Finke horns are amongst the best I have ever tried. They are light, and the valve action is unbelievable. If you have been a car driver all your life, it's like the first time you ride a motorcycle. And they offer exceptional value for money. To my ear, the Americus Brendan double has a sound I am most comfortable with, but what I have learnt is that what sounds beautiful up close to the player and nearby colleagues does not necessarily reach the audience. I would be most interested in a blind sound test between a good example of an Alex 103, another but more modern Alex design such as the very fine 1103, a couple excellent Paxman double models and a couple Finke double models - at distance i.e. from the middle rows of the audience. Schmids, Conns and Holtons, to my ear, are examples of fine horns that can sound great up close and in the studio, but lose more harmonics and punch in the concert hall - with the qualification that great players produce an inspirational sound regardless of make, not because of it.
This is a question about a very specific type of horn that is no longer manufactured to my knowledge. Ok, so I own a Getzen compensating horn and I have no idea what the 4th valve does. When I try to use it in the lower register, it goes down and down a full tone but when I play in the middle-high register, it only goes down a semitone and up a semitone (mind you, the horn is in decent condition and plays well). Now, when I try to play in the higher register (F-5 and up), it doesn't do anything at all. If you could provide some knowledge on this type of horn I would be very grateful. Thank you!
A compensating double horn is built in Bb, but has an extension valve (4th valve) with additional tubing to lengthen the horn to an F tuning. The natural tones are different on an F horn, which could explain the behavior described.
Finke horns are amongst the best I have ever tried. They are light, and the valve action is unbelievable. If you have been a car driver all your life, it's like the first time you ride a motorcycle. And they offer exceptional value for money. To my ear, the Americus Brendan double has a sound I am most comfortable with, but what I have learnt is that what sounds beautiful up close to the player and nearby colleagues does not necessarily reach the audience. I would be most interested in a blind sound test between a good example of an Alex 103, another but more modern Alex design such as the very fine 1103, a couple excellent Paxman double models and a couple Finke double models - at distance i.e. from the middle rows of the audience. Schmids, Conns and Holtons, to my ear, are examples of fine horns that can sound great up close and in the studio, but lose more harmonics and punch in the concert hall - with the qualification that great players produce an inspirational sound regardless of make, not because of it.
I'm excited to see you guys at TMEA this year. I hope you have one of these to try. I'm specifically looking for a lighter horn!
Can you do a compare and contrast of Paxman models, 20, 25, and 27?
This is a question about a very specific type of horn that is no longer manufactured to my knowledge. Ok, so I own a Getzen compensating horn and I have no idea what the 4th valve does. When I try to use it in the lower register, it goes down and down a full tone but when I play in the middle-high register, it only goes down a semitone and up a semitone (mind you, the horn is in decent condition and plays well). Now, when I try to play in the higher register (F-5 and up), it doesn't do anything at all. If you could provide some knowledge on this type of horn I would be very grateful. Thank you!
A compensating double horn is built in Bb, but has an extension valve (4th valve) with additional tubing to lengthen the horn to an F tuning. The natural tones are different on an F horn, which could explain the behavior described.