Horn Review
Holton H379 Review
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Holton H379 Review
Pros
- Easy to play
- Good value
Cons
- Harder to empty water vs. H179
Summary
The Holton H379 is the H179's less expensive sibling. In exchange for some relatively modest compromises, you can pay about $800 less for more or less the same horn. What are these compromises? Unlike the H179, the H379's auxiliary F slide is not removable. This can make emptying water and tuning a little less flexible, but most players will not notice it's gone. Additionally, there is no key built into the lead pipe to empty water from the horn. For more about playing qualities, see our review of the H179.
The H379 is recommended in our buying guide for students and their parents.
Cost: The Holton H379 has historically been a lower-cost alternative to the H179; check current dealer and used-market pricing.
Also consider: The Yamaha 567 is a similarly priced horn, but with different playing qualities such as a brighter sound. For more on Holton French horns see our full guide.
Player rating
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Specs at a Glance
- Type
- Full double horn
- Key
- F/Bb or Bb/F
- Design family
- Farkas
- Bell
- Fixed
- Bore
- 11.89 mm / .468 in
- Bell diameter
- 311 mm / 12.25 in
- Materials
- Nickel silver
- Linkage
- String
- Finish options
- Lacquered
- Made / assembled in
- United States
- Production type
- Factory-made
- Availability
- Current production; special order
- Recent new price
- About $4,889
New and used prices vary by dealer, condition, setup, and repair history.
Player Reviews
2 owner/player reviews
- 4.4
Holton H379 Horn Review
As an H379 owner I am basically satisfied with the construction and playability of the horn. It produces a big, robust and dark sound and has just the right amount of resistance present. To empty the water you have to pull out a couple of slides but it’s not too inconvenient. Because of the nickel silver content the horn is a little bit heavier than a regular brass horn. The only thing with which I was really dissatisfied was the less than straight leadpipe. It had 2 bends in it that could be felt and was misaligned away from the corpus of the horn. Quality control didn’t do their job in this regard and I ended up having to replace the entire leadpipe at my own expense.
Helpful to another player? - 4.1
Player review
It\'s a real close cousin to the 179. The B-flat slide DOES exist on this horn. The auxiliary f-slide is soldered on the 300 series and there is no water key. That covers the main pieces.
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