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Sax on the Web Forum Archive / Conn Saxophones / Naked Lady

Screech
User ID: 9753653 Mar 25th 12:44 PM
History question. Is the "naked lady" patterned after a real person?

OnyxSax
User ID: 9683713 Mar 26th 10:05 PM
I think this question once popped up before and the answer was that it was patterned after a real person. If my memory serves me right, the model had some kind of relation to the Conn company, perhaps a daughter of one of the foremen or something like that. It would be interesting to see if this person was still alive.

Screech
User ID: 9753653 Mar 27th 7:58 AM
Wow that would be pretty interesting.

Andres
User ID: 0011434 Mar 27th 8:01 AM
She probably wouldn't look quite the same naked, though.

Toby
User ID: 0777594 Mar 27th 12:40 PM
I still want to meet the models who posed for the engraving on Steve Goodson's silver MkVI.

http://www.saxgourmet.com/SteveMkVi.htm

By the way, those modifications Steve's been doing for years are slowly but surely starting to show up on new horn designs.

Hey, Steve, you got any patents on that stuff?

mutha potamus
User ID: 1432154 Mar 27th 5:06 PM
Toby, they're over here at my place...they want to know if next Tuesday is good for you.

Toby
User ID: 0777594 Mar 27th 5:16 PM
Hey I though the only girls at the tundra hut were baby pictures of your sister?

OK, I believe you. What's cab fare from Montreal to your place run these days?

Frank D
User ID: 0046004 Mar 28th 1:07 PM
The rest of the legend is that the more naked the lady, the better the horn played at testing time. This suggests that the horns were tested prior to engraving and lacquering, so I don't know how much of this to believe, but it makes a good story.

Dirk
User ID: 0436494 Mar 28th 3:43 PM
I think the creator was lynne osbornes father,he is an engraver and his father was a important engraver at the conn factory,I dont know his father's first name.

mutha potamus
User ID: 1174374 Mar 28th 4:31 PM
If you say Ozzy I'm gonna puke.

saxpics
User ID: 2999764 Mar 30th 10:05 AM
I discussed this a bit on another thread, but I can't find it at the moment:

There are several "Naked Lady" Conns. The appellation "Naked Lady" generally refers to pro 4/6/10/12/14/26/30m horns produced after about s/n 260xxx: it's the standard "lady in a pentagon" engraving. (After the "Shooting Star" 16M came out in the late 1950's, the horns with the "lady in a pentgon" engraving were referred to in catalogs as "Artist" models.)

The legend of the "more naked the lady, the better the horn" may come from one or more of the following:

* The gold-plated "6M Transitional" horns that were produced from about s/n 245xxx to 260xxx had a full stylized "naked lady in a pentagon" engraving, in addition to much more elaborate engraving than other models, rather than just a head and torso shot. If you could find one with same-side bell keys, underslung octave and 6M keywork improvements, you could say that it's a better horn than the split-bell-key models that were still available.

* New Wonder Virtuoso Deluxe engraved (finish 000) horns: these horns were the creme-de-la-creme of Conns from about s/n 142xxx to 245xxx. These were the gold-plated beauties with additional pearl keytouches and elaborate engraving -- sometimes featuring a "custom designed" nude on the bell (not quite as elaborate as Mr. Goodson's, I think :)

* New Wonder Artist's Finish horns (sometimes denoted as finish 00 in catalogs) from about s/n 50xxx to 143xxx, Conn produced special models of their New Wonder horns, sometimes with a "custom" nude engraved on the bell, that had microtuner necks and some keywork modifications (it seems) that were not available on other models of Conn until after s/n 142xxx.

There is a rumor that the Artist/Virtuoso horns mentioned above that do have portraits, that the portraits are based on real people, generally a picture of the horn's owner's girlfriend/wife/whatever.

* 26/30M Connqueror horns (the horns with all the extra adjustment screws) have a slightly different "lady in a pentagon" engraving that looks much less stylized and more detailed than the engraving on the 6/10M available at the same time. Additionally, it appears that the gold plated Connquerors were available with custom engraving, possibly with an elaborate nude engraving (haven't seen one, tho).

In any event, it has been mostly debunked that Conn set aside "special" horns for gold plating/engraving. See the "The Last Chu" thread in the Vintage Saxophones topic.

Finally, I'm researching ALL these horns. If y'all got pictures, etc. please send 'em my way. I had hoped to publish on my 'site this month, but some info. is trickling in very slowly. Maybe by the end of next month.

Ta!
Pete
saxpics@hotmail.com

OH. M.P.: "OZZY!"

Screech
User ID: 9753653 Apr 1st 11:19 AM
Wow THANKS Pete that was a lot of info.!

ferrari
User ID: 0408214 Apr 5th 6:55 AM
If this 10M is truly as advertized......WOW!
E-bay item # 855893564. One of their best years too.

rhino4
User ID: 9426023 Jun 27th 6:06 PM
anyone know where I can get the Dallas Cheerleaders engraved on my sax? Looking for a great engraver.

