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Conn 10m (arrives on 19th) excited much 😬😬

12K views 207 replies 30 participants last post by  John curtis 
#1 ·
#13 ·
I usually play Link-like mouthpieces, so pretty much everything I've got works fine on my 10M. I even have a Berg that plays well on it. A Selmer C* was fine, too, as was my RPC, which has a high baffle, a squeeze throat and a medium chamber. I do tune further out on the cork than on my Selmer and much further out than on modern horns, but there's still room for adjustment.

Solve the mouthpiece problem IF you run into it, but I bet whatever is working on your Buescher is a fine place to start.

If you can get this thing purring for $2100 CAD, that's a pretty solid deal. About what I paid for my 10M in good shape, but I did put a couple hundred more into it getting things just right. One thing I have liked about fixer-upper horns is that, provided I didn't put too much down up front, it's a chance to get things set up the way I like them, since a tech is going to be fixing everything anyways. Sounds like you've got a good relationship with a good tech, which is a solid place to start.

Talk to your tech about getting the action as light and snappy as possible. After the tone, my favorite thing about my 10M is how snappy and crisp the keywork is. The key heights feel really low to me and it doesn't seem to close off the horn like that would on my Selmer.

Congratulations! I think you've got something with real potential here.
 
#14 ·
I usually play Link-like mouthpieces, so pretty much everything I've got works fine on my 10M. I even have a Berg that plays well on it. A Selmer C* was fine, too, as was my RPC, which has a high baffle, a squeeze throat and a medium chamber. I do tune further out on the cork than on my Selmer and much further out than on modern horns, but there's still room for adjustment.

Solve the mouthpiece problem IF you run into it, but I bet whatever is working on your Buescher is a fine place to start.

If you can get this thing purring for $2100 CAD, that's a pretty solid deal. About what I paid for my 10M in good shape, but I did put a couple hundred more into it getting things just right. One thing I have liked about fixer-upper horns is that, provided I didn't put too much down up front, it's a chance to get things set up the way I like them, since a tech is going to be fixing everything anyways. Sounds like you've got a good relationship with a good tech, which is a solid place to start.

Talk to your tech about getting the action as light and snappy as possible. After the tone, my favorite thing about my 10M is how snappy and crisp the keywork is. The key heights feel really low to me and it doesn't seem to close off the horn like that would on my Selmer.

Congratulations! I think you've got something with real potential here.
Thanks “dirty”
I’ve a “Claude Humber “ mouthpiece which works for me on buescher.
Light and snappy! Got it!
There’s some great advice there, I’m keeping this post 👍👍
 
#16 ·
Don't let them get you down. If you can get a good 10m sounding nice for under 3K, then that's a good deal! Some of these horns are absolutely magical.

Mine is a little mouthpiece sensitive, but a relaxed embouchure with a link-style piece will always work fine. I wouldn't use something with a small chamber like a Soloist, or with a huge baffle unless it had a large chamber as well. It actually has very good intonation.

Make sure your tech sets up the LH spatula correctly. The horn has an articulated G#, so the other three notes are powered by the G# spring. It works best when the low Bb and B are sprung loosely enough that when you put the horn on its side, gravity closes them. Springing the low C# quite lightly is essential as this runs off the G# spring too. If you set it up this way, it's as slick and efficient as a modern Selmer-style design.

Also, @dirty is right - these don't need super high key heights to sound great.

Congrats!
 
#17 ·
Don't let them get you down. If you can get a good 10m sounding nice for under 3K, then that's a good deal! Some of these horns are absolutely magical.

Mine is a little mouthpiece sensitive, but a relaxed embouchure with a link-style piece will always work fine. I wouldn't use something with a small chamber like a Soloist, or with a huge baffle unless it had a large chamber as well. It actually has very good intonation.

Make sure your tech sets up the LH spatula correctly. The horn has an articulated G#, so the other three notes are powered by the G# spring. It works best when the low Bb and B are sprung loosely enough that when you put the horn on its side, gravity closes them. Springing the low C# quite lightly is essential as this runs off the G# spring too. If you set it up this way, it's as slick and efficient as a modern Selmer-style design.

Also, @dirty is right - these don't need super high key heights to sound great.

Congrats!
Thank you “jazz house”, I’m going to print this off too
John
 
#19 ·
I have a later one, about 1957. What superDan says is true about playing sharp. I play a RPC hard rubber piece and it hangs off the end of the neck. I’ve concluded it’s the horn and not me. My alto plays right in tune and so does my clarinet. I play as loose an embouchure as possible while still having control and it’s still 20 cents sharp when I push the mpc in halfway up the cork. No big deal. Just pull it out until it plays in tune. I just re-corked mine last week and I left a little extra cork on so it fits nice and tight.

It could be a Link or other large chamber piece would help but I really don’t want to get on that merry-go-round..
 
#20 ·
No worries @John curtis - you might find this helpful. It's a better explanation of what I said.

Also, if you ever get a chance to try a Dukoff stubby on your 10m, you won't regret it! That's a particularly fun combination. Maybe someone you know has one lying around.
 
#22 ·
I have a 1941 10m. It will play in tune with any high baffle mouthpiece but there is something about a low baffle, large chambered piece that simply meshes with the bore of these horns.....the feeling and response just feels right. I've tried high baffle, small chambered pieces and tuning has not been an issue, but ultimately for me.....they don't play as comfortably across the full range of the horn.
 
#40 ·
I got two 'new vintage' link metal pieces last year cheap because they were scratch and dent stock with wwbw. One is a 5 and the other an 8*. Payed about $150 each. They're used on my 10m, they have huge chambers, very little baffle and the horn loves them. Intonation is the best I've ever had, they are easy to play in the low register and altissimo is fine with a little work.

While I've never played a small tip, I like the 5 more than the 8*, which plays well but isn't as focused sounding. These are certainly not rock mouthpieces, but have a great sound, more flexibility than imagined and most of all....are a great match with the 10m.
 
#41 ·
I have the rubber one in 5* and I agree about the intonation— it’s effortless. I also just ordered a 6* cause I saw it for $145. I would try the metal too but I’ve read they’re darker and the rubber is already a bit dark for me. You wouldn’t happen to have compared them by any chance? (My other beef with these is they seem to choke up on palm and altissimo.)
 
#43 ·
It may not be the best deal that's ever existed, but remember those are Canadian dollars. $2100 CAD all in for an overhauled 10M isn't bad at all.

Of course, it depends on your tech's definition of "overhaul" somewhat. Where I am, when techs say overhaul that means strip everything off the horn, clean every piece, align posts, completely rebuild with new pads, remanufacture pieces that were defective or imperfect from the factory, etc. I've had two techs tell me that the goal of an overhaul is "better than new." If your tech is doing something like this, then $2100 CAD (just under $1700 USD) for a "better than new" 10M is a very reasonable price.

Then, of course, there seems to be a category of tech that some people here go to that replaces pads as needed and calls it an overhaul and proudly offers "the cheapest overhauls around" or whatever. Plus any number of versions in between. If this is what you're getting then you will probably be posting on the forum next month about how 10Ms are overrated and the keywork is bad.
 
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