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

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!

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

Looks pretty but cannot play it when the valve strings break. Bought this as a birthday present for my 14 year old. Sad to see the disappointment when, right out of the box, one of the valve strings snapped. I will contact the company that sold the device to see if they warranty this or not. Who knows if the sound is quality or if, as a few others pointed out, it will corrode quickly.

Beautiful French Horn. Excellent value.

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

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