[Carter]

I have had this 1949 10M for @20 years, and played it pretty hard in a classic rock cover band for @15 of those. The mystery was this: while the serial# puts the 10M in 1949, the keywork appeared to be nickel, which didn't appear on lacquered horns until later in the 1950s. This keywork should have been lacquer, with a lacquered horn. The best guess I received was that maybe Conn would let you special order a 10M with nickel keywork, but nobody really knew. Until now:

I just got the 10M back from AJS Woodwind Repair after a complete overhaul. The verdict: the keywork is silver, not nickel. The 10M was originally silver plated, probably military (there is a nearly invisible remnant of a scroll "U.S" engraving at the bottom of the bell). At some point in time, somebody had the silver stripped from the body but not the keys. This sounds plausible to me, although I have no idea why you would want to strip the silver from this horn.

Mystery solved?

 

[Dr G]

A clue to silver plate vs nickel, is how it tarnishes, and - it tarnished - how easily it takes a polish.

Happiness is a freshly overhauled tenor. Enjoy!

 

[Mike T]

These 1949 10Ms are fine instruments, and they can be bought for less than their real worth, because of the straight toneholes. The SN on mine is only 26 digits higher than yours, so they were most likely made in the same week, if not the same day. Mine, however appears to have always been lacquered.

On the other hand, my 28M alto (1951) had a similar fate to your 10M. It started out as a US Navy band instrument, judging by the lettering ("US" and probably "N") which is still to be seen on the front of the bell, despite the buffing and the subsequent gold lacquering it has received. Here and there on the body the lacquer has worn away, to reveal a silver-coloured underlay. The keywork is still silver-coloured. I've always assumed the whole instrument was originally nickel-plated — now you've set me thinking ! …