Alto Couesnon Monopole Conservatoire # 11043 hight F# & G#

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Jazzbrass

Discussion Starter · Oct 10, 2007

Alto Couesnon Monopole Conservatoire # 11043
The last model manufactured by Couesnon, but was it indeed manufactured by Couesnon? Original keys, the model is almost identical as the one of Stephen Howard

What do you think about it?

For those which would be interested it will be soon to sell
[email protected]

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saintsday

· #6 · Oct 10, 2007 (Edited by Moderator)

This is the first I've seen keyed to G. The F# horns are rare enough.

I have several with later, some much later, serial numbers but this is the first with a G key.

The last pic shows the dual strap ring that all these later horns seem to share.

I'm curious how you figured the 1960 date, Chris. I have yet to find a serial list of any kind for these. The '69 fire seems to have put the kibosh on compiling one. I do have a couple with dated original warranty cards, but I'd have to root through a bunch of cases to find them.

Gandalfe: edited to fix screen splay by extending pics on one line.

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saintsday

· #8 · Oct 11, 2007

The earliest Couesnon I've had (I think) is my curvy sop with a double octave key or maybe the low B alto that is now on the Isle of Man. Both sound as focussed to my deaf old ears as the 14xxx horns. Maybe just a touch "sweeter." Usual caveat: your mileage may vary.

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saintsday

· #12 · Oct 11, 2007

Thanks, Chris. I'm going to bookmark this for future reference. When I find the warranty cards I have, I'll post them.

I still wish someone could shed some light on how many serial runs they had. I have a 5 digit horn somewhere that is clearly older than some of the 4 digit horns I've had. I'm also a little suspicious about the pineapple/grenade thing unless 1929 was some kind of record production for them.

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saintsday

· #21 · Aug 22, 2008

If you mean F# and G, the answer is a big yes. Even if you mean just F#, it is still very uncommon. Out of 25 or 30 Couesnons I own or have owned, only one had the F# and none had the G. The F# I have is a 14,xxx serial and a great horn.

I'd really like to see some pictures of yours.

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saintsday

· #24 · Aug 22, 2008

zxcvbnm said:
Nothing too special, but yours is a pretty nice example.

How many of them have you played? I've sold them to players who played through nearly all my Bueschers and chose a Couesnon so I must disagree that they are not "too special."

The first one I took my tech lit him up like no other horn I've taken him. He kept playing it and said if he didn't have his VI, he could gig with the Couesnon happily. He said it's much easier to play than the Selmer. My teacher's comment was if everyone had as nice a pinky table, Selmer never would have had to redesign it and recommended one to one of his students at the conservatory.

On what do you base your opinion?

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saintsday

· #26 · Aug 22, 2008 (Edited)

Thanks for the pics, Soybean. I don't see where they hid the extra keys.

Here is where the F# is on mine:

On Jean's with the G key they actually cut into the neck to fit the key. For some reason Photobucket doesn't want to resize the pic of the key touch on mine, but it is a slim spoon in the conventional place by the side keys.

With the G key, they are super rare.

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saintsday

· #29 · Aug 23, 2008

soybean said:
The high G model that was shown may have been a custom job or possibly something done after market.

soybean said:
I think zxcvbnm was answering my original question about how rare these are. It's good to see your opinion hasn't changed saintsday. Looking at your photos and reading your posts was one of the reasons i bought this horn. It hasn't arrived yet, but i'll post again when i have a chance to play it.

First, apologies to zxcvbnm,./. I was a too aggressive in defending the marque. They are not common or well known, but there are a fair number of them out there.

I thought that I remembered that the consensus was that that G key was factory. If it isn't, it sure is beautiful work.

Please let us know how you like yours when it arrives. It looks to be in great condition.

Here are a pair of mine:

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