Hunting Horn Question

[David Rase]

I am in the process of building my first hunting (blowing) horn and have a question concerning the mouthpiece.  I designed my mouthpiece using some basic dimensions for a trumpet mouthpiece.  It works okay but when I unscrew it from the horn and blow directly through the larger hole in the throat it sounds much better.  My question is how large should I make the hole in the mouthpiece.  The current hole is about 5/32" diameter.  The hole in the throat is 27/64", the minor diameter for a 1/2-13 tap. 
Dave

[Tim Crosby]

 Dave,
  I use a 1/4" in the mouth piece and the horn. Hopefully Down South will add to this.

  Tim C.

[Down South]

Hi David:
I tend to use a 1/4 inch hole, like Tim.  The larger the hole, the lower the tone...until the hole is so large that tone is lost (or you get a tuba).  The smaller the hole the higher the pitch.  Jeff Bibb has a very old horn that is a screecher.  The hole between the mouthpiece and the body of the horn is tiny.  Also:  the shape of the inside of the mouthpiece has an effect on pitch.  Lower pitches come from trumpet shapes.  Higher pitches come from french horn shapes.  Hope that helps.

Down South

[Carl Dumke]

Hi Dave,
I went through the same process and turned a beautiful mouthpiece--only problem was that it did not resinate at all.  All hat and no cowboy.  I then made another one with a 1/4" hole and tapered the inside so it created a cone--resonating chamber--using a drill and a taper bit.  I have seen many old examples of this type of horn and all are pretty loud and create a solid tone.  That being said, I am stillworking on finishing that horn, but it sure can call the dogs--just ask my wife.   I blew it in the basement to check the tone and the dogs on the 3rd floor went nuts!  Hope this helps...

[skillman]

Let me know when you get this figured out. I'd like to build one but no sense both of us being confused.

Steve

[David Rase]

Thanks for all the help.  I drilled my mouthpiece out to 7/32" and enlarged the cone.  The horn is resonating good and loud.  Don't know what the neighbors thought.  At least I tested it while it was still light out.
Dave

[T.C.Albert]

I have 3 old original hunting horns made with no mouth pieces...(one made from buffalo horn)...they all have what seems to me to be smallish holes and have been coned or funneled out a bit...

they are neat, but for the life of me I cant imaging how they blew them with such tiny apetures, but then thats the difference between a baritone player and a french horner too I suppose.

I could privide photos and measurements if desired...
TC

[David Rase]

I have 3 old original hunting horns made with no mouth pieces...(one made from buffalo horn)...they all have what seems to me to be smallish holes and have been coned or funneled out a bit...

they are neat, but for the life of me I cant imaging how they blew them with such tiny apetures, but then thats the difference between a baritone player and a french horner too I suppose.

I could privide photos and measurements if desired...
TC

TC,
I think I can speak for a lot of us by saying photos would be great.  Any measurements would be an added bonus.  I know I plan on building a few more hunting horns.  Any information would be appreciated.
Dave

[Harnic]

I recently inherited a set of mounted Longhorn horns.  I plan to make a blowing horn from at least one of them.  Thanks for some basic info to experiment on the mouthpiece with!

[Down South]

This is a great set of posts.  What has me very interested is that the subject is a simple hunting horn.  I made hunting horns for over 20 years before I started making powder horns.  No one except the houndsmen that made them for had any interest in them.  In the last few years I have been watching the interest in them grow.  A few months ago there were a some of very interesting posts on ALR about a couple of hunting horns that led into the sharing of many photos of craftsmen's work and lots of how to discussion.  Here's my question to all of you guys:  Why the sudden interest into how to make a hunting horn?  What's their magic that causes so much interest?  I have my own theory.  I want to see what you guys have to say.  And if you make them, how about a few posts of pictures of what you make.  It should be an interesting disucssion and one worth following.
Down South

[David Rase]

Here's my question to all of you guys:  Why the sudden interest into how to make a hunting horn?  What's their magic that causes so much interest?  I have my own theory.  I want to see what you guys have to say.  And if you make them, how about a few posts of pictures of what you make.  It should be an interesting disucssion and one worth following.
Down South

Down South,  My interest in hunting horns started when I attended the HCH annual meeting in Williamsburg, VA.  Billy Griner talked about hunting horns and that was all it took to generate an interest.  My other driver is that I love to work through how to create something that is rare that I or many people have never done before.  I am really interested in making a pocket or pouch hunting horn next.
Dave  

[T.C.Albert]

Dave...give me a few days to dig them out and photograph them etc...I have a rim banded hunting horn with applied mouth piece too, but think I have posted those images already?

But just in case here it is again...
TC