Hi guys

I'm gonna start playing horn and i need to buy an instrument, but i've got no clue what make is good. I know about Yamaha, Holton, Conn, Paxmann- any suggestions? I need to have one by the end of November and I've still got no clue which make to look at.

Rather than the make, the type of horn is probably the first question which you need to answer. The (main) choices are single F, single Bb, half-double (also known as compensating) or full-double. Some teachers have a strong bias against the single Bb but it does have some advantages over a single F - playing higher notes is much more reliable.

If you can already read music and have some experience playing another woodwind or brass instrument then your playing may develop quite quickly on horn and outgrow a single horn in 12 months. The half-double is lighter than the full-double and marginally more difficult to tune.

French horn is probably the most difficult brass instrument to play. I would not advise learning it without some lessons even if you have experience of other brass instruments. Your teacher will probably have a bias towards or against certain makes and types of horn. In addition, a good teacher will ensure you start with a mouthpiece that is appropriate for you etc. If your teacher doesn't recommend renting a horn for the first 6-12 months I would ask why they don't think that's a good idea.

If you are in Europe Alex horns are quite commonly used especially in Orchestras and Wind Ensembles. You could also easily find a good second hand Lidl or Hans Hoyer horn (except in the US). Obviously, a second hand instrument may need a service if bought privately. I have a bias against Boosey and Hawkes. I'm not impressed with the valves on my Holton (but I still play it most often because its a descant horn). Yamaha and Paxman are predictable and (like all well known brands) over-priced. You will find that the Stagg, Venus and other Chinese/Taiwanese horns have consistently bad reports from many traditional resellers and repair shops who have a business interest in high value (and high resale value) branded insruments. If you go for an unbranded instrument bought over the Internet you (and your teacher) can't try it and ensure that its at least a good student quality instrument. (I have been consistently impressed with unbranded instruments).

I'm in South Africa which is the main problem. The only way to get new horns is to either buy them over the internet or get a shop to order it over the internet, which will only cost more. The horns avaible for hire around here are all bad Chinese instruments so it wouldn't be a good idea to play on one for a whole year or so. They're usually old and half broken.

I've done some more reading, and many say that the Conn 8D is a good choice, but then someone else says it has a poor high register. I know the Yamaha student horn is the Y567 but another teacher in the country told me not to buy a Yamaha horn unless it's a professional quality one- and they're really expensive. What's the Holton 179 like? And can anyone suggest which website are good to buy from? I've come across the Woodwind and Brasswind US site, and then HornsAplenty, but they're British so the Pound-Rand exchange rate makes them veryy expensive for South Africans to buy from.

Although I've dealt with Hornsaplenty (and their only a few miles away from where I live), they have a reputation for being expensive. [url]http://www.halsteadmusic.co.uk[/url]probably has more reasonable prices. If you tell him your budget he will make some recommendations - he's a professional horn player! I've also imported from music123.com

The Conn 8D is a wide bore horn, which produces a big sound and takes a lot of air to fill it - especially in the top octave. This doesn't make it the easiest of horns for a beginner. If you plan to play in small ensembles a Conn 8D is probably not the horn of choice to play quietly.

Obviously, if you import an instrument from the US or Europe the shipping costs are significant and you may have to pay duty etc. You may feel that its not worth paying to ship a lower (student) cost horn.

The entire Yamaha range is considered good quality but over-priced - but that's true for all the very well known brands. I don't have any personal experience of the Holton 179. Most beginners wouldn't buy a professional quality horn in case they don't play it much! A second hand professional model or an intermediate horn might be a reasonable compromise.

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I started out with a Holton 179, and I'd recommend it for a beginner. I play an 8D now, because I can get alot better sound out of it, but it takes LOTS of air and LOTS of control.