[saintsday]

After well over 50 altos, I think I've found my GAS cure.

I just got this one back from my tech last night and I am totally smitten. It's magic. My tech is magic. The whole world is magic. It plays even better than it looks.

This one joins a very few other NFS ever saxophones and yes, the MOP does reflect pink and green.

 

[saintsday]

what exactly is this horn? I know it looks amazing but I guess there are a few points that make it special that I haven't really captured..

100% original silver plate with original gold gilding in the bell and inside the deco engraving, the most colorful pearls known to Neptune, rolled tone holes, articulated G#, no dents, one ding, fresh overhaul from a world class tech with Music Medic roo pads and seamless domed resos, revised C# spring for more positive action, semi-ribbed construction, in-line tone holes for the palm keys with a mechanism that lifts the E3 key when you finger front F... all means nothing compared to the way it plays. Flawless intonation, very fast and light action, perfect key placement for my hands, and every note just jumps out of the horn effortlessly from top to bottom.
But keep it between us. Most Couesnons are stuffy old dogs with mange and bad breath and nobody in their right mind would buy one. Their clarinets and flugelhorns really stink up the joint, too.

 

[saintsday]

And a a Bundy is still by far a better scoup.

Absolutely, saxphil! A really discriminating player would certainly prefer a Bundy.

Martin's guess on the age is probably about right. It has the 105 address so it is post 1937, but certainly before the 50's. This was once a huge company for its time with over 700 employees and was endorsed by Marcel Mule before he was bought by Selmer. Besides the factory burning (Dr. Sax's spirit getting final revenge on M. Guatrot's shade) along with all the records, there appears to be at least 3 different serial runs and no authoritative serial list that I've been able to find. Very late on, in the 70's, there were some number of horns with the Couesnon name on them that were mechanically completely different, like the attached tenor picture. I didn't really like that one, but the guy I sold it to loves it.

I've never really analyzed neck angles, but this is perfect for me ergonomically in all respects. Your mileage may vary.

The pearls are original and similar to an earlier tenor that I have, not the one in the picture in this post. Live they do show pink and green, but not as strongly as they photograph.

This one had no address on the bell, just "Couenon Paris" and some pretty nice engraving.

 

[saintsday]

Wow. Four years later and this thread comes back to life.

To answer an old question, @ Hammertime: Couesnon pearls have more color than any other that I've seen and in photographs show shades of both pink and green.

TJ was right, the force of the GAS is strong upon me.

@ Frank D. It's lived with some Hagerty's strips in the case since it was first overhauled and still looks good.