

#CONN 8D SERIAL NUMBER LIST FULL#
The double horn (featuring a full horn in F and a full horn in Bb, switched by a thumb lever) is the most common horn for both students and professionals today. Note the 4 valves, and the change valve located on the player’s side of the 3 main valves. Generally, single horns are around $2,000 new, but as low as $500 – $1,000 or so used. The brands to look for are the same ones listed in the double horn category below: Generally, students only stay on single F horns for one to two years, so this will not generally be a long-term purchase.

#CONN 8D SERIAL NUMBER LIST UPGRADE#
If you’re thinking about buying a single horn, consider trying to find a used model, or rent from a local music store that will let you upgrade in a year or two without incurring a financial penalty. This helps them to absorb some of the punishment they may receive, but they are still lighter and easier to manage physically than a double horn, so they are ideal for younger or smaller students. Since single F horns are essentially exclusively used by beginners, they will usually be built in a more sturdy fashion. The one drawback to the F single horn, especially for beginners, is accuracy. In the US the sound of the F horn is generally preferred, and so it’s become common to start beginners off with horns in F. Single horns in F are easily recognized because they have only 3 valvesįor many beginners (myself included) the first type of horn we play on will be a single F horn. New horns can be found at WoodwindBrasswind, Houghton Horns, Ken Pope’s shop, as well as your local music store (if you have one).

If you’re interested in used horns, I would set a floor of around $1,500 (more is better). Sometimes the cost of repairing just the valves on these horns is higher than the cost of the horn. Often times with these cheap horns the valves don’t fit, the slides fall out, the solder joints are poorly done, and the tapered parts of the horn are all messed up. If you’re looking for a new double horn, I recommend starting your budget at no lower than about $3,500 (more is better), since any new horn costing less than this is generally going to be manufactured in China with questionable quality control.

For a double horn, you can spend anywhere between $200 – $18,000, so having a budget is crucial to narrow down your choices. In order to get the horn that’s best for you, the first thing to do is to establish your (realistic) budget for a new horn. Buying a French Horn: Establish Your Budget First!īuying a French horn is a significant investment of money.
