. While the worksmanship isn't great (I've had two solder joints pop on the horn in the year I've owned it), it still plays very well. Most importantly for me, it cost a bunch less than any comparable horn (8D or otherwise) I've blown on since, probabally because of its Texas heritage. And yes, I am a fan of the 8D sound. Ben __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
RE: [Hornlist] What makes Conns desirable?
Valerie, "They don't make them like they used to" describes the history of the Conn8D quite well. I'm not their history expert, but I do know that the 1966 Conn horn I own was made in Elkhart, Indiana. But when the company moved, they changed enough of the horn to make it drastically inferior to what it used to be. It may have improved somewhat since then, but I do not know. Keep the dialogue going-I'm sure you will find some helpful info. Got to run! Melvin From: "Valerie WELLS" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: The Horn List To: horn@music.memphis.edu Subject: [Hornlist] What makes Conns desirable? Date: Sat, 21 Apr 2007 15:55:08 -0700 I'm enjoying horn shopping & may take it up as a permanent hobby since it's so fun and I can't seem to settle on what I want to buy. AnywayCan someone please tell me what makes Conn horns desirable (especially the Conn 8D)? I've looked at several different models of new Conns & other new horns of comparable price range & have found the workmanship of the Conns to be generally inferior (slides that don't fit well, awkward triggers & grip configuration, etc.), but the tone on all the Conns seemed equal or superior to their competitors (although it varied from instrument to instrument). Can anyone tell me what makes the tone of the Conn so nice? I was told by someone who should know (whose name I will not mention here) that the Conn 8D, ANY year, is the "only horn" he'd ever buy. Hmmm... I'd love to hear comments & discussion on this. I also found the Conns' intonation lacking & the lower register on all of them consistently weaker than all the competitors (but that could be due to my lack of familiarity with Conns). I found Yamaha horns to have excellent intonation and the notes seemed to just "pop" into place. Thanks in advance for your comments. ~Valerie ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/melvinbaldwin%40hotmail.com _ Interest Rates NEAR 39yr LOWS! $430,000 Mortgage for $1,299/mo - Calculate new payment http://www.lowermybills.com/lre/index.jsp?sourceid=lmb-9632-19132&moid=14888 ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
Re: [Hornlist] What makes Conns desirable?
Just a small tip for your new hobby; I've never even touched a Conn so I can't say much about that, but I've tried several Yamaha and Hoyer horns. If you like Yamaha instruments I'd say that Hoyer is a good chance too, at least worth testing. The prof modells from hoyer is amacingly good compared to the price (at least here in Europe). Hoyer has had their problems with tight A'' s and other things, but it isn't a problem anymore, they have improved much and there is a great difference between the old horns and what they make today. All the instruments I've tried has been surprisingly good, both intonation and slides, valves and such, and I've not found any horns with the old "classical" problems that Hoyer used some time to get rid of. I bought a 5801 in red brass not so long ago and is very happy with it, especialy the low register and the lovely soft sound. I have friends who play on 6801 (I have heard someone call it hoyer's copy of the 8D, but I'm not sure) and they have only good things to say about it. The top models from Hoyer (and Yamaha) is a nice alternative for us who don't have the money to buy nice Paxman horns or other expencive instruments. Much horn for the money, to say it that way. On 22/04/07, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Valerie, do check out the Holton Merker Matic in both nickel and rose brass. ** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/trude.johansen%40gmail.com ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
Re: [Hornlist] What makes Conns desirable?
If you haven't tried the Holton Merker models your search won't be complete. My bias is that I loved mine (no longing playing) and also owned an 8D in the past. - Original Message - From: "Valerie WELLS" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Sent: Saturday, April 21, 2007 6:55 PM Subject: [Hornlist] What makes Conns desirable? I'm enjoying horn shopping & may take it up as a permanent hobby since it's so fun and I can't seem to settle on what I want to buy. AnywayCan someone please tell me what makes Conn horns desirable (especially the Conn 8D)? I've looked at several different models of new Conns & other new horns of comparable price range & have found the workmanship of the Conns to be generally inferior (slides that don't fit well, awkward triggers & grip configuration, etc.), but the tone on all the Conns seemed equal or superior to their competitors (although it varied from instrument to instrument). Can anyone tell me what makes the tone of the Conn so nice? I was told by someone who should know (whose name I will not mention here) that the Conn 8D, ANY year, is the "only horn" he'd ever buy. Hmmm... I'd love to hear comments & discussion on this. I also found the Conns' intonation lacking & the lower register on all of them consistently weaker than all the competitors (but that could be due to my lack of familiarity with Conns). I found Yamaha horns to have excellent intonation and the notes seemed to just "pop" into place. Thanks in advance for your comments. ~Valerie ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/amegenity%40comcast.net ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
Re: [Hornlist] What makes Conns desirable?
Valerie, do check out the Holton Merker Matic in both nickel and rose brass. ** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
