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Horns

Conn French horns are known for their distinctive, warm, and broad sound, and praised for their tremendous responsiveness and outstanding projection. Offered in single and double configurations and Kruspe and Geyer-style wraps, Conn has crafted models to serve musicians at every level, from beginning students to seasoned professionals. Their balanced feel, reliable intonation, and powerful yet flexible tone makes them true all-around instruments, equally at home in orchestras, bands, chamber ensembles, and recording studios. For players seeking a horn with a distinctive American voice and proven performance, Conn remains a top choice for over 150 years.

Conn is one of America's oldest and most influential band instrument manufacturers. The Conn story began in 1875, when Charles Gerard Conn opened a small brass workshop in Elkhart, Indiana, laying the foundation for a company that would become a defining voice in American musical culture and earn the nickname "America's brass house." Conn introduced its first French horns in 1913, and in 1937 released what would become its most iconic model: the Conn 8D. This Kruspe-wrap horn, known for its warm, broad, unmistakably American tone, became the best-selling French horn model and a fixture in major orchestras and studios.

Conn also helped shape generations of young musicians through its deep commitment to music education, notably through the Conn National School of Music, founded in 1928 to train school band directors. Trusted for their tremendous response, powerful projection, and exemplary playability, Conn horns are the perfect all-around instrument for horn players of all levels. Each horn carries forward more than 150 years of craftsmanship rooted at the heart of America's brass tradition.

Holton French horns are known for their warm, resonant sound and full-bodied voice with remarkable depth and color. They deliver consistency, control, and expressive depth across ensemble and solo performance. Each instrument features Holton's signature construction, including tapered rotors and valve casings for even response, hand-hammered bells with overlapped seams for added strength and richness, and independently tunable F and B♭ sides for precise adjustment. With options in raw brass, nickel silver, yellow brass, and bronze, multiple bell throat sizes, and Farkas, Geyer, or Kruspe wrap designs, Holton offers a refined, customizable playing experience trusted for generations.

Frank Holton, a former trombonist with John Philip Sousa's band, opened his own shop in Chicago in 1898, initially gaining success with a trombone slide oil before expanding into full brass instrument production. In 1929, Holton introduced a complete line of school-grade instruments under the name Holton Collegiate.

In the late 1950s, Holton partnered with Philip Farkas, then principal horn of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, to develop the Holton-Farkas line of French horns and mouthpieces. The series quickly gained a reputation for professional quality paired with broad accessibility, delivering a rich, dark sound with a strong, centered core.

Today, the Holton brand continues to build on a legacy of quality, reliability, and effortless playability. Rooted in American brass engineering and known for their warm, resonant voice, Holton horns carry forward a timeless design and powerful, dark tonal character that players have trusted for generations.