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Once a year or so I like to send off a horn to different technicians for cleaning or custom work, coordinating this with taking a break from the horn.
This year, I wanted to do something about my boring valve caps. It is something that I have been thinking about for a long while and while there was nothing wrong with them, I just wanted to do something decorative to make the entire horn feel more personalized and look more distinctive.
Over the top?
Some might call this upgrade decadent, self-indulgent and perhaps even somewhat sacrilegious. I am guessing that personality types like Professor Corno and Archibald Noodlefish would not approve.
Maybe they are right. There are no performance benefits to speak of; it really is just an act of adding some bling to the horn.
The three main options I considered were:
- Decorative engraving
- Embedded abalone shell
- Moonie caps – customized and jeweled
Ultimately I decided on sending my valve caps to Ion Balu for his abalone treatment.
(By the way, I was only kidding about those jeweled Moonie caps – but seriously, could you imagine…?)
From a mollusk to a French horn
The shimmering, translucent effect of abalone comes from its properties as a sea shell. It is a natural product, although some of the colors – like the pink and purple options – are created using artificial dyes. With his patent-pending process Balu adds a special glaze on top which, he asserts, adds strength and more color depth to the shell.
Of the ten colors available I chose Option Three, a pearl-white abalone.
This is probably the least exciting color choice but I was looking for something subtle that would catch the eye by surprise, or that might even go unnoticed. Other color options include intense purples, reds, greens, and yellows.
Speedy service
The entire process, including mailing the caps from door-to-door, took about a week. In my particular case I hit the July 4th holiday weekend. Balu turned them around in 24 hours on the first business day.
I was impressed with this speedy service.
Will it feel the same as before?
My biggest concern with the modified caps was tactile – would I be able to grip the cap for screwing it on the horn?
The short answer is yes. The precision and expertise of Ion Balu’s work really shows in this low-angle, closeup shot.
Looking here like a squadron of flying saucers from a 1950’s science fiction movie, the caps appear slightly more dome-shaped than before the conversion.
I imagine that the thicker gradations of abalone allow for deeper colors and more light refraction, which I will get into later. This has had no effect on the notched, outer edging or on being able to hold a grip on the cap.
Skilled craftsmanship
This closeup picture frankly blew my mind when I opened it up on the computer. When looked at from above at a normal angle and distance the dome-shape profile is not noticeable, but it does have a subtle effect on how the caps look on the horn.
The transitions between the brass and abalone are smooth and seamless. I am guessing that the abalone is inset, but it is hard to tell by either sight or touch – a strong testament to the quality of the craftsmanship.
Different light, different colors
Since this material reflects and refracts light, a rainbow of effects appear under different lighting conditions.
At a distance the abalone appears as off-white or a burnished silver. Up close, streaks and blushes of color can be seen within the natural grain – subtle hues of red, blue and yellow.
It is difficult to photograph and perhaps even harder to describe. In the picture below a strong light shines on the 2nd and 3rd valve caps. Under this bright light they both look flat and stark-white.
Meanwhile the first valve cap (in shadow) shimmers like a pearl. Pink and blue/green hues shine through.
Under a completely different light the abalone shines with a different effect, appearing off-white, but bright and glossy.
Before and after
The last picture in this review is of same valve caps before the abalone treatment. This was the only good picture I had of my old valve caps and in it, the 4th valve cap is removed in order to reveal the special disc inside it.
The 3rd cap in its original condition can be seen in the background.
(That 4th-valve disc is a Patterson device. As mentioned before I am not sure what it does, so I leave it alone and trust in its magic. )
Final thoughts
Ion Balu has delivered a high quality product. For about $150 the abalone cap upgrade was affordable and quick, and it added the perfect sparkle I was looking for.
Also, at this particular time of the year while I am taking a break, it has sparked a stronger interest in resuming practice sessions sooner rather than later.
One serious consideration to keep in mind: the abalone valve cap treatment is a commitment, comparable to getting a permanent tattoo on your skin. There are no do-overs, short of getting brand new caps or a different type of abalone.
This caveat aside, if you are looking to add pizazz to your horn this could be the perfect thing. Balu gets a perfect score from me – on a scale of one-to-five, 5 horn-stars.
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