About the Yamaha YHR-881 Custom Bb/F Alto Descant French HornCustom "Descant" horn features light responsive action.

This custom "Descant" horn features light responsive action.

Features

• Hand-lapped rotary valves and slides - Rotary valves and slides that have been hand-lapped are airtight and have smooth action.
• Articulated key levers - Articulated key levers have responsive motion.
• Hammered and annealed bell - Hammering and annealing are processes so important to the instrument's acoustic characteristics that Yamaha employs computer-controlled equipment to ensure consistently superior sound. Hammering enables bells to have a rich, resonant tone that blends beautifully with other instruments. Annealing is a cooling and heating process that makes it easier to control the acoustics of the instrument.
• Phosphor bronze rotors - Rotors made of phosphor bronze resist corrosion.
• Cyclical bore - A cyclical bore is a perfectly cylindrical tubing assembly in combination with a conical leadpipe and bell system. This allows for consistent air flow throughout the horn.
• Tapered valves - Tapered valves wear for a long time without air leakage.
• Secure note centers
  
• Accurate pitch
• Even response
• Tonal clarity and flexibility - The tonal clarity and flexibility of the YHR-881 makes it ideal for baroque music, chamber music, and orchestral music because it overcomes the low-range difficulties typical of descant horns by additionally serving as a single Bb horn. The YHR-882 improves on this feature even further by adding the F natural valve to give more body to the tone in the low register.
• Long rotor valve - The innovative thumb valve configuration on the YHR-881 replaces linked valves, thereby reducing friction, promoting faster response, producing exquisite sound, and improving hand comfort.
• Excellent sound in all registers - The combination of the secure high register, strong projection, and quick attack of the Bb horn with the rich, warm timbre of the F horn make the double horn ideal for most playing situations.

Specifications

• Level: Custom Descant
• Key: Bb/ F Alto
• Style: Descant
• Bore: 0.472"
• Bell Diameter: 12 1/8"
• Bell Throat: Medium small / Medium large
• Leadpipe Material: Gold Brass
• Body/ Bell Material: Yellow Brass
• Bell Type: Fixed
• Finish: Unlacquered
• Mouthpiece: 32C4
• Rotors: (5) Hollow Phosphor Bronze
• Rotor Casing: Nickel Silver
• Lever Action: Mechanical
• Water Key: Yes
• Patented "Dual Plane" 4th rotor; F natural 5th valve