… to the horn making workshop of Gebr. Alexander, Rheinische Musikinstrumentenfabrik GmbH, in Mainz.
We invite you to take a virtual tour through our new premises in the Mainz Hechtsheim industrial park, to which we moved in 2011.

Our instruments have been manufactured using genuine handwork in Germany since 1782. After two moves within downtown Mainz, beginning in 1909 our instruments were manufactured at our headquarters at Bahnhofstrasse 9.

This building allowed little expansion due to its narrow rooms and wandering growth that evolved over decades, so a new site was required.

The present building was perfectly adapted to the requirements of modern brass wind instrument manufacturing and many improvements were made.

Our tour begins in prefabrication. Here individual parts are made and arranged that will be employed in the ongoing construction process, such as crooks, leadpipes, bells and many different parts of the instrument body.
The parts made of yellow and gold brass are shaped in processes that are especially environmentally friendly. Particularly the valve crooks and other tapered parts are manufactured using decades-old hollow bending irons and mandrels.

Ice replaces the traditional lead, so after a bell has been given the correct bend the only by-product is cold water.

These in-house developed techniques require more than the usual concentration and expertise. Very thin metal with a wall thickness of only 0.385mm is a challenge to handle.

In the main workshop all Alexander instruments are handcrafted by qualified brass wind instrument makers. Using special templates, tolerances are reduced to a minimum and the constant quality of the instruments is ensured.

The repair department, also located here, repairs the multitude of instruments sent to Mainz every year by customers from all over the world.

The main workshop also hosts the three-year training course, in which six prospective instrument makers are taken under the supervision of the training master.

Our instruments receive their brilliant appearance in the polishing room. Here individual components are polished in advance and completed instruments receive their finish.

The instruments are given their special deep gloss only through repeated intensive grinding and polishing, by hand and by machine.

All instruments that have passed our rigorous quality control and are to be delivered lacquered will now be further processed in the lacquer room.

Following detailed cleaning and inspection, the instruments dry in a special process and are then coated with clear lacquer to preserve the high gloss polish.

If the instruments are successful in passing the final inspection after lacquering, they are carefully packed in our shipping area along with any desired accessories, gig bag or hard case.

From Mainz our instruments are shipped all over the world. Whether Europe, America, Australia or Asia, we work together with a network of selected local dealers to ensure that the best advice and service are available well beyond our workshop.

We will be happy to send you the name of our distributor in your country on request.
Of course, it is also possible for any customer to choose his or her desired instrument from a selection especially put together in our workshop. Just let us know!

Along the way to our showroom, the document gallery immediately catches the eye. Master’s degrees and award certificates are on crowded display and attest to the high qualifications of our staff.

A highlight of our sales rooms is our customer gallery. Photos and letters from satisfied Alexander customers accumulated over decades deliver an impressive overall picture and are fascinating to see.

The end of the customer gallery leads into our spacious showroom. Here hornists can play the instruments of their choice in the large room or in special playing cabins to find the most suitable instrument for their needs.

Of course, our highly qualified consultants will be present for help and advice, and can always find an appropriate solution for even the most special requests.