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Need advice/discussion about Conn 30M please.

9K views 29 replies 16 participants last post by  Raphyel 
#1 ·
I inherited a 30M serial number 279xxx from an uncle. I don't know the last time it was played - he was 90 when he passed so I'd say 10 years. It looks pretty good to me on the outside but I have zero experience with these other than the little bit of research that I've done. There are several mouth pieces with it as well including one made by Conn, two by Links, and one by Brilhart. I guess these 30Ms are worth some money but I'm not sure about selling - I don't need the money. My conundrum is that on the one hand it's a family heirloom but on the other if these are as wonderful as what's written about them on the web then it would be a shame for it not to be played, heard, and enjoyed. No one in the family is interested in learning to play the sax right now and grandchildren are a long way off. I'd like to know what people who love and play the saxophone think - keep it on the hope that a grandchild might play it 15 years from now or sell it so it can be heard? Also, if kept what would it cost to have it serviced or is this even necessary if it would just be on display? Please note that if I decide to sell it then it won't happen for some time so this isn't an offer to sell. Some of the things in the photos might be related to a clarinet that was in the case too. Thanks!

John



 
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#2 ·
You have an absolutely beautiful horn there. I would say it should be valued around 5K or more. But I am no expert. I have a 30M and it is a wonderful instrument.

Also, the mouthpieces you have (especially the Links) could fetch up to 1,000 if they are the right vintage. I think it's worthy of display and keeping it in the family myself. There are many great horns out there that are playable.

That's my .02
 
#5 ·
I appreciate the advice and interestingly it's 50/50 for and against selling. I've been looking at the mouthpieces and the markings and they are as follows:

Rubber/plastic - "Designed by Arnold Brilhart" with a 2928 on side and with a clear cover that has his name on it and a brass? clamp that has his name on it with an "A" and a "B" for the turn knobs

Link Master Mouthpiece in square Logo - metal - brass? - "Facing No. 4" on one flat and "Series R86" on another - Otto Link & Co. New York on the round opening - no clamp

Link Master Mouthpiece in Log - four **** (stars) - Series ? 7.7 - Patented - also brass-colored metal - same address as above - clamp not marked but has only one round twist knob at top

Conn "Standard" Steelay USA - rubber/plastic? - "5" on side - clamp not marked

Separate clamp with Selmer, Made in France

I don't know which of these my uncle liked to play although the Brilhart and one of the Links still have reeds on them.

Thanks!

John
 
#8 ·
That is a beautiful, fairly rare sax that will not decrease in value. If you don't need the money, I suggest you keep it until you have the urge to sell. The mouthpieces may be worth a surprising amount to some people, and those you might want to sell before the collectors come to their senses. Some people pay absolutely outrageous money for some old Brilhart ligatures (the clamp you mention above).
 
#9 ·
I would keep it for a while right now anyways as the market sucks.....2 years ago you'd get 5500 for it currently you MIGHT get 4000 on a nice day.
 
#10 ·
There are plenty of Conn tenors out there. This one doesn't "need" to be played. Keep it for the sentimental value. Besides, 30M tenors are valued more for their collectable status these days. They are just the same as a 10M as far as sound, and playability. The only differences are the key adjustment system and the silver clad key touches. These horns tend to go to amateurs and dilettantes with expendable income rather than professional players.

The vintage Otto Link mouthpieces are of value. They would most likely need to be re-faced. Those old Brilharts are good too. Again, there are enough of those mouthpieces out there for those who play them. Don't sell them unless you need the cash.
 
#11 ·
I am with you man.....why mess up something that has been kept in pristine shape for 60 years.
 
#16 ·
Keep the horn! Trust me, one day someone in your family will be deserving of it!

Now, something you should do is sell off the mouthpieces... except 1. I would personally keep the Otto Link with the 4 stars on it, and sell the rest of the lot. If you provide detailed pictures of each mouthpiece, the people here will be happy to identify them and give you an idea of what you can sell them for on ebay.

This way, you make a little money, and still get to keep around a superb saxophone and one of the greatest mouthpieces of that era!
 
#18 ·
As a Conn nut myself, I would say keep the Steelay mpc as well. They're not worth huge amounts of money because every Conn sax came with one, and they provide a good baseline as to how the maker intended the horn to sound - as well as keeping the original kit together.
 
#17 ·
Again, thanks to all who replied. My sister (co-inheritor of the sax) wants to sell - she never liked this uncle - so I may have to buy her out to keep it in the family.

Are there old-vintage style stands available for this kind of display? A modern stand made out of aluminum would seem to detract from the sax?

Also, here are some not very good photos of the mouth pieces - a photographer I am not

the Designed by Arnold Brilhart and a portion of the Link showing Four **** marking



Side view of 4star Link



the Conn Standard Steelay and the other Link series R86



I appreciate everyone's help with this!

John
 
#19 ·
What an impressive and quite valuable collection.

