Mendini by Cecilio Double French Horn F/Bb With Solid Rotors String Lever Action, Lacquered Yellow Brass French Horn for Beginners, Students, and School Bands (Gold)

My son wanted to do French horn in band. I didn't want to buy a new one because I wasn't sure if he would continue. We rented an used Yamaha 313 which was the only one the music store had in hand. It was so beat up but worked. My son has done a wonderful job since he started playing. So I considered buying him one. For the one we had in hand which was an used Yamaha, it would cost me almost $600. I was hesitant to order this one because of the bad reviews and the experience from buying an violin on Amazon 4 years back, which costed me $160 and was really a junk. But paying almost $600 for a beat up French horn, I really didn't feel right. So I decided to give it a try. When my son and I opened the box, we was thrilled! It's so shinning and beautiful compared to the used one. And when my son tried on it, I made my mind to keep it instantly. It is so much easier for my son to blow and it sounds great! He has been practiced almost everyday for the past 2 weeks since it arrived. Everything works fine. I am so happy with the purchase, and the cost is much less than renting which was $30 per month. Most importantly, he loves his new French horn!

It comes in a soft case which I was concerned about, remembering that French Horns are notorious with those big bells for getting crumpled. But the case is fine. There is an interior padding that is fairly firm and shock-absorbing that should work well as long as a person is reasonably handling the instrument. Might not protect if dropped from a height or tossed around in an irresponsible and careless manner but fine for regular use and much lighter to carry than the hard cases that strained my arms in high school. The sturdy handle with combination zipper and velcro closures are better than the old latch style that used to pop open or get stuck at times and the extra pockets on the outside are also a handy feature. Very nice to have the gloves, tuner, cloth, oil, and mouthpiece come with it as a package to save added expense. :)So far loving everything about the instrument, case and accessories. All of the valves move smoothly with no defects apparent and it is visually pleasing. Thank you!

15 days late. Had to contact the seller and then have Amazon contact the seller to ever get true tracking of where the product was. Delivery was set for 3/28-4/1 and it arrived today April 8th. The shipping is the only issue because the item is excellent and our autistic son is so thrilled with it but it’s been a stressful wait for someone with autism.

My 2nd valve string did break after 1 week of use.

As soon as I received this french horn I had to replace 2 broken valve strings...they broke when I played the first notes on this instrument. Now as I was replacing the 2nd valve string, a screw broke in half. I have to replace a screw for the hammer!!! How weak are these screws???? Shouldn't they be made of steel or something as strong?

When I first received the Horn I was excited because I wasn't going to need to use a school horn anymore and it came exactly as pictured. When I was playing in the middle of class, however, the triggers kept sticking even though I had oiled them over and over again, and the strings (which I knew were flimsy) SNAPPED. Fortunately, I knew how to replace it so I put a better quality string on it. (I recommend the Yamaha string; it'll last a long time.) Then out of no where, after less than 3 months of using it, the trigger got stuck. I tried everything I could, but since nothing worked I dropped it off to the Band Director, and when he took it apart, the rotary valves were corroded and were made out of really cheap material. My advice is if you're going to buy an instrument, you should make sure it's not a complete waste of money.EDIT: I contacted their customer service team over a week ago. Still no reply.

My adult autistic son absolutely loves it. He has played it for everyone. The carrying case is light weight but very durable. So it's easy for Zachary to take it everywhere with him, without damaging it. It has a nice muted sound that is pleasant to listen to. ;-)

So, it's really, really, really easily dented. I simple sat the thing on my knee (1/10th as hard as I would with my old school horns), and it dented. So be careful.The oil that came with it was trombone oil, not marked as "water-based" or "silicon-based" or anything, and I can't find the oil online, so I can't confirm if it can be used for valves. I had to get other oil just to be safe.The strings that come with it are worthless. My first finger string broke after 10 minutes of playing. I oiled the valves pretty good, too...It sounds good though! And after these maintenance issues I think it'll be okay as long as I don't crumple it