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Sax on the Web Forum Archive / Conn Saxophones / Which tenor was best?

Innocent Bystander
User ID: 7064683 Mar 25th 3:48 AM
Was there really that much difference between
the 'common '10M's and the Chu, Pre Chu, Transitionals etc?
Are the 10M's as resonant and loud as say, a good Martin?
Is there a 'best' if that's accurate or is it
like any other brand and you can score a killer
horn in any model if you are lucky.

Does the split bell keys of the Chu make any diff?

Cashsax
User ID: 9014973 Mar 25th 5:36 AM
I'm getting the best Mod tone I ever got with a '31 Chu Tenor ( I got S's too) and a hot Runyon.

Bootman
User ID: 9495963 Mar 25th 5:40 AM
It depends, I have great examples of Chu's and pre Chu's. It just depends on the horn.

OnyxSax
User ID: 2212414 Mar 25th 12:47 PM
We were able to put two freshly restored silver plate Conns, a Chu and a 10M next to each other. They're pretty similar. 10Ms keywork is slightly more ergonomic, but the action on the Chu felt lighter. Both had a similar sound, big. Bottom line is condition is more important than the vintage with these horns.

Regarding your other questions. I played a Martin "The Martin" and found it to be very similar to a 10M in terms of feel and sound.

I do find the split-bell keys on the Chu to be lighter than the left handed bell keys on the 10M.

The guys who play the serial numbers game tend to put greater value on Chus in the 200,000 range, give or take 20,000. For 10Ms, models with rolled tone holes (323,000(?) and below) tend to fetch the higher prices, although the 10Ms without the rolled tone holes are very capable horns and can be had a good deal cheaper than the rolled tone hole models.

vonbraig
User ID: 0658904 Mar 26th 9:35 AM
I got the chance to blow 4 nice 10m's and a Silver Chu last night. My current tenor is a JK and I've been thinking about making a change.

The first 10M I played was a silver plated monster. Got to say this horn roared. The notes just pop out with no effort and my Link with a 7 on the side worked great.

The second horn was a silver Chu also very nice. The Chu was a little darker but still had a very centered tone and quick response.

I played three laquer 10M's next and all of them were nice horns but I did have a favorite.

The verdict. The silver 10M was just fantastic but was priced beyond what I can afford right now. Dommage.

The choice comes down to one of the 10Ms with a chance I may go with the Chu. I've got to sell the JK to make the move but I'm for sure switching.

The sound from the Conn's just killed the JK. After playing on the Conn for 30 mins the JK felt slow to respond and didn't have nearly the dynamic range (with rich tone). Of course the JK has a modern action but it's not even close on sound.

The intonation on all 5 horns was as good or better than the JK (just overhauled) with my Link.

Innocent Bystander User ID: 7064683	Mar 25th 3:48 AM Was there really that much difference between the 'common '10M's and the Chu, Pre Chu, Transitionals etc? Are the 10M's as resonant and loud as say, a good Martin? Is there a 'best' if that's accurate or is it like any other brand and you can score a killer horn in any model if you are lucky. Does the split bell keys of the Chu make any diff?
Cashsax User ID: 9014973	Mar 25th 5:36 AM I'm getting the best Mod tone I ever got with a '31 Chu Tenor ( I got S's too) and a hot Runyon.
Bootman User ID: 9495963	Mar 25th 5:40 AM It depends, I have great examples of Chu's and pre Chu's. It just depends on the horn.
OnyxSax User ID: 2212414	Mar 25th 12:47 PM We were able to put two freshly restored silver plate Conns, a Chu and a 10M next to each other. They're pretty similar. 10Ms keywork is slightly more ergonomic, but the action on the Chu felt lighter. Both had a similar sound, big. Bottom line is condition is more important than the vintage with these horns. Regarding your other questions. I played a Martin "The Martin" and found it to be very similar to a 10M in terms of feel and sound. I do find the split-bell keys on the Chu to be lighter than the left handed bell keys on the 10M. The guys who play the serial numbers game tend to put greater value on Chus in the 200,000 range, give or take 20,000. For 10Ms, models with rolled tone holes (323,000(?) and below) tend to fetch the higher prices, although the 10Ms without the rolled tone holes are very capable horns and can be had a good deal cheaper than the rolled tone hole models.
vonbraig User ID: 0658904	Mar 26th 9:35 AM I got the chance to blow 4 nice 10m's and a Silver Chu last night. My current tenor is a JK and I've been thinking about making a change. The first 10M I played was a silver plated monster. Got to say this horn roared. The notes just pop out with no effort and my Link with a 7 on the side worked great. The second horn was a silver Chu also very nice. The Chu was a little darker but still had a very centered tone and quick response. I played three laquer 10M's next and all of them were nice horns but I did have a favorite. The verdict. The silver 10M was just fantastic but was priced beyond what I can afford right now. Dommage. The choice comes down to one of the 10Ms with a chance I may go with the Chu. I've got to sell the JK to make the move but I'm for sure switching. The sound from the Conn's just killed the JK. After playing on the Conn for 30 mins the JK felt slow to respond and didn't have nearly the dynamic range (with rich tone). Of course the JK has a modern action but it's not even close on sound. The intonation on all 5 horns was as good or better than the JK (just overhauled) with my Link.