It might be worth buying your Sister out and holding on to it for a while. The saxophone & mouthpieces will only increase in value as the years progress.

As Raphyel stated previously, it's definitely a buyer's market.

Good Luck!
 
#20 ·
Here are some more things found in the case -

- a strap that looks to have a harp? on the plastic doohickey and "patented" but no other markings - what maker would that be?
- a small hinged box with a piece of glass and razor blade in it - there was a reed in here too so this was for cutting reeds?
- a couple of tools - one has "Buescher" on it and the other "Erland" - I don't know if these were specific to musical instruments or general tools?
- some new reeds from the Baltimore area - where my uncle apparently played with a band - I'm researching that now
- a metal disc with a flat end and a rounded end - I have no idea what this is for?

Any help identifying or expanding my knowledge of things would be appreciated.

 
#21 ·
If you do decide to sell it, I would list it high, like, $5K (make an offer option) and see what happens. Keep the Steel-lay with the horn for the original touch. All the other mouthpieces are worth some money but that A-B Ligature may be worth more than all the mouthpieces combined. Don't let it go with the Brilhart mouthpiece. You may have $7-8K in your hands!
 
#23 ·
I have to say...one of the sillier comments I have read here recently is that a 30M isn't really (or shouldn't be used as) a practical player's horn. Amateur-Dilletante ?

Lordy.... I hope that was tongue-in cheek because it's pretty absurd ! Sure, don't give it to a 10-year old, but for chrissakes....it's one of the best pro Tenors of all time !!!

A couple of things I would like to say:

1) yes there are plenty of old Conns...but NOT plenty of old 30M's.

2) Raph is right on...the market is abysmal right now (not to say that it will ever get better...I think many folks continue to wear blinders and assume that somehow the world economy is gonna be like it once was again). It couldn't hurt to keep it, because you will not get it's true value if you sell it now. A one-player 30M in remarkable condition ? $5g's, I agree. But I do not think it can muster $5g's on auction, for example.

3) Also...it has family history. Today it may look like nobody cares about it...but, goodness....the number of stories I have heard along the lines of: "we sold Gramps' old XXX years ago for $YYY...jeez, if we had only known !" I have lost count of how many times I have heard versions of this....

However, playing :evil: advocate for a moment: What if you DID price it at $5g and offer it there ?

It's a classic horn...and folks DO drop $5g on contemporary horns, and some other vintage ones.... that do not nearly have the quality/qualities of a 30M...so....if you did manage that sale for that amount....you may well have been the answer to some saxophonist's dreams. The problem is...it may also end up with a Japanese flipper (insert your own descriptive here, I am stating as an example and not bashing anyone) who in turn makes a load off of it. So if that doesn't potentially sit well with you...don't offer it.

Thanks for sharing...it's quite a horn.

The mouthpieces....eh....not so inclined to say they are nearly as (relatively) valuable or interesting.....
 
#24 ·
What I think Barry was getting at is that 30Ms are overpriced to 10Ms due to their rarity. For a full-time pro, money is too tight to justify the extra cost for such a similar tenor.

This didn't use to be quite so true - I bought my 30M 7 or 8 years ago for $2,200, when a 10M in similar condition might have been had for $1,700. Now, I gather, the difference in market price is much wider.

Not that it's relevant, but I personally prefer the tone of my 30M. It seems more focused and controllable than the 10Ms I've owned.
 
#25 ·
I wish that I would have heard him play it. There apparently is a photo somewhere that shows him with the sax in a band in the Baltimore, MD area before WWII. That would be a cool photo to display with the sax. Unfortunately, it isn't clear where it is or who has it.

As far as what I'm going to do, I'd like to buy my sister out but a minimum of $2K for her share is a good bit of change these days. I will need to think long and hard about it. I've put her off for a while so I can do research on the sax and mouthpieces.

Thanks to all who replied. You're a great group.

John
 
#29 ·
As far as what I'm going to do, I'd like to buy my sister out but a minimum of $2K for her share is a good bit of change these days.
Then offer a grand or trade her something for it. Sure, getting a horn like this for $2K out of pocket would be a no-brainer for a player... but you're not going to play it, and either is she. Actually, it's kinda sad that it might sit on a shelf somewhere as a sort of museum piece. But your best sale would be to a collector, and that's probably what they'd do with it. But even if you list it for sale, the market is terrible these days and it ain't a VI and it ain't a Silversonic with pearls. You might get $4k in a private sale. Or it could sit unsold at $5K. Though it appears to have its original finish at first glance, you never know what a closer inspection might reveal. Then all bets would be off.

Offer a grand and see what comes of it.
 
#26 ·
I mentioned the clarinet that was in this case in my first post here and so I put a post over in Doubling-Clarinet about it. Based on a Google search it isn't much of a clarinet but differs in that it isn't metal like most from this German maker. The mouthpiece is a Selmer and could actually be a an old (and good?) one but I need someone who knows to tell me that so please check it out if you're a clarinet player too. Thanks!

John
 
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