a conn-vert??!!

[qwerty]

hi all:

real excited here!

been a selmer player for 30 years.... and just recently gave in a played a friend's chu alto...also played one on a recent trip to roberto's in nyc.... and was intrigued.... so i started saving up my pennies. yesterday, i won an ebay auction for a 167,xxx alto in silver plate, i am sure it is going to need some work... the amount of that work is to be determined because the seller was not a saxophonist. so now i wait for the horn... tick tock...tick tock...i am eager to get it in playing shape, and start being a conn-man... oooh sorry for the pun.....

i'll let you guys know how this dyed in the wool selmer kool-aid drinking old dog who doesn't learn new tricks makes out with his new toy!

regards,

steve

p.s. did you hear the energizer bunny was arrested?? he was charged with battery!

[TMadness1013]

Congrats Steve,

After playing the 2 Chu's, what intrigued you? I know a lot of Selmer players claim to get a bigger sound out of the Chus.

And that's great you aren't letting something like the mechanics get in your way - there are a lot of players out there that give up on these horns or never even try them at all due to "older" mechanics.

Good luck with the restoration - keep us posted!

[Chu-Jerry]

Would it be this one by any chance?:
http://cgi.ebay.com/C-G-Conn-Alto-Sax-Elkhart-Ind-U-S-A-made-in-1914_W0QQitemZ7340287512

[qwerty]

thanks t-madness and chujerry for the interest!

t-madness: i liked the fact that the chu could handle all the volume my rpc90 could dish out.... the sound was fat and wide... the 152,xxx at roberto's that i played was beautifully set up. i could wail and response was amazing from low b flat right up through the altissimo. low register and subtones were like butter.

i think my mkvi alto probably plays with more focus, and a "prettier" sound, probably a bit more consistant in quality from register to register...but i didn't a/b the horns so it is tough to rememeber.

ergonomics?? well yeah... we'll burn that bridge when we come to it.

i would assume that you go to west viginia weslyan univ, with your location listed as buchanan vw. were you a part of that sax ensemble from three colleges that played at the navy sax symposium??

chu-jerry:

why yes that is the horn that i bought. do you have any inside information or dirt on this horn...did i snipe it away from you, bidding as i did with only 20 or so seconds to go??

i had my eye on a bare brass one last week, had a number in mind for it and in the waning moments the bidding went past the number i had in mind. it was this horn:
http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-CONN-ALTO-SAXAPHONE-1914-VERY-VERY-NICE_W0QQitemZ7337379648QQcategoryZ64454QQrdZ1QQcm dZViewItem (http://)

was that you who bought that one??

any way i look forward to playing around with my new toy!

i'll keep you posted!

regards,

steve

[goodsax]

Not much to go by with that blurry photo. I hope it turns out to be a killer player for you, Steve.

[Chu-Jerry]

...
chu-jerry:

why yes that is the horn that i bought. do you have any inside information or dirt on this horn...did i snipe it away from you, bidding as i did with only 20 or so seconds to go?Not me on that one.

...
i had my eye on a bare brass one last week, had a number in mind for it and in the waning moments the bidding went past the number i had in mind. it was this horn:
http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-CONN-ALTO-SAXAPHONE-1914-VERY-VERY-NICE_W0QQitemZ7337379648QQcategoryZ64454QQrdZ1QQcm dZViewItem (http://)
was that you who bought that one??Yes, I bought that one. It wasn't bare brass by the way, it is a rare two tone silver and gold plate finish. The keywork is gold plated and the body is silver plated with gold highlights on the bell engraving. It was all hidden under an extremely blackened tarnish which is cleaning up beautifully. Gotta know your Conns. ;)

[qwerty]

thanks rob... i hope so too!

the seller sent me some better pictures (althought they were blurry as well). high feedback and this always makes me happy.... she posted feedback within minutes of my paying with paypal. i'll get on my soapbox here.... if i pay promptly, as the buyer, i have fulfilled my obligation in the transaction. i get a little twisted up about sellers who hedge until you the buyer post positive feedback for them <off soapbox>

Chu Jerry wrote:
Yes, I bought that one. It wasn't bare brass by the way, it is a rare two tone silver and gold plate finish. The keywork is gold plated and the body is silver plated with gold highlights on the bell engraving. It was all hidden under an extremely blackened tarnish which is cleaning up beautifully. Gotta know your Conns.

you could tell that from the pictures on ebay, jerry?