Screech User ID: 9753653	Mar 25th 12:44 PM History question. Is the "naked lady" patterned after a real person?
OnyxSax User ID: 9683713	Mar 26th 10:05 PM I think this question once popped up before and the answer was that it was patterned after a real person. If my memory serves me right, the model had some kind of relation to the Conn company, perhaps a daughter of one of the foremen or something like that. It would be interesting to see if this person was still alive.
Screech User ID: 9753653	Mar 27th 7:58 AM Wow that would be pretty interesting.
Andres User ID: 0011434	Mar 27th 8:01 AM She probably wouldn't look quite the same naked, though.
Toby User ID: 0777594	Mar 27th 12:40 PM I still want to meet the models who posed for the engraving on Steve Goodson's silver MkVI. http://www.saxgourmet.com/SteveMkVi.htm By the way, those modifications Steve's been doing for years are slowly but surely starting to show up on new horn designs. Hey, Steve, you got any patents on that stuff?
mutha potamus User ID: 1432154	Mar 27th 5:06 PM Toby, they're over here at my place...they want to know if next Tuesday is good for you.
Toby User ID: 0777594	Mar 27th 5:16 PM Hey I though the only girls at the tundra hut were baby pictures of your sister? OK, I believe you. What's cab fare from Montreal to your place run these days?
Frank D User ID: 0046004	Mar 28th 1:07 PM The rest of the legend is that the more naked the lady, the better the horn played at testing time. This suggests that the horns were tested prior to engraving and lacquering, so I don't know how much of this to believe, but it makes a good story.
Dirk User ID: 0436494	Mar 28th 3:43 PM I think the creator was lynne osbornes father,he is an engraver and his father was a important engraver at the conn factory,I dont know his father's first name.
mutha potamus User ID: 1174374	Mar 28th 4:31 PM If you say Ozzy I'm gonna puke.
saxpics User ID: 2999764	Mar 30th 10:05 AM I discussed this a bit on another thread, but I can't find it at the moment: There are several "Naked Lady" Conns. The appellation "Naked Lady" generally refers to pro 4/6/10/12/14/26/30m horns produced after about s/n 260xxx: it's the standard "lady in a pentagon" engraving. (After the "Shooting Star" 16M came out in the late 1950's, the horns with the "lady in a pentgon" engraving were referred to in catalogs as "Artist" models.) The legend of the "more naked the lady, the better the horn" may come from one or more of the following: * The gold-plated "6M Transitional" horns that were produced from about s/n 245xxx to 260xxx had a full stylized "naked lady in a pentagon" engraving, in addition to much more elaborate engraving than other models, rather than just a head and torso shot. If you could find one with same-side bell keys, underslung octave and 6M keywork improvements, you could say that it's a better horn than the split-bell-key models that were still available. * New Wonder Virtuoso Deluxe engraved (finish 000) horns: these horns were the creme-de-la-creme of Conns from about s/n 142xxx to 245xxx. These were the gold-plated beauties with additional pearl keytouches and elaborate engraving -- sometimes featuring a "custom designed" nude on the bell (not quite as elaborate as Mr. Goodson's, I think :) * New Wonder Artist's Finish horns (sometimes denoted as finish 00 in catalogs) from about s/n 50xxx to 143xxx, Conn produced special models of their New Wonder horns, sometimes with a "custom" nude engraved on the bell, that had microtuner necks and some keywork modifications (it seems) that were not available on other models of Conn until after s/n 142xxx. There is a rumor that the Artist/Virtuoso horns mentioned above that do have portraits, that the portraits are based on real people, generally a picture of the horn's owner's girlfriend/wife/whatever. * 26/30M Connqueror horns (the horns with all the extra adjustment screws) have a slightly different "lady in a pentagon" engraving that looks much less stylized and more detailed than the engraving on the 6/10M available at the same time. Additionally, it appears that the gold plated Connquerors were available with custom engraving, possibly with an elaborate nude engraving (haven't seen one, tho). In any event, it has been mostly debunked that Conn set aside "special" horns for gold plating/engraving. See the "The Last Chu" thread in the Vintage Saxophones topic. Finally, I'm researching ALL these horns. If y'all got pictures, etc. please send 'em my way. I had hoped to publish on my 'site this month, but some info. is trickling in very slowly. Maybe by the end of next month. Ta! Pete saxpics@hotmail.com OH. M.P.: "OZZY!"
Screech User ID: 9753653	Apr 1st 11:19 AM Wow THANKS Pete that was a lot of info.!
ferrari User ID: 0408214	Apr 5th 6:55 AM If this 10M is truly as advertized......WOW! E-bay item # 855893564. One of their best years too.
rhino4 User ID: 9426023	Jun 27th 6:06 PM anyone know where I can get the Dallas Cheerleaders engraved on my sax? Looking for a great engraver.