intermediate level instruments

like i said, just a frosh, but i preferred the Holton

Sorry, I dont know, what means "frosh" (may be a slang-word). If You are a fan of Holton-Horns, it is ok. Id tryed Holtons,too, but they are not easy to play, because they have a bad "Ansprache", like we say in German. That means, you need a lot of power to play it.
Each one shall play the Horn, he / she prefer.

thats cool. i didnt realize you were foreign(at least to me). frosh means freshman(9th grade in high school) it is just a term in Indiana as far as i know. i have problems realizing that i am talking internationally!

The question is: What means "intermediate"? In contrast to a chinese "instrument", a Hans Hoyer-horn is a "A1-premium-quality-horn". In contrast to a handmade horn by Kühn, Cornford, Schmid, Alexander, Knopf, Mönnig, Dürk, Lewis or other maufactors, the Hoyer only will be "intermediate". But how to find out a "good" horn? If the horn plays well tuned octaves without a lot of handcorrections or lipping on its harmonics (incl. valveharmonics), if the embouchure is easy and the workmanship is well made, you can call it a good horn, no matter what name is engraved at the bell. The next questions are: How much you will pay? Do you "feel good" on that horn?
A lot of professinal teachers tell their students: "You have to buy a ......, 'cos they are the best!" May be, that the teacher feels good on this horn, but the student shall try a lot of different horns to find out his / her best!
What are the criterions for "intermediate"?
Only the workmanship?
Only the sound?
Only a good tune?
Only the handling?
Only the name at the bell?
Only a good response?
Only a easy enbouchure?
Only the price?
Its a sum of all this criterions (and experiences) if you play on it!
Next question: For what you will use the horn?
Do you need a doublehorn or is a 4- or 5-valved Bb flat-horn enough? I know a lot af amateurs who bought a doublehorn only as a statussymbol! But how to use or handle it? They dont know! If you play in a amateur band and you have no further ambitions unless playing two or three hours a week, e.g. a Yamaha 322 is a supervalue! But if you like to go for more, forgett it!
So, "intermediate" is a term what is centred by your personally point of view.

I would say an intermediate instrument that an average school student (middle school or early high school) is one that a student can manage to get a good sound on, play comfortably, and is of the quality that they will be able to study and not be held back because of their instrument, but not paying thousands of dollars. An example is a Holton 175 or a Yamaha 567.

08975 wrote:

Do you need a doublehorn or is a 4- or 5-valved Bb flat-horn enough?

For the most part, B-flat horns, or compensating doubles are not considered intermediate horns in the United States. Generally, American high school students play on a full double horn, Holtons are common. Some own their own instruments, others play on a school-owned instrument.

Personally, I played on a single F horn until my junior year in high school, as that was the instrument I owned. My parents felt that since they had already bought one horn, it should work until I could pay for another one myself. Since this may be the case for many young students, I would recommend that a student rent from a music store or borrow from the school at the beginning. At a later point, one can decide which horn to purchase, and make a more informed decision. The previously mentioned horns are considered standard intermediate models. A serious student might consider spending more on a Conn 8D, as that horn would last him longer.