My ten year old son is starting French Horn lessons this fall, we may rent a horn initially but I am looking into purchase options. Can someone recommend models that would be good quality student instruments? Also, if we are looking at used horns what do we need to be aware of?

TIA for any insight, I am a string player and new to the horn world.

I have heard from many manufacturers and distributors that most people buy a trunk relying on first impressions, after playing several sounds, or "feel" that has produced the instrument. I think this is a dangerous way to buy an instrument, horn player and many end up buying a "fiasco" when problems can be detected even before the purchase.

The most common problems I've found are:
1. Horn with a good sound, but a poor pitch.
2. Horn with good intonation, but poor sound.
3. false sounds (harmonics) which were not detected during the evaluation instrument.
4. The idea of ​​the buyer: "I have to get used to the new instrument"


QUESTIONS

      The first step in testing a new trunk is knowing what you expect. What kind of sound you want to hear and what kind of metal will give us a sound we like? What resistance should be a tool for us to play better? How much weight can have? Also remember that the key to the bell sounds covered and cut adds more weight, and triple horn is much heavier than other types of instrument. These and many other questions to ask before going to the store. In addition, you must decide how important it is for us each of these factors separately.

CRITERIA

 Many horn players playing the instrument revised several concerts or extracts and comparing the new trunk and we currently have. But we must be more objective and organize the evaluation. The first thing I do when I see the trunk is make sure you have good intonation, and it perfectly is the harmonic series. Second, the search for defective notes. Third, listen to the sound and determine whether it corresponds to the sound quality, I was looking, and check the dynamics of high and low resistance. These are my priorities.

TUNING.
  Use a tuner. If the instrument is not tuned it is unacceptable, and the test ends at that stage. If the tube is correct, you can proceed to the next step.

SOUND IMPERFECT

   Then locate the faulty notes. You have to play the harmonica with all combinacipones series of valves in order to check if the harmonics are in the right place. Then check various scales, both strong and played piano. Dynamic contrasts are very important because it represents one of the ways in which we can still detect these imperfect sound, which until now has gone unnoticed. Horns with a bad grade is not acceptable. If you are in the manufacturer these notes could easily be corrected.

RESPONSE AND SOUND

Now I like to test the sound quality. Again, I play different dynamics and strong piano, but this time using my concerts and orchestral excerpts. Right now I'm looking to confirm all the advantages of the instrument. I realized for the first sounds of the instrument and to ensure the sound corresponds to my vision of a horn sound.

FINAL NOTE

If you are unsure of your ability to play the horn, for example, you are still a student, or maybe it's amateur, - a good idea is to ask your teacher or a professional horn player to check various instruments. And if that is not possible, try to be as objective as possible and concentrate on how to play the instrument, rather than how you play that day.

We just brought home an older YHR-668 horn, it has been recently regulated and as best I can tell is in good condition

You won't be disappointed with the Yamaha. I recently tried one for a student while on vacation. Great sound, but the valves had been improperly maintained and jammed nearly solid. The yamahas all have pretty tight valve tolerances and need oil nearly daily. I asked the technician to try un-sticking the valves and I'd be back after lunch. No go, they were frozen. Seemed pretty notchy (pitch sit in the middle, easy to hit). What I found to be most challenging is the mouthpiece. Many places carry a very small selection, and embouchures very so widely that unless the store has from the most massive deep wide open mouthpiece, to the narrowest rimmed, shallow, small bore mouthpiece, you're likely to miss what you really need to get a good tone. In addition, I have a pretty nasty nickel allergy and this effects more students that you'd think. Ask if there is a tingling sensation that continues after playing. Mine is so bad that I lost the leather off my duck-foot yesterday and today after practice the crook on my left hand is both tingly and numb. I know must play only stainless steel (tried some "hypo-allergenic" MP's and they gave the same results) and the one that is closest to what I liked playing looses strength in 4 notes on my horn, and doesn't notch in the mid-range as well. Finally getting a custom reproduction of what I like. The mp makes that much of a difference.