French Horns

1936-1949

In the late 1930s, Conn copied the Kruspe-Horner horn that was being imported by Anton Horner (Philadelphia Orchestra, 1902-1946) and produced the Model 8D. The initial batch of 8D’s was sold to a group of students at the Curtis School of Music, where Horner taught, for significantly less than the Kruspe models he was selling.

In turn, Horner added a tuning slide on the B♭ side of the horn to allegedly position his Kruspe-Horner horn as a newer, updated model. Based on the layout of Reynolds’ earliest known double horns, it can be speculated that Foster Reynolds saw Conn’s commercial success with the 8D copy of the Kruspe-Horner horn and decided to produce his own double-horn based on Horner’s updated model (with B♭ tuning slide).

While the earliest known Reynolds-branded double horns date from approximately 1941, an Ohio Band Instrument Co. catalog believed to be from c.1936 does list a Regent model Double Horn. Also run by Foster Reynolds, Ohio Band instruments were produced in the same factory as Reynolds instruments. Unfortunately photos and/or illustrations are not available for this model, but it may not be a stretch to assume that the horn would bear a resemblance to the King horns that were produced under Foster Reynolds’ guidance at H.N. White through 1935. The marketing language in the Ohio Band catalog is very similar to that found in H.N. White materials, especially the claims of milling accuracy to less than 1/1000″ and the uniformity of the gauge of metals used.

Model	Size	Description	Example
TBD	Bore: .472″ Bell: 12″, medium bell throat	Reynolds B♭/F Double French Horn | Wrap: modified Kruspe-Horner (with B♭ tuning slide) | Materials: brass with nickel-silver slide tubes and bracing | Finish: clear lacquer finish; optional silverplate
1222	Bore: TBD Bell: TBD	Regent Double Horn in F/B♭; E♭ slide available | Valves: three rotary valves | Materials: TBD | Finish: clear lacquer; gold lacquer; silverplate with bright bell or gold bell Note: Regent horns were produced by the Ohio Band Instrument Company from c.1936-1950.	No photo available

Reynolds also produced horns for U.S. Army Air Force service bands throughout the 1940s. These instruments have a silverplate finish and a large “U.S.” mark engraved by the bell rim.

Model	Size	Description	Example
TBD	Bore: .472″ Bell: 12″, medium bell throat	Reynolds B♭/F Double French Horn with USAAF military engraving and silverplate finish

Late 1940s-1961

At some point in the history of the Reynolds Double Horn, Reynolds forged a relationship with Max Pottag, long-time second horn with the Chicago Symphony to promote sales of the new horn. It’s yet unclear to what extent and exactly when Pottag was initially involved with Reynolds. Pottag retired from the CSO in 1947 after 40 years of playing and focused on his teaching at Northwestern (1934-1952) — the earliest known Reynolds horn with a “Pottag Model” marking is SN 20074 (c.1948). The Contempora model name replaced the Reynolds designation c.1950 or shortly thereafter. The Pottag Model was sold from the late 1940’s into the early 1960’s and, by all modern accounts, is well suited for small orchestra, chamber music and solo literature.

In addition to the “Pottag Model” bell marking, these horns can be identified by a small bump Reynolds added to the B♭ tuning slide to aid in tuning the slide by feel.

Model	Size	Description	Example
160	Bore: .472″ Bell: 12″	Contempora “Pottag Model” B♭/F Double French Horn | Standard weight bell with medium bell throat | Wrap: modified Kruspe-Horner (with B♭ tuning slide) | Materials: brass with nickel silver slide tubes and trim | Finish: clear lacquer finish
		At least one early Pottag horn features a nickel-silver tone ring on the bell, similar to those found on the Contempora trumpets, cornets and tenor trombones. It’s not known if this is a prototype or if Reynolds did formally produce the horn with a kranz for a limited time.
161	Bore: .472″ Bell: 12″	Contempora “Pottag Model” B♭/F Double French Horn | Standard weight bell with medium bell throat | Wrap: modified Kruspe-Horner (with B♭ tuning slide) | Materials: solid nickel silver | Finish: clear lacquer finish

In the mid-1950s, perhaps spurred on by the market entry of the Holton Farkas horn (1956), Roth-Reynolds approached James Chambers (New York Philharmonic, 1946-1969) with a similar idea for collaboration as to what Max Pottag had provided a decade earlier. As a Conn 8D player, Chambers was familiar with the basic Kruspe-Horner layout of the Pottag horn, but wanted the bigger bell throat, heavier bell (.018″ thick) and the nickel-silver alloy that he was used to from playing his Conn 8D. After two years of design and development, Chambers endorsed the Reynolds Contempora Chambers Model Double French Horn in 1958.

