Conn???

[kevgermany]

Any idea what this is? Looks rather like a pre-war conn alto with split bell keys, but look at the bell brace and other bits...

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Dachbodenfun...tu=UCC&otn=15&ps=63&clkid=5695452686291214249

 

[tictactux]

Any idea what this is?

I'm cautiously positive that it is a saxophone.

Looks rather like a pre-war conn alto with split bell keys, but look at the bell brace and other bits...

AFAIK Conn stencilled for a sh*load of other companies who on the other hand stencilled for Conn. Rather promiscuous times back then...
So it could be a Conn that was finished by, say, Bettoney or Martin, or by whomever had them make a series to help 'em over a temporary manufacturing bottleneck.

 

[Steve]

I'm cautiously positive that it is a saxophone.

Yes, I would support that theory

 

[Gandalfe]

Did you buy this Kev?

 

[kevgermany]

It's not finished yet. I'll bid if it doesn't go too high. But I'm guessing it will go high - there are some novices, as well as some experienced ebayers there and things tend to get overpriced here when that happens. My guess is that some knowledgable guys have spotted it...

 

[Gandalfe]

Someone got it beating out the next nearest bidder by one Euro! For the same price I could have gotten a very new and nice Kessler Custom. No, really! 8)

 

[kevgermany]

Someone got it beating out the next nearest bidder by one Euro! For the same price I could have gotten a very new and nice Kessler Custom. No, really! 8)

Wasn't me I decided not to bid, it was already too expensive for me when I got home last night. Looks like there was a lot of sniping going on - as seems usual here. Makes it difficult to work out what something's likely to go for and you end up bing forced to bid at the end/snipe yourself.

But ebay don't ever tell you how far the winner was prepared to go..... Judging by the low experience of the winner, it could have been a lot more.

I like the old saxes. A bit like cars. Lots of character..... Mind you, I'm becoming more and more aware of the intonation issues with them.

 

[pete]

Any idea what this is? Looks rather like a pre-war conn alto with split bell keys, but look at the bell brace and other bits...

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Dachbodenfun...tu=UCC&otn=15&ps=63&clkid=5695452686291214249

I can very easily tell it's not a Conn by looking at the first pic and havening no other info. Anyone want to give a guess as to why?

It's a Kohlert, BTW. I think the person's reading the serial # wrong and it's 221xxx, not 227xxx (a Modell 1928, rather than a Modell 1929), but that's just an opinion.

 

[kevgermany]

I can very easily tell it's not a Conn by looking at the first pic and havening no other info. Anyone want to give a guess as to why?

It's a Kohlert, BTW. I think the person's reading the serial # wrong and it's 221xxx, not 227xxx (a Modell 1928, rather than a Modell 1929), but that's just an opinion.

Ta, Bottom E?

 

[pete]

There's actually quite a bit that would work, but it's that bell-to-body brace that sets it apart. That really was a distinguishing feature of many models.

I've mentioned a few times that most German-made instruments, pre-WWII, were variations on a Conn design. Kohlert even extended this idea to have an F mezzo-soprano. (It does make me wonder if Conn and Kohhlert had some sort of business arrangement.)

 

[kevgermany]

Funny thing is the later pre-WWII ones had a Conn style bell-body brace. I didn't realise Kohlert used Conn style C# keyguards.

 

[pete]

Well, if you're talking Kohlert immediately before WWII, they had the nice, big "VKS" keyguards. That kinda gives it away .

If you're referring to the Mercedes-Benz-style keyguard on the low C key, there were a few companies that had them. Rampone is probably the most famous for that, although they had a metal circle smack in the middle for the key bumper. You could successfully argue that all the manufacturers that had that kind of guard were trying to get a little boost in sales from the Conn mystique.

There were quite a few companies that really went overboard with keyguards. Hey, it's very recognizable. At 50 feet, you might see the keyguard but not the name engraved on the bell.

 

[kevgermany]

Well, if you're talking Kohlert immediately before WWII, they had the nice, big "VKS" keyguards. That kinda gives it away .

If you're referring to the Mercedes-Benz-style keyguard on the low C key, there were a few companies that had them. Rampone is probably the most famous for that, although they had a metal circle smack in the middle for the key bumper. You could successfully argue that all the manufacturers that had that kind of guard were trying to get a little boost in sales from the Conn mystique.

There were quite a few companies that really went overboard with keyguards. Hey, it's very recognizable. At 50 feet, you might see the keyguard but not the name engraved on the bell.

Didn't know about the other guys with the merc style low C. Thanks. My wire guard Kohlert alto (265xxx) has a straight T shaped low C guard.