Little Blurb on the New Wonder Polychrome Instruments

[pete]

I do a little a lot of random Googling. For some reason, I got to a thread on SOTW about the Conn (and Buescher; including some stencils for each manufacturer) Polychrome finish. "Chrome" was a trade name for a mono-chromatic enamel finish and "Polychrome" is the trade name for multicolor enamel. I've seen a few of the former and two of the latter.

So, my Googling led to The Music Trades magazine from 1923 -- and there are a bunch of those magazines you can download. There's a write-up on the Polychrome horns and a couple comments on the microtuner neck. Enjoy!

 

[jbtsax]

Thanks Pete. That is most interesting. I have always thought that "colored" saxophones were a more recent "abomination" than that.

 

[pete]

I'm not overly fond of the colors, beyond the fact that the Conns and Bueschers that had this enamel finish are pretty rare. Same goes with Selmer Mark VIs and/or VIIs. If I were to buy a sax I wanted AND I had the choice of a finish, I'd get a plated one, just because of the finish's durability.