Expert: Kenton Scott - 6/3/2006

Question
I have had, for several years, and old cornet sitting on my fireplace mantle.  One of my many trades is as a trumpet player for various bands and my folks saw the wretched old thing at a flea market and picked it up for around $20.  Anyway... here's the details...

The laquer is horrible, covered in many years of blackened patina... not exactly attractive.  It is a "Henri Gautier Virtuoso".  On the second valve casing is the "B & H" mark (found bell-side).  Each of the valves are marked "79" "80" & "81".  Just above the valve bottom on the second valve casing, there is a mark "AUSTRIA".

There are a couple of dents, including one in the crook, but no splitting or damage.  The horn blows clean, though almost every brace (except the leadpipe braces) has broken loose and one is completely missing.  I'd say on a scale of one to ten, the valves are probably a 7 or 8... they move freely and I've oiled them up.

It appears to have the original mouthpiece, which I can only describe as "old style".  It's a short shank.  None of my existing cornet mouthpieces fit the leadpipe.  I can get only the very tip of a modern flugelhorn mouthpiece into the pipe.

Here's my question... I'm trying to date this horn in order to determine if it's worth restoring.  There's little information on the web and I haven't been able to locate anyone who knows much about it.  Any clue?  Would it be worth getting restored?

I've read some negatives about B&F horns and later model cornets seems to go for about $300 in playable condition, which is likely less expensive that making this one into a player (unless I'm missing something).

Anyway... sorry for the long question and thanks for any answers you can provide.

Answer
I think it was a typo when you said it was marked B&H rather than B&F?  With the Austria marking, I suspect that it is of Bohland and Fuchs manufacture.   

Is is possible that rather than old lacquer that it is simply tarnished brass?

Henri Gautier Virtuoso - is a trade name and model used by Lyon and Healy, but they used it with a number of different style horns, and presumably different makers.  With this information I can only narrow its manufacture to between 1896 and 1923.

Since you didn't mention otherwise, is it correct to assume that it is low pitch?

Marketing is an amazing thing. B&F horns have a bad reputation mostly from the advertising by their competitors based in the U.S.  In fact, their quality is uneven, probably as a result of specifications imposed by their importers.

As to whether is it worth restoring, there are many variables.  If if you want, you can email me at kenton@punxypa.com, and we can kick around some of the options.