Medlin Horns

I just want to wish everyone a happy, peaceful holidays!

And in the Christmas spirit, here is an excerpt from Messiah. (Trust me, you want to listen to the end…)

I will be reevaluating and repricing the horns based upon the last years data on costs and most importantly the Euro exchange rate. The new prices will take effect on Jan 1, 2010 and will reflect:

• The switch to Meinelschmidt valves and the associated increase in material costs
• The increase of the Euro from 1.2 to 1.5 US

I guarantee the price that was agreed upon at the time of ordering so this will affect only new orders placed next year. Orders already on the list or orders that are placed before the new year will be unaffected .

I got a wonderful opportunity to study an original Geyer from 1929 that was owned by Dr. Winter at Fresno St. and his sons. A special thank you to Prescott Winter for the opportunity!

The horn is in amazing condition and I took some very good measurements of the leadpipe that I hope to discover some things about. Its a magnificent specimen and a very nice playing old horn.

Here is an interesting question that was posted that I thought everyone might enjoy reading.

Hi Jacob,

Just stumbled on your website and enjoy reading your philosophies and about your horns. I’m curious about the Yamaha horn… What prompted you to open the venturi? I always thought Yamaha horns had already just about the largest venturis around. And the solder joints. Do they increase the perceived blow resistance of the instrument?

Like a lot of horn players, I’m curious about horn design, having tried many leadpipes/horns/mouthpieces, but haven’t been able to make sense of it all yet!

Greetings from NYC,
Aleks

Hi Aleks,

Since the answer is book length, I’ll just share with you what I think about horns in regard to those parts (long solders, leadpipe)!

I’ve played many horns that have uneven registers. By this I mean that as you go higher in the range, the horn “tightens up” and loses the ring in the sound. This causes squirrelly high notes and makes the upper range very hard to play (high Bb anyone?). I believe that the reason this happens in Geyer style horns is that the leadpipe venturi is too small. But, opening up the leadpipe sometimes turns the horn into a dump truck to play (very hard to be agile and direct with the sound). Many horn makers err on the side of a too small venturi and leave it up to the player to get around the problems in the upper range.

The second part of the equation is the long solder joints. The more that the horn is soldered together, the more energy it takes to vibrate the instrument. This gives the feeling of resistance without the unfortunate “backing up” of air that accompanies trying to fit a large amount of air through a small hole.

So! What we have are two sets of generalizations;

Large venturi= pro-More even horn, easier high range, con-not enough resistance to push against and loss of endurance/ focus in sound
Small venturi= pro- focused sound, quick response, con- very tight in the high range, slurs and too close together (intonation issues),

Braces= quick response, lots of ring in sound, no focus, pops in slurs
Soldered= slower response, more resistance, extra focus in sound, liquid creamy slurs

I pair a large venturi with long solder joints to get the best of every world. Nice easy high range with good intonation but still resistant and focused enough to push against and not get tired (or to play really loud).

CAVEAT! Everything must be BALANCED! Longer solder joints are not always better. It is the right venturi paired with the right solder lengths that make the horn sing. So don’t go at your horn with a torch and some solder and yell at me later…

These horns will deserve consideration when looking for a new instrument that will be easy to play and mechanically reliable while wanting to project a traditional horn sound.

New pictures up! I replaced the pictures on the horn specs page with a recent horn that shows the right proportions and any updated features.

I’ve also added more pics to the “How its made” tab that were taken while I built this past horn.

Enjoy!!

I’ve finally finished the FAQ/ policies tab. Feel free to look over it and let me know if there is anything confusing… or misspelled! This tab includes all the information about shipping procedures, returns, payments, everything I could think of. Send an email if you think of anything I’ve left off.

Horn building philosophy #1: Absolutely anything is possible.

Today I did some work for a friend on her aging Yamaha 861; a discontinued custom model that is increasingly difficult to find. She decided that she would like to open up the high register by trying a new leadpipe and, rummaging through my box of pipes, found one she liked. Before installing it, I suggested that we try to work (read: cut into and recklessly modify) the original pipe and try to get it more open without replacing it.

When I build a new horn, I make a general skeleton using my design plans and then spend a few days playing and tweaking it until it has the  ease and sound that I’m looking for. I applied that same ideas and experience to my friend’s horn, pretending that I had a new skeleton and trying to figure out what it needed to play better.

She was shocked with the result. Using her same leadpipe, I was able to open up the high register and improve the stability in the low register in about 3 hours of fussing. I opened up the leadpipe venturi and balanced it with some longer, more resistant, solder joints on the mouthpipe to get a truly remarkable result.

The lesson? Anything is possible. Rather than build a single stubborn design of horn, I prefer to focus on the sound production and playing characteristics of each individual instrument. If I have to slightly modify my design to achieve a desired result, that’s okay! That’s what makes it truly a custom horn!!

I will try to write more of these so that you can learn about what I believe about horns and horn building and decide if I’m the right person to build your next horn!

I’ve always loved the Muppets, I just can’t resist these videos.

Think of it as excerpt training… just from Beaker and chickens!!

(I love how they aren’t with the metronome, cute)

Some hornplayers have asked recently about pinky hooks, hand straps and my recommendation. Normally, I stay out of these kinds of endorsements, but in this case I have a very passionate opinion.

At issue are methods of holding the horn up with the left hand. There are 4 methods of doing this. (5 if you count Pip Eastop’s Pip Stick, which is a brilliant contraption but does not involve the left hand directly.)

1. Pinky hook
2. Pinky hook and velcro loop strap
3. Flipper
4. Strap soldered to the horn (removing pinky hook)

A soldered strap is the easiest and most ergonomical way to hold the horn!

Read a scientific explaination of how flexor muscles in the middle, ring, and pinky fingers work. Basically, the last three fingers of your hand share a flexor muscle. If you restrict the movement of the pinky finger by putting it under a hook and using it to support all 5+ pounds of horn, you also restrict the motion of the ring and middle fingers as well.

A soldered strap allows the middle and ring fingers to work the valves at a faster speed!

Using a strap soldered to the horn and removing the pinky hook allows the last three fingers to move together with more freedom. Imagine playing Weber’s Concertino, with all of its speedy T2- T12- T23 fingering combinations. Having the ring finger move even 5% quicker can make a huge difference in playing that piece!

A good strap needs to (in my opinion):

• Be fully leather instead of leather/ nylon so that sweat and moisture will not pentrate the surface, mildew, and stink.
• Be adjustable so that you have options about where to solder.
• Have a FULL WRAP-AROUND handguard that protects the horn and does not twist as your hand position changes.
• Be made of high quality leather that will not stretch over time.

I’ve had many different kinds of straps on my horns over the years and the Clebsch strap is the best strap I’ve found. It is made with very high quality leather that will not rip or streach (I’ve moved my current strap to 3 different horns and its still going strong).

I passionately believe that a soldered stap is the best way to hold the horn with the left hand. It gives unparalleled advantages in fingering speed and overall comfort. The Clebsch strap is the best strap I’ve used and I’m happy to offer this option on all of my horns at no extra cost!