[DannyMetalC]

Having finished the neck for my 1919 Conn that is curved... I put it on my 1920 designed with the straight neck for kicks and heres what I discovered:

1) The playing position Is waaay less comfortable than with the straight neck... I had to nearly choke myself with my neotech.

2)The timbre of the instrument goes much further into tenor territory

3) The last three palm keys get progressively flatter (High D, E, F) In a quick Eyeballing which I will confirm with measurements later, it appears that on the 1919 body---> these tone holes are slightly LARGER then on the 1920 SN body. I imagine that these notes will be spot on once I finish up the bell keys and the forked Eb on the 1919.

My conclusion is that I will have to get another neotech neckstrap and modify it specifically for the 1919 so its not such a choker. Also... I imagine it is going to sound really good and tenorish. Finally, don't mix your Conn necks... There are subtle differences in the body design between the curved and straight neck models.

Measurements, pics, and recordings to come if I can ever get off this dang work computer and back to the workbench!

 

[Pete Thomas]

Are you talking about a C soprano?

I think it's best to not use a neckstrap with any straight bodied soprano or you get forced into a bad playing posture. Or maybe I'm misunderstanding.

 

[paulwl]

C tenor is the horn in question. Conn never made a C soprano with a separate neck - all were unibody straight horns.

Now Danny, you're arousing my curiosity in particular because I did a similar experiment not ong ago, with a 1919 curved tuner neck (very rare) and a 1923 straight neck. What confused me is that my 1919 Conn was flat in the palm keys with both necks - and FLATTER with its OWN neck. (The '23 was slightly flatter with the curved neck, but tolerable.)

I haven't measure the toneholes on these horns, but I just might do that now! It could be one of the many differences between the Wonders and New Wonders.

(FWIW, I wanted a curved neck for my 1936 Conn Naked Lady 8M. I took one from a junked Wurlitzer stencil Conn - it fit perfectly, and the lacquer even matched. I sold the Wurli for parts, so the neck cost me $40 net. I still play both necks and like them both.)

 

[DannyMetalC]

Yes Paul, I am also going to measure the tone holes. Unfortunately my testing is a bit one-sided now as I am not quite done overhauling the 1919 body. Soon I will be able to at least test the top end of it, once I get the palm keys back on with some oil.

I read your post about the curved neck with microtuner... most rare and intriguing sir! Did you ever mess with the key heights of your palm keys? Perhaps shave a little cork off the back? Perhaps your 1919 is some strange hybrid transition between the Wonder and New Wonder?

With the smaller toneholes of the New wonder as well as the microtuner but retaining the curved neck! Does the F palm key have the cumbersome bends in it over the post and past the topmost side key tone hole? Or is it a sleek straight key... as on my 1920 New wonder it is?

I know that somewhere between 1919 and 1920 was the change to the new design.

I know for certain that my 1919 Is a Wonder and my 1920 is definitely a New Wonder. I am gearing up to post a report on the key differences between the two, for instance my 1919 Eb and Low C share springs on the same lower post that can interfere with eachother unless properly bent, but on my 1920 the spring for the low C comes off the upper post... a most noticable improvement. I have also noticed improvements to the body octave vent system, the palm keys, and numerous spring and other keywork improvements. Not to mention distinct differences in tone hole placement and size. Be ready for my post... I am going to try to document the differences with some good pictures and shed some light on the situation.

I don't believe Conn would release a professional saxophone with distinguished flat palm key notes....

 

[Captain Beeflat]

I used a curved neck on what had been a straight necked Conn with my "Impala" Conn.....see cmelodysax's site. There was no noticeable difference in tuning but I suppose to some degree one corrects automatically to accommodate the idiosyncrasies of vintage horns.
Quite why those who complain about being strangled by the strap do not re-site or duplicate their strap ring I will never understand....I am always more comfortable with the curly neck even with the standard ring position.
Curved neck or straight I did not like the alto-like sound & very soon sold the horn....my first & last Conn C.

 

[DannyMetalC]

First off let me say congrats! I had looked at the post about the black Impala horn early on in my research into C Melodies and it is spectacular! I wasn't aware that you were the Lewis who had created it! Great job I love it!

No amount of correction could bring the high palm key notes into tune when I tried the curved neck on my 1920 Conn. I could push the mouthpiece on further, with no effect on the low register, but all of the low second octave notes would then be painfully sharp while the highest palm notes were in tune...

That aside:

Curved neck or straight I did not like the alto-like sound & very soon sold the horn....my first & last Conn C.

I may have some surprises coming your way. My Conn and I will soon be attempting to break the (possible, potential, maybe?) myth of the association of bore with "Tenoration."

The way I am beginning to see it, a few awkward shaped pieces of plumbing with only millimeters of difference between them will behave the same way under certain conditions... with only subtle differences that can be accounted for in other fashions. There are some very Bb sounding sounds coming from mine these days, since the aquirement of a Metalite M7.

Furthermore, there is a light not only at the end of the tunnel, but in the tunnel itself! Michael Ausserbauer Is making his Conn-Bored Aquilasax sing out like its slightly larger cousins in Bb... and practicing with his recordings is rubbing off into my own playing. I just can't wait to try my 1919 with its curved neck and those huge chrome dome resos reflecting all that glory back through the horn!

I need to aquire more practice time and more experience before I get anywhere near a microphone though...

 

[adamk]

Just for sh#ts and giggles I took my 1919 Buescher C curved neck and tried it on my Buescher alto 140. It fit but of course the octave key wouldn't operate. The notes I could play sounded very similar to the C tenor.

 

[Neotech]

As far as the neck strap goes, you may want to go to a Junior Size strap in order to keep from having to adjust your strap too short against your neck. Most of our strap s are available in junior sizes.

Good luck!

 

[DannyMetalC]

Thanks Neotech, will do. Ill get the kiddy one for my 1919, and keep the adult size I already have intact for use with the 1920 with alto-style neck.