Hello, I am looking to get a new horn. I recently tried out a Lewis LDX5 and loved it. Any comments on that model?

thanks

I have not yet played one. I have heard a lot of poor opinions on some English forums. But they were referring to the quality of the D3 and D8's in relation to the price ; and I believe the particular person who was selling them for Deitmar was trying to make a huge profit; so the price was outlandish for the quality of the horn. There were some oinconsistencies and since then Duerk and made some changes in design and tooling. But I have never heard anything bad about the horns from anyone I respect.

Derek Wright is professional player out of Arizona. He bought one after playing a Paxman 25L for 5 years. He likes the tone and the slurring capability. The LDx5 is a geyer wrapped horn so slurs tend to be easier.
The first week he had it he loved it so he bought it. Then he didn't like it so much. For about 3 weeks he thought the intonation and tuning was poor. Then he started getting used to it again and since week 10 has loved it. He says the horn is able to meet his dynamic demands both soft and loud.

If you are not in a big hurry to get the horn you might wait a bit and see if you like the D8 better. It should be coming out soon.

You might want to contact Scott Bacon in New York. He sells Duerk horns and may know about the new D8's. He used to work with Ditmar in Germany so he will know these horns inside and out. Check out his website and then call him and talk to him about what you want your horn to do.

Scott H. Bacon
Siegfried's Call
Beacon, NY
http://www.SiegfriedsCall.com

When you do get your new horn, understand that it does take a few weeks to get used to the tunings idiosyncrasies associated with any particular horn. And in my opinion a new horn takes several months to start really working well; responding and giving the right tone procuduction you want. I'm still adjusting to my last purchase of a horn 3 months ago (but I only get to play it 3 days a week.).

If I were you, I'd look into used horns. You get SOOOO much more for your money w/ a used horn. If you want advice about good used horns, start asking around. Ask teachers, other horn players, etc. It's not hard to find really good used horns. Valerie

I need a horn that will potentially last me for 20 or 30 years, should I really get a used one?

How long a horn lasts largely depends on how well you take care of it. But even if you do screw up, most things that go wrong on horns can be fixed w/o breaking the bank, anyway. I know two horn players that are playing on Holton horns that are well over 15 years old. One of them had to have a valve & rotor bearing job done on his & the other has never had any work done on his. Both horns still play very well & were used professionally for many years. Holton has the reputation for having bad valves, but I don't buy it. I think because Holtons are the horns that are most often bought by schools, they are the most abused & neglected horns. This abuse is what ruins the valves. Another thing that impairs the performance of Holton valves is people not using the right oils in the right places. If you follow Phillip Farkas's instructions to the letter, a Holton horn will serve you well for a very long time.

Used Conns, Holtons, Yamahas, Kings, are all good investments, especially if you have a good local repairman. But if you don't, you can always ship them to Ken Pope or Paul Navarro for repair. These guys do excellent work, but they're not the only good technicians out there.

One thing you want to watch for is a bent lead pipe, which will almost always impair a horn's performance.

My favorite Holton is the Merker 276, but any of the Merker line or HOlton Farkas are fabulous. The Tuckwell HOlton (104, 105) is very nice, but I think my Merker is better! My favorite Conn is the 6D. My favorite Yamaha is the 668. My least favorite horns are the is the Conn 8D & the Yamaha 667, which BTW, are very popular among professionals & amatuers alike, so take my advice w/ a grain of salt! ha ha ha!

Valerie

You want a horn that lasts 20 -30 years ?!
Valerie is correct about taking care of the instrument. You must use the correct oils, correct cleaning, at the correct times. The horns I play are 1950 Conn, 1962 Conn, 1971 Paxman, 1930 Cortois. My main horn is the 1962 Conn and it has had a valve job in 1978.

If you want the horn to last forever be careful with the Yamaha's. I don't know anyone who has had hollow rotors rebuilt. Valerie is also correct about getting used horns - you can get a great horn for less than new. But then again I have seen a lot of great used horns that cost more than their new counterpart. I would only sell one of my horns for less than the "new" price; they are that good.

Getting back to the Lewis-Duerk. You have played it and you like it. See if you can get a hold of a Hans Hoyer for trial, or an Atkinson, something in that area. Call or contact Scott as mentioned above. After trying out a couple of others see which you like best. If you still like the Lewis-Duerk then get it. Then you can keep your eyes out for a good buy on a sued horn for your second ro back up horn.