Kruspe Dreaming, part I: A Concert on a Kruspe
In several posts I have talked about how just before the pandemic I was able to obtain a low milage 1948 Kruspe horn. This is not just a Kruspe-style horn, it is an actual Kruspe made by the firm that...
View ArticleKruspe Dreaming II: The Tuckwell Kruspe
Years ago, I remember one of my teachers saying that Tuckwell sounded better on his Kruspe. By the time I heard him play live he was on his modified Holton 180, which was I believe the main horn you...
View ArticleKruspe Dreaming, III: A Very Big (and Early) Kruspe
In this series I’ve focused on my ca. 1948 Kruspe, but I have also been able to spend some time with another, older Kruspe Horner model. This example is from I would guess around WWI. One of the most...
View ArticleGeyer Dreaming IV: The Custom Horn Maker, and a Closer Look at Geyer 223
One question I have heard in relation to custom horn makers is this; are they just assembling parts? What makes them better than just buying a factory horn? Horn assembler, or horn maker? Typically,...
View ArticleA Word on “Brushed Finish” Horns
A type of finish that has been showing up on some of the used horn postings you see is what they call a “brushed finish.” A potential “hot button” topic that I don’t believe has been much commented...
View Article“Each instrument has a different personality,” or, different horns are in...
There is a big amorphous topic that is rarely discussed related to horns and repertoire. Over the years it has become more and more clear to me that different music feels better and worse on different...
View ArticleGeyer Update: Engravings, Serial Numbers, and More
I could also have titled this article “Things I got wrong” in the Geyer Dreaming series (which starts here), or the related article published in the February 2024 issue of The Horn Call. An Email from...
View ArticleReverse tuning slides and the horn
I had a vague idea that there was such a thing as a “reverse leadpipe” on the trumpet, but had never really given it much thought. But a student made a comment about a horn having a reverse leadpipe,...
View ArticleA closer look at a vintage “Kruspe Kruspe”
A Kruspe Kruspe? Any serious student of the horn today has heard of Kruspe style (or Kruspe wrap) horns, but many do not realize that Kruspe refers to an actual maker of horns (in Germany), and that...
View ArticleRevisiting the Ascending Third Valve
As part of my most recent horn building project I realized that I could set up that horn as an ascending third valve instrument. Ascending third valve?!? Back nearly 10 years ago I posted in this site...
View ArticleSpun Bell? Hand-Hammered Bell?
I have mentioned hand-hammered bells a number of times in this site, but surprisingly I have never really explained what the term means. All Bells are Spun A first point to make is that all bells are...
View ArticleCould the Kruspe style horn come back?
At one time Kruspe style double horns (especially the Conn 8D) were a dominant horn type among professional hornists in the USA. That market has dramatically shifted in recent years to Geyer style...
View ArticleWhat Makes a Horn a Bad Horn?
Often, I see listings of horns for sale that emphasize that the horn would be a good horn for a student. And some of them probably would be, but others are in reality substandard or even bad horns you...
View ArticleThe Heldenhorn
As Horn Matters author Bruce Hembd and I were both students at Eastman at the same time, we both had contact with a specific model of horn, made by Alexander in (mostly) the 1970s for Milan Yancich,...
View ArticleLet’s Talk About Dynamics and Your Horn
Is it your horn? A recent article focused on the topic of dynamics in large ensembles. But there is a proverbial “elephant in the room” related to this topic — it just may not be possible to play loud...
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