Does your school own a Verus brand french horn? Make sure to follow these steps for success!
All Verus Instruments come with a five year warranty that protects you from manufacturing defects. If you believe something may be occurring, please reach out to sales@houghtonhorns.com or chris@houghtonhorns.com and we'd love to help!
Standard Maintenance
Here's a great beginner's guide to show students!
Here's an In-Depth Guide with photos!
- Rotors: Most new french horns have tight tolerances, which require a break-in period of 6-12 months, and oiling consistently every week. But in general, French Horns require more frequent oiling than other brass instruments, using two different types of oils for proper function.
- Slides: Condensation accumulates throughout the French Horn, so students often remove their main tuning slides and both 3rd slides to dump and empty the horn. Due to this, those slides require more frequent relubrication with slide grease.
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Strings: Strings can be the most unique and challenging part of any french horn. For best results, once you notice any fraying or wear from rubbing, make sure to replace that string before it pops while playing! We recommend Yamaha (yellow), and we sell pre-cut string here.
- Here's a How-To guide to help restring your rotor!
- Here's a How-To guide to help restring your rotor!
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Bumpers: To control the rotor alignment, french horns use rubber or cork bumpers to stop the rotors from spinning. Once your bumpers dry out or become worn down each year, replacing them is a must!
- To quickly see if if you need new bumpers, unscrew the rotor's top cap. You will see 2 lines marked on the rotor and 2 on the surrounding ring. If they don't line up when you press or depress the rotor, you need a new bumper!
- Verus Instruments use 5mm bumpers on the lever rotors (#1,2,3), and 4.5mm on the trigger rotor (#4). No need to trim to fit!
- Does your school use a different brand of french horn? Use this guide to see what size bumpers your Conn, Holton, Yamaha, or Hoyer needs!
Before Storing for the Summer or Winter
When School is over, the daily or weeks life of a French Horn drastically changes. Instead of being played every day, where the rotors and slides are regularly moved and oiled, they now lay dormant so the oils and dry out and stick your rotors and slides together. Here are our best tips to help avoid down-time when your students are back and need to practice most!
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Protect against moisture.
Moisture is the biggest enemy. Empty all water and condensation from inside the horn, especially the leadpipe, main tuning slides, and third slides. Consider adding silica gel packets to the case or bags for extra protection.
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Lubricate with thicker oils
A horn stored with only a little lubrication risks frozen valves and slides. Be sure to oil and grease everything generously, to make sure all metal surfaces are protected. Thicker oil dries out slower and lasts longer in storage. For French Horns, we recommend using JM #13.5 on both the bearings (under the cap) and on the rotor (drop down the slides). -
Remove the mouthpiece.
Always store it separately to prevent it from getting stuck in the leadpipe.
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Keep parts together.
If you disassemble, store all parts in one secure place—losing a slide or screw can make the horn unplayable.
Our Best Recommendation
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Get it cleaned.
During the summer or winter break, when no student are playing their french horns, bring your instrument to a repair shop for an ultrasonic cleaning. They would love to inspect and maintain all your brass instruments, especially your Verus french horns! Saliva, food particles, and minerals from water can build up inside the tubing and on the metal, hardening into deposits that cause serious damage over time. Brass instruments should be cleaned at least once a year, especially french horns as the rotors are not regularly removed during an at-home cleaning. Let the technician know it’s going into storage; they’ll often add extra oil or provide additional tips.
- Does you horn look like this? It is time for an ultrasonic cleaning!
Preparing an Instrument after Storage
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Test gently. Play a few notes, move slides and valves carefully. If anything is stuck, do not force it—take it to a repair shop.
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Oil and lubricate. Wash off any old residue and reapply fresh, reputable oils/grease like JM. Never mix different lubricants, especially synthetic and non-synthetic.
Common Problems and Solutions
- Stuck Slide? Always pull in the same direction as the tubing, never angled or twisting. Be mindful of removing any slides close to the bell (3rd slides) or surrounding tubing (Bb slides).
- Sluggish Rotor? Apply oil to top bearing (under cap), bottom bearing (gap between stop arm and rotor), and rotors (drop down the slides). Wiggle the key lever by hand until smooth.
- Stuck Rotor? Lubricate as above, and let the oil "soak" overnight. With a rawhide mallet, lightly tap the stop arm back and forth. Turn the stop arm by hand until smooth.
- Stuck Cap? With a rawhide mallet, lightly tap around the edges of the cap. The goal is vibrating the threads loose, so lots of small taps is better than one or two hard taps.
- Smelly Case? Deodorize with baking soda or vinegar; spot-test cleaners before use. To tackle the "Old Case Smell", scrub with CHR Bleach-Free Mildew Spray and air the open case outside overnight.
With a little care, your horn will be back in action and ready to play!