New Horns + Besson Horns + Conn + Hoyer Horns + Kühn

The Meister Hans Hoyer 6801 Heritage Professional Double French Horn is similar in design and construction to old pre-war Kruspe-Horner and Conn 8D horns. The Meister Hans Hoyer Heritage 6801 Series features a nickel-finish instrument with a .468-inch bore with a 12.2-inch large throat bell for a dark, responsive tone plus excellent resonance and projection. The 6801 Heritage also has mechanical 3B linkages, that feature two steel balls in a bronze ball bearings in each valve for smooth worry-free action.

I was very excited when Hoyer told me that they were purchasing an original Geyer double horn so that they could study it and come out with a true modern copy which was affordable! This is the newest model in the Hans Hoyer line of professional horns, made in Germany by B&S. This is a full double horn in Bb/F, and can be set to stand in either key. The Geyer model has a smaller throat bell than the Kruspe style instruments in the Heritage and Bloom lineups. But the body is a larger diameter, with broader curves, offering less resistance.

The Model LDx5 double french horn was born out of the collaboration of the hands and minds of two master craftsmen, Steve Lewis, and Dietmar Duerk. The horn is traditional in design, (Geyer wrap) but the concept behind the construction of the horn is innovative. As with many 'custom' horns, the tooling to produce these instruments is made 'in house'. All bending and fitting of parts is achieved with care and accuracy, thus reducing the 'stress' often associated with more mass produced instruments.