Model	Size	Description	Example
190	Bore: .472″ Bell: 12″	Contempora “Chambers Model” B♭/F Double French Horn | heavyweight bell (.018″ thick); large bell throat | Large leadpipe | modified Kruspe-Horner wrap style; ring pull on B♭ tuning slide | Materials: gold brass with nickel silver slide tubes and trim; metal cork holders and unplated rotor levers | Finish: clear lacquer finish
191	Bore: .472″ Bell: 12″	Contempora “Chambers Model” B♭/F Double French Horn | heavyweight bell (.018″ thick); large bell throat | Large leadpipe | modified Kruspe-Horner wrap style; ring pull on B♭ tuning slide | Materials: solid nickel silver; metal cork holders and unplated rotor levers | Finish: clear lacquer finish

1961-1964

James Chambers played the Reynolds horn for three seasons until a contract dispute in 1961 with Reynolds’ new owners (Richards Music) regarding royalty payments and their expectations of his promotional activity for Reynolds prompted Chambers to return to his original Conn horn, ending the short-lived collaboration. After Chambers left, Reynolds removed the “Chambers Model” designation, leaving just the Contempora name and FE-01/03 model numbers, but kept the overall design of the horn intact. Chambers horns, marked and unmarked, were actively produced through 1964. Similar changes were made to the Pottag horns (models FE-02/04).

Model	Size	Description	Example
FE-01	Bore: .472″ Bell: 12″	Contempora “Chambers Model” B♭/F Double French Horn | Same as Model 191 above | Later horns without “Chambers” marking
FE-02	Bore: .472″ Bell: 12″	Contempora “Pottag Model” B♭/F Double French Horn | Same as Model 161 above | Later horns without “Pottag” marking
FE-03	Bore: .472″ Bell: 12″	Contempora “Chambers Model” B♭/F Double French Horn | Same as Model 190 above | Later horns without “Chambers” marking
FE-04	Bore: .472″ Bell: 12″	Contempora “Pottag Model” B♭/F Double French Horn | Same as Model 160 above | Later horns without “Pottag” marking

1964-1979

Bernie Marston notes that after Richards Music went bankrupt in 1964, Chicago Musical Instrument Co. purchased the Reynolds assets and sent the existing inventory of horn valves, bells and other parts to the F.E. Olds (also owned by CMI) plant in Fullerton, California for evaluation and to set up production lines.

The new horns used the Chambers Model design. However, the heavyweight bell was changed to a standard thickness (.011″) after the existing Cleveland-made inventory ran out (meaning that some number of horns produced under CMI ownership in 1964/65 have the earlier Chambers-style heavy bell). Other design features of the Chambers horn were carried forward to the “new” Contempora Double Horns, though reportedly there was also a change to the bell throat size, with the new horns placed somewhere between the original Pottag and Chambers models.

Model	Size	Description	Example
FE-01	Bore: .468″ Bell: 12″	Contempora B♭/F Double French Horn | Standard weight bell (.011″ thick); medium-large bell throat | Kruspe wrap style | Materials: solid nickel silver | Finish: baked epoxy finish
FE-03	Bore: .468″ Bell: 12″	Contempora B♭/F Double French Horn | Standard weight bell (.011″ thick); medium-large bell throat | Kruspe wrap style | Materials: brass; nickel-silver slide tubes, bracing and trim | Finish: baked epoxy finish

Quotes

1953, 1958, 1959 Roth-Reynolds catalog:

Leading and nationally known symphony French Hornists unconditionally proclaim Reynolds Double French Horn, Pottag Model, ‘the finest Double Horn model!’ Reynolds Double Horns are unsurpassed in tone quality and extremely wide range. Complete with Pottag mouthpiece, fine form-fitting case, this instrument in brass, clear lacquered, in indeed worthy of its envied heritage!

1966 Reynolds catalog:

Finest possible horn for professionals. Solid nickel silver [model FE-01] throughout produces a resonant ‘dark’ sound. Quiet floating-type rotary valves with long shafts and bearings give exceptional ease of operation. Extremely wide range.

1977 Reynolds catalog:

The choice of symphony, concert and professional artists, the FE-01 is extremely flexible with excellent intonation thoughout the entire range. Solid nickel silver construction produces a dark, resonant sound. Quiet, floating type rotary valves afford quick resonse and ease of playing.

1977 catalog (FE-03):

Superb craftsmanship and engineering produce a French horn capable of satisfying the most exacting demands of advanced players. Features the same distinctive characteristics and quality of the FE-01 Contempora French horn except that it is solid brass with nickel-silver tubes, bracing and trim. Use of brass rather than nickel-silver gives the instrument a somewhat brighter, freer tone.

Notes

This pamphlet was reportedly included with Reynolds double horns. Written by Erwin Mersch (Cleveland Symphony Orchestra) for “non-professional players”, the pamphlet describes the function of each of different tuning slides of the double horn, proper hand position and provides exact tuning positions for each tuning slide. It appears to have been written sometime between 1947-1952, when Reynolds was owned by Scherl & Roth, but not yet doing business as Roth-Reynolds.