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HAWKES & SON piston horn
£495.00
HAWKES & SON 'EXCELSIOR SONOROUS'
Serial number: 22806 (approx 1906)
Weight: 1.73 kg
This horn's bell diameter (26.5 cm) is very slightly smaller
than the usual 27cm (that of #38048's bell).
The bell has no garland, being made of unusually thin brass
with a visible 'stitched seam' gusset.
Engraving / stamps: 'RMB 220' and the Hawkes 'H' poincon.
F and Eb crooks, in good condition, albeit with a few small
dings in the F crook and some tiny dings in the Eb crook.
Pistons: EXCELLENT COMPRESSION.
The 3 pistons' tuning slides and the slides' outer sleeves are
longer than those on horn 38048, and are marked with
positions for F and Eb crooks.
The slides are too long to permit playing
in tune with an 'A' crook, even when pushed fully in.
PHYSICAL CONDITION: Generally very good, with tuning
slides that are so tight that they make quick intonation
adjustments quite difficult to achieve!
The 'stay' or brace is missing from the main tuning slide,
which has slight solder mark remnants on it, showing where
(historically) its length has evidently been adjusted for pitch.
The reason for the long main tuning slide is that,
prior to the B&H merger in 1930, Hawkes & Son
invariably built horns to play at the old British 'high pitch'
and an even longer slide was optionally available at
the time of manufacture, listed in photo #3.
This long slide gives 'LP' ( A 440)
What looks like a 'patch' in photo #2 is in fact a plate,
which must have been installed originally when the horn
was built, since it is gripped by the turned-over outer bell
rim.
The plate bears a stamp
'Excelsior Sonorous Class A
Hawkes & Son, London'.
PERFORMANCE: VERY GOOD overall, with no 'bad notes'
and a well-centred tone.
Interestingly, this horn feels that it has been 'blown-in'
and used mostly as the 'high horn' of the pair.
Included in the sale is an original 'boat shaped' fibre-board
and leatherette case in much-used condition, with two
interior compartments for the crooks as well as a central
space for the horn body.
The lid's hinge has been repaired with cloth tape; the two
clasps are not currently functional, but the central 'catch'
works well, keeping the lid securely closed.
The photos can be viewed in greater detail
by opening and saving them.
Halstead Music Ltd acts as an agent only,
accepting no responsibility as a principal.
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd.