[RalfW]

Hello,

perhaps someone can help me or give me informations:

Last year I had the chance to get a silverplated Conn 6M. Substance was very good, but it needed a complete overhaul.
S/N is 309xxx and VIII stamped on the tube and on the neck. Strange thing was, that in origin it didn't have an engraving. Most likely it was later engraved by a former possessor.
Now, I'm a tenor player, so I was not in a hurry to overhaul the horn.
Some weeks ago I gave it to my repairman and he did a great job. Yesterday I went to him to fetch it and btw he told me to my surprise that the bell and the neck is made of solid silver. Until yet I had no idea that Conn ever built such an instrument.

So my question to the Conn specialists: Is there anybody who has more informations? What is it worth? (I'm not sure to keep it or not)

Best,
Ralf

 

[Seasax]

a silversonic 6m!
interesting, it could well be that the factory invited a musician to give certain specs for a horn to be built for them, the VIII on the neck means that it was made by the workman who always worked at desk VIII who was Conns best neck producer who was known to work with silver aswell,


get some pics for us,

i just dont understand why they would silverplate over silver, i think it was silverplated when it was engraved.
really interesting and i might be interested, i can offer $2400 for it max if you want to sell.

Dan

 

[RalfW]

a silversonic 6m!
interesting, it could well be that the factory invited a musician to give certain specs for a horn to be built for them, the VIII on the neck means that it was made by the workman who always worked at desk VIII who was Conns best neck producer who was known to work with silver aswell,

get some pics for us,

i just dont understand why they would silverplate over silver, i think it was silverplated when it was engraved.
really interesting and i might be interested, i can offer $2400 for it max if you want to sell.

Dan

Hi Dan,

here are the pics:

View attachment 2083

View attachment 2084

View attachment 2085

View attachment 2086

View attachment 2087

I hope you agree with me that the engraving is not original. When I got this horn there was no Ladyface engraving on it. A friend of my repairman did it and this work showed him that there is no brass under the skin.
Additional the neck is very heavy. My repairman tried to do some soldering work at the neck and ist was not possible because it is of solid silver.

Thank you for your offer, I will let you know when I'll make a decison to keep it or not.

Best,
Ralf

 

[Seasax]

whats the name (??) under the engraving, does it say Mike or something, mik?
miki?
was that there originally?
the engraving is not original, the original engraving does usually show more 'texture' as is there was shadow shaded on the engraving with angled lines;
but more importantly it does not cay CG Conn in the small slit in the middle of the engraving where it should, it is a very good copy of the original engraving though and hard to tell apart.
also, above the naked lady, about an inch up there is like he top of a heart shape out line, each side of it has another line underneath it, making it like to leaves, on the originals only the left hand side one was like that, the one on the right was a single line.
and the corners aren't as neat as a real conn engraving should be.
Conn took real pride in their engraving and that helps to tell them apart.
but it should play great, what do you think about possibly selling it?
as i said, i can afford £1200 (roughly $2400)
i would like to goldwash the bell though to make it more like a Conn and get the C.G.Conn Ltd engraved by Jason where it should've gone!
so if you could accept £1100 so i had £100 to spend on it that'd be even better!

 

[Saxaholic]

I'm not trying to derail SerjeantSax or his attempts, but if this horn truly is a "Silversonic" Conn alto...it would be worth much more than $2400.

The pics aren't working for me, nothing is showing up.

Saxaholic

 

[Seasax]

well, congratulations, you have.

i wasnt saying it was worth that, i dont really have much experience with silversonic 6ms to have an accurate price estimate, i was just saying that i could offer that if he decided to sell it.

 

[Saxaholic]

Your offer is fine, because it is just that, an offer. However, the seller should be fully informed if they are thinking about selling a horn that has the potential to be the rarest Conn alto saxophone to exist.

Your purpose was to offer something for the horn. Mine was to inform. No harm, no foul.

Saxaholic

 

[RalfW]

Sorry, it was not my intention to start an auction or something like that!

The engraving shows the name "Miki". Perhaps the name of a former possessor. It seems to me that this engraving was done later - the name "Conn" was missing, the Ladyface too.
If it had no engraving leaving the factory could that be a indication for something like an experimental saxophone?

I only have a small digital and the pics doesn't show much detail. But if you can tell me which view of sight or what detail would be of interest I could try to catch it.

Best, Ralf

 

[Seasax]

see in this pic:
http://www.saxpics.com/cpg143/albums/Conn/artist/6m/silver/265xxx-wws/6M265A.JPG
directly above the lady face there is the heart/leaf shapes i told you about
it is just right to compare to your pic 3rd down

it is one very nice horn!

 

[xax]

The serial # suggest that it was made in 1942 (WWII). Quite a special horn if you ask me. Maybe made by a Conn craftsman for his own use... Can you tell if the tone holes on the bell are "exactly" the same as the others?

How about a couple of pics of the other side showing the pinky table and the bell keys. Also, the "grub" screws look real bright. On the brass Conns they are black (I don't know about the silver plated horns). Are these steel or something else?

 

[Sax Magic]

Pics don't show for me, and I never have that problem with SOTW.

Sax Magic

 

[Carl H.]

They show fine for me, and I do have that problem sometimes.

 

[RalfW]

The serial # suggest that it was made in 1942 (WWII). Quite a special horn if you ask me. Maybe made by a Conn craftsman for his own use... Can you tell if the tone holes on the bell are "exactly" the same as the others?

How about a couple of pics of the other side showing the pinky table and the bell keys. Also, the "grub" screws look real bright. On the brass Conns they are black (I don't know about the silver plated horns). Are these steel or something else?

Hmm, what do you mean with ".... "exactly" the same as the others"? They are the same kind, of course rolled tone wholes...other question: if they differ what kind of difference do you mean?

Sorry for my lack of english knowlegde: What do you mean with "grub" screws? Set screws?

Some more pics:
View attachment 2089

View attachment 2090

View attachment 2091

 

[abadcliche]

These pictures never work for me. SOTW not like firefox maybe?

 

[Carl H.]

These pictures never work for me. SOTW not like firefox maybe?

I'm on firefox and those are very nice pics.

 

[Seasax]

same here,

which version do you use?

grub screws/pivot screws are what hold the rods in place.

 

[Carl H.]

Firefox/2.0.0.5 updated friday afternoon with latest updates.

 

[Sax Magic]

Windows Internet Explorer with recent updates from Microsoft Update.

The pics don't show for me, and they usually do.

Carl, how's the Metalite working for you?

Sax Magic

 

[Carl H.]

Carl, how's the Metalite working for you?

Sax Magic

I've been tied up playing Violin in a show and haven't been able to get around to playing it. When I close this show, I've got a bunch of stuff I need to get around to doing. Playing sax is on the list, but below window rebuilding, getting a VW together and out of the garage so I can do a major servicing of my wifes jeep, followed by 2 other cars, replacing trim on the exterior of the house, getting some exercise before winter and the new baby arrive ...

Sigh.
:shock:

 

[Sax Magic]

Hey, we all understand the "honey dew" list!

Oddly enough, the photos are coming through just fine today, where all I got was the ubiquitous little red x's yesterday!

:?

Sax Magic