Paxman 20M

I got this horn in college. I searched high and low, and decided on the exact specs I wanted: Paxman 20M, yellow brass, fixed bell, unlacquered. Then, a few weeks later, my horn prof had a friend selling one with those exact specs.

I've had the horn for 15+ years, while I was a performance major, a dedicated amateur, a returning college student (for teacher certification), and now as a music teacher. I have done all sorts of gigs with it, and it has served me well. In college I was doing a lot of chamber music, and its lighter sound was great for that. To the person who complained about the brightness, I would only ask, why did you buy a medium bore horn? That's kind of the idea -- that person should have purchased a 20L.

That said, when I returned to school for teacher certification I found myself mostly playing in bands and orchestras. My prof at that time recommended a Laskey 80G mouthpiece, and that has done wonders for flexibility.

In short, I love this horn, and with different mouthpieces, it is versatile enough for most any playing situation.

This horn is an overpriced piece of junk. Tone quality is bright and narrow. Lower register is forced. Sticking with the Conn 8D.

I like the Paxman 20M French Horn. It is shiny, and it is better than all other horns!