Horn Improvement Surveys and More–Memories of Horn Calls Past: My First Issue of The Horn Call, Part V

Any good horn player has their eyes out looking for a better horn. In recognition of this,

In the Fall of 1978 the I.H.S. inserted a Horn Improvement Questionnaire Survey in the Horn Call. A total of 175 were returned covering 20 different brands of French Horns.

Thus begins an article titled “Horn Improvement Survey Report” in the October, 1979 issue of The Horn Call. The results were tabulated by a committee consisting of A. Kendall Betts, Walter A. Lawson, Robert Osmun, William R. Cook, and Dr. J. Milton McKnight. Twenty manufacturers were represented in the results and it is interesting to see what the top five were among IHS members back in 1978 in relation to brands we see in use today. All other brands were at the five or less mark in returns.

• Holton—54
• Conn—43
• Alexander—15
• King—14
• Paxman—12

The results were divided into general observations made by the committee and also quotations from the survey. People liked having a water key and also separate B-flat tuning was a plus. As to committee observations, much of it boiled down to fit and finish concerns.  These paragraphs were especially diplomatic but clear about some of the problems of horns made in that timeframe.

An interesting trend emerged about the two largest manufacturers. The Holton horns were divided into two groups—the average age of the instruments that had good comments about their construction was 7 years and the average age of the instruments that had adverse comments was 3.8 years.

There were 4 Conn French Horns built since 1973 that were evaluated and all received adverse comments as to their construction.

It appears that while the two largest manufacturers are producing many horns each year, the quality of their construction has deteriorated from what it was several years ago.

The quotations from the survey bear this out generally. In a personal statement from committee chairman Walter Lawson that concluded the article he explained that the above was in part a result of the stress on “high volume sales to a mass market.” He continues,

You can buy any brand of American French Horn for less than $1,000. In order to factory build a consistently first class instrument and to offer many models; the materials, time and expert labor would cause the price to be $1,500-$2,500. But many players already have paid that price for a fine European horn; and some used horns sell for more than $2,500.

Nearly everyone can drive a Chevy but the same manufacturer makes Cadillacs. It would be nice to have available a top grade professional quality instrument that would last a lifetime.

[As an aside, did you notice that in the quotes from this article that in The Horn Call they used the term “French Horn?” The horror!]

Immediately following this article were the “Results of a National Survey of Professional Horn Players” by Wilbert Kenneth Kimple, Jr. This survey focused on equipment and he received 29 replies to his survey which was sent out to some 270 professional horn players at the time. Of those, the top five horn models among respondents were:

• Conn 8D
• Paxman descant
• Schmidt
• Kruspe
• Geyer

Many of the results of this survey mirrored comments in the horn improvement survey report. For me looking back the most interesting question was “Which teacher had the most positive effect on you playing?” Of this Kimple wrote,

The answers to this question, or perhaps the non-answers, were somewhat surprising to me. Dale Clevenger received five votes, while his teacher, Forrest Standley, received four votes. All other teachers, including such highly thought of people as Farkas, Reynolds, Chambers, Shapiro, Jacobs, and Barrows received only one or two votes each. Most of those replying had studied with at least three “quality” teachers of national reputation.

Later he added,

I feel that question number seventeen was quite revealing. Dale Clevenger and Forrest Standley were listed as the most influential teachers. Their style of playing and teaching tends to be more delicate, refined, and more of the singing style than that which is often called “the New York Style.” In fact, several people said that they preferred the small bore, brass horn sound. Perhaps band directors should take note of this style, as they teach most of the beginning horn students in this country. I’m certain that some players would like to see conductors re-educated in the true concept of horn sound.

The end result of these surveys was that Holton and Conn certainly got the message and were back to making horns of more consistent quality within a few years. Both articles have in general more entertainment value than real statistical value but again give a feel for some of the interesting things you can find hidden in back issues.

When we return to this series it will be to look at some of the reviews in this issue, an important service The Horn Call provided to the horn community.