[brianincairo]

Hey, all:

I acquired this evening an old Alexander Hamilton tenor from Astoria, NY, in great playing shape, in tune, about 95% original lacquer and an all-round great piece.

Truthfully, I've owned only student models of Selmer, Vito, Reynolds, etc. This is my first "older" horn.

The serial number is 54156. Is this a Conn stencil? Beucher? I'm just not certain. It has a wonderful old sound, dark and really tightly stacked ergonomics. Strangely, it has an Ab trill key that engages when you finger Ab, enabling you (in the lower right hand stack) to trill Ab/Bb. Additionally, it has no high F# key.

I'd be interested to hear what anyone thinks of this and their idea about the Hamilton line. I participated in an earlier thread re: Hamilton, and that was informative, but I've never seen (or heard) of an Ab trill key....

Thanks in advance for any remarks, ideas...

ps: I picked it up for $355.00. *I* think it was a deal...

Brian

 

[Dave dix]

That key was common on old horns , between E and F key. If the lower keyguard looks like a mercedes badge and the serial number has a letter T above then its a conn , bevelled tone holes then its martin, none of the above its a buescher but post a picture
Dave

 

[rs1sensen]

If you can post pictures, we can identify it easier, however, Dave's advice is pretty much where most of us would look. It's sometimes possible to determine even more information than what brand (for example, I know the exact comparable Buescher non-stencil version of my C-Melody).

$355 for a tenor in good shape, even as a stencil, is a pretty good price. Good luck with the horn!

 

[bruce bailey]

A photo will help. If you have one to post, go to Flickr and load the photos and post a link here to the page, easy to do. For now, the easiest way to spot a Conn is to look at the low C cage. If it has the three bars looking like a Mercedes Benz star, it would be a Conn and another way is to look at the serial number. On most Conn stencils it will have an A above PXXXXX and an L below. The P is for Pan-American which was like most of their stencils. The F# you mention is commonly called a Front F since it is on the front of the horn and when the horns (newer) say high F#, they usually mean an extra tone hole and lever.

 

[52Conn10r]

I believe your Hamilton is a late 40's early 50's Conn stencil and like the Sherwood Master, also a Conn stencil, it will not have the benz shaped low c keyguard.

 

[brianincairo]

Thanks, evryone, for your helpful remarks. My didgital cam is on the fritz, but I may be able to post some photos soon...Thank again... Brian