Expert: Kenton Scott - 5/27/2009

Question
Trying to find out more about my strange little horn - hope you can help!  I bought it back in 1978, and it seemed pretty old then. I played it throughout high school, college, and on a community level off and on afterwards.

It's a yellow brass double F/Bb, with the pitch of the two sides able to be adjusted independently. First and third valves can be adjusted on both sides, and the tiny second valve can be adjusted on the F side.  Valves have mechanical linkages - no strings attached :)

There's a seam where it looks almost as though the bell was stitched onto the rest of the tubing.  "Carl Fischer" is engraved there, with a couple of underlines in the same style as the "stitching".

Also, just behind the third valve there's a small attachment with a rectangular hole that looks for all the world like a place to attach a mini music stand/clip.

It's smaller than other horns I've played.  Not a miniature, but I do need to wear heels to rest the bell and play at the same time.

It's a little tricky to play, and sounds mellow, more European than bright Conn 8D-ey.

Any ideas?  I'd love to know more about its history, and especially any unusual maintenance requirements it may have, though I've done little more than oil the valves and grease the slides over the last 30 years and it's working fine.

Answer
Carl Fischer (1849-1923) started as a dealer in New York in 1872, after immigrating from Germany importing instruments from Europe.  Over the years, they obtained instruments from many different sources.  French horns that we have collected pictures can be seen at:  



http://www.horn-u-copia.net/display.php?secondsel=+and+instrument%3D%22French+Ho...

Possibly yours is similar to one of those.