"gotta know your conns..." well i am learning! after 30 years of having my head stuck in the selmer sand, give me a bit to get up to speed, will ya? ;)

congrats on finding that horn... and at that price... my dream horn is a gold plated portrait model.... but for now, we'll see how this relatively low risk foray into the conn-o-world works out for me. more later!

steve

[TMadness1013]

Sounds like you stole it to me (the blurry pic probably scared off a lot of bidders) any mid 1920s Chu I've ever played has been incredible. I'm sure once you get this horn in working order it'll play like a champ. These vintage Conn's are a great investment if nothing else. Pick it up on Ebay for under $500...get it worked on for another few hundred... then sell it for over $1,000 if it isn't the right horn for you.




i would assume that you go to west viginia weslyan univ, with your location listed as buchanan vw. were you a part of that sax ensemble from three colleges that played at the navy sax symposium??


Thats right - I'm at Wesleyan. And with your location I must assume you have to be Steve Kieley. You might remember me (Sean) from the symposium. I'm a former student of Charlie Gray's & studying currently w/ Dave Wright. You also hooked me up w/ a recording of your saxophone ensemble's world premiere of Caravan's Sinfonietta for Saxophones. Thanks again for that - always a pleasure to hear a great saxophone ensemble.

Looking forward to hear a review on the horn when you get it fixed up.

[bruce bailey]

I played a Mark VI for 40 years and switched to a Conn 1923 Gold Plated that came in on trade. It isn't as centered as the Selmer but has a more open sound for big band. Any mouthpiece seems to work.

[qwerty]

Yeah T-Madness it's me, Steve, and yes it was Charlie Gray's Chu that got me intrigued in the whole conn world.

Bruce: yes! that is what i liked about the chu. been recently playing in a big band playing second alto doing some show work next to a guy playing lead who has one (the above mentioned Charlie Gray) , and i really enjoyed the character of his sound. i also found that i had to really push to keep up volume wise with him in the ff sections of the sax soli stuff in the big band ( a recent switch to an rpc90 from a meyer helped out quite a bit)

the little bit of playing i have done on conn's so far with the rpc seem to create a really nice sound...and a really comfortable set-up. any ideas on how the conn will respond to my 60's ish c* for classical work?

it was shipped yesterday! i should have it in my grimy llittle hands early nextweek! i'll keep y'all posted!

steve

[Chu-Jerry]

I've been playing a modern S80 c* on my Chu alto that I'm using at lessons (my instructor wants me to use it) and it plays well with it. The G2 has a stronger tendency to want to crack or 'growl' down to G1 without careful oral cavity/breath support control than my other mouthpieces. But maybe that's just me?

[bruce bailey]

Check the octave key adjustment. High G uses the vent on the body and A uses the one on the neck. I suspect that there is too much play where the lever attaches to the neck ring thus not opening the body vent enough. There is always the possibility that the hole is plugged with dirt, but it is a common problem to have a misadjustment here. Hold the horn up depressing the octave key lever and move the G key up and down to see the movement. The body vent should follow the back of the G key all the way up.

[Chu-Jerry]

Thanks Bruce, but it's nothing mechanical and no dirt in the hole. No, it's an accoustic issue and it's really not bad at all, just a slightly greater tendency with the c* Chu alto combo. I think it may be that the c* chamber is so different than the big round chambered mouthpieces of 1926. I also think that any alto horn has a greater propensity to do this on the G2 than other notes as I can intentionally reproduce the effect on any alto I've played by dropping my jaw a lot.

[bruce bailey]

You might try a Selmer S-90 in a 190 facing as it is the same as the C8 but with a fatter chamber more like the original Conns but still a square chamber.

[qwerty]

well, the chu arrived today.

it arrived in a very small box. i was looking at this box, thinking, how could this box have a case, and all the cushiony packing materials it would have.

to my dismay, upon opening the box, there was the case inside. no foam peanuts, no crumpeled newspaper, no stryrofoam at each end. nada. just the old conn case in a slightly larger than the old conn case box.

i held my breath as i openend the case. the lyre (why?) neck and mouthpiece were floating around freely in the case.the end plug was in place... but there was significant compression of the cushioning material, soo the body of the horn moved a good 3/4 inch top to bottom.

oh and by the way, i paid $10.00 extra to have this horn packed professionally because "these instruments are difficult to pack correctly".

when i pointed this out to the seller, who sells instruments, she seemed unconcerned. i think i'll send her to the link her on the newsgroup that has various suggestions on how to pack an instrument.

fortunately the body does not appear to be bent. the pads are in ok condition, i think they will work fine. the instrument is in need of a good going over... g sharp key is very sluggish, lots of key clacking.... missing felts, corks etc. it also needs a good regulation, key heights are kind of inconsistant. it definitrely needs a good airing out too, phew!

it plays ok, and looks pretty nice too! it has had some dent work done to the bow. i cant wait to get it to my tech and have him give it the once and unlock its potential.

i'll keep ya'll posted.

regards,
steve