In fact the over all sound is clear and crisp, with nice sub-octave undertones you’d expect from a Conn. The keys are much less balanced than on a more modern horn, but they stand up well to comparison with the other altos I have from around this date.
However it plays reasonably in tune across both registers. Eb Alto Connstellation: 1948-1953: 30M: Bb Tenor Connqueror with rolled-tone-holes: 1935-1943: 50M: C Melody Pan American-1938-50M: Eb Alto Director: 1961-1966: 50M: Eb Alto Director built in Nogales: 1966-1971-54M: Eb Baritone Pan American-1936-1938-56M: Bb Bass Pan American-1936-1938-62M: Bb Curved Soprano Pan American-1938-64M: Eb Alto Pan. He mentioned the Pan-American alto, so I asked him about the condition. He was in one of my favourite ‘savings and loan’ shops and ran through the saxophones they had. It’s a little bit rough when blowing, especially around the G on the bottom octave. My friend Chris Ingle was travelling on business in San José and gave me a call on a Saturday afternoon. Conn moved the keys to the left with the 6M and even kept them there with the 28M Connstellation, when Selmer had moved them to the right. By design it is a ‘clapper’ with the bottom keys on both left and right of the instrument. The key tops don’t have pearls and there is no top G# of course. I would never take it to a gig, but it will stand up to a tank. Although this has worn off in places, it hasn’t got the nasty reddish-brown rust that appears on some of the Conn horns of the 1950s. It is made of good quality brass and is finished in gold lacquer.
It doesn’t have the microtuner neck: nor does it have the rolled tone holes of the professional Conn branded saxes of the day (although interestingly it does have the ‘Patd 1119954’ patent stamp which refers to them according to saxpics). The company continued supplying to the military after the Colonel lost all financial interest in the company in 1915. In fact Colonel Conn entered the US Senate and passed a bill ensuring that every unit of the American military had its own band (to which of course his company provided many of the instruments). Therefore, although referred to as a ‘stencil’ this is really just a different (cheaper) brand, as Squire is to Fender in the current guitar market.Ĭonn had very big vested interest in marching band instruments and used the three marching men as a logo. In this case the ‘Pan-American Band Instrument and Case Company’ etched on the bell of this alto was, I believe, a wholly owned subsidiary of Conn itself. I’ve always been confused by descriptions such as OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) in the computer industry and ‘stencil’ in the musical instrument industry, because they ought to describe instruments made for one company by another and yet often are used to refer to something else. It was a truly great find – a classic horn, made by Conn in 1920. He bought it and brought it back from the States and into work on the following Monday.
The Ultimate Vintage Tenor Saxophone Guide, Part 4: Conn New Wonder I and Conn 16M My 3 month Saxophone Progress as an Adult Beginner 1927 Conn New Wonder II C Melody Saxophone in Nickel Plate w/ Straight Neck Rare CONN alto sax using Key Leaves at National Saxophone Museum booth of NASA 2018 Warren Storm, Godfather of Swamp Pop, and Willie T and Cypress 20 Yamaha YAS-32 Alto Saxophone Review | YAS-52 Repairman's Overview: Conn Saxophone Microtuner, Unsoldered Jeff Coffin Practicing & Long Tones Be Bop Articulation How to practice it on saxophone Love Theory by Kirk Franklin Bass Cover Buescher True Tone alto sax c.My friend Chris Ingle was travelling on business in San José and gave me a call on a Saturday afternoon.