Vintage Alexander 103G Double French Horn in Gold Brass (1950s?)
 
Acquired by us some time ago, it’s just left our repair shop. Dings removed, everything washed out, cleaned.

According to our friends at Alexander, the speculation is that this horn dates from the fifties, perhaps the early sixties.
No serial number.

Please note that it's the same 103 gold-brass horn that's been the most-popular model from Alexander for more than one-hundred years.
The horn came to us in generally good condition, but with a few minor dents to the tail of the bell.  We've carefully balled and burnished the entire section and are now proud to offer the instrument to our clients.
Condition is entirely original, save for the fact that the rotors have been re-plated and are now tight and fast.  We believe the horn once belonged to one of our friends (no longer living) who had the valves rebuilt more than 20 years ago.  The work looks to have been done by the Lawson workshop.
 
All dents and dings have now gone, but we've done no filling, no sanding, no heavy buffing to the brass. 

It's not easy to see, but we note the construction of the bell-flare is "soldered", with the seam almost visible.

Original mouthpipe, no patches, no thin spots.

Case is original, solid but not beautiful.

The horn came to us with almost no lacquer to the bell.  And the quality of the original ( ? ) lacquer was poor.  That means a good deal of the finish flaked off while we were burnishing. 
As  seen in the photos, the bell is now without lacquer, the valve cluster still with the original finish.

Which means we offer the instrument with three options, all the same price, per the wishes of the new owner:
1) With all the remaining lacquer removed, the horn polished lightly, but not lacquered.
2)  With all the remaining lacquer removed, the entire instrument polished lightly and re-finished with two light coats of Nikolas 2105 acrylic lacquer.
3)  Or as you see it in the attached photos, no further lacquer work done, no original lacquer removed from the valve cluster.

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Our small shop in Wichita has, so it seems, gained the reputation of being specialists for French horns of all sorts.  We are the USA agent for Alexander and always have a large selection of their instruments.  Horns from the Engelbert Schmid workshop are also always available from our inventory.   Clean and restored second-hand American and German instruments are usually available, but we sell no horns that are “used, in need of repair”.  Most, but not all, of our horns are posted on Reverb.
Antique horns from the 19th and early 20th century come to us in small numbers.  Our goal is to buy unrestored instruments and “add value” by removing dents and performing other repairs as needed.
More information?  Write me in Wichita. In business since 1953, same ownership since 1963. We’ve been here almost since Noah got off the boat.
*** Other "normal" used horns are available, clean and without dents or damage.  But it seems they never stay in the shop very long.  Really nice examples sell quickly!

***GR/Wichita
 
HG