[motteatoj]

I got this notion in my head to collect the entire set of Conn M series horns with the pentagon 'naked lady' engraving.
I know this will be a loooooong project, and I am ok with that.
It started when i got my 6M, and I was looking at it vs. my Conn 40B Vocabell silver trumpet, with all its amazing Art Deco engraving compared to the 6Ms.

So now, there are three, and I think i can call it a collection...
A 6M, 8M & 10M, for now.
They all play really amazing!

Lots more to go, but many years to do it in to find just the right horns.
Looking for tranny to just into the war, RTH, Naked Lady engraving, really cosmetically & mechanically sound examples, so I will wait and be picky, but here is the start...

 

[ZootTheSim]

Beautiful triplets! I hope others with similar collections will post pics too. Could use some sax porn right about now.

 

[Dr G]

These should be on the Silver Bells thread if not already there. Sweet!

 

[motteatoj]

These should be on the Silver Bells thread if not already there. Sweet!

Just acquired two of them so will add to that now!
Thanks for the reminder Dr. G

 

[bruce bailey]

Get a silver Conn Chu soprano to go with those....outstanding sopranos!
Glad to see someone else as crazy as myself (40+ saxes).

 

[GaSax]

Great looking saxophones you got there.

 

[Kenneth]

Beautiful trio, the 10M looks especially fine.

I like your wall decorations too!

Thanks for sharing and keep safe,
Kenneth

 

[turf3]

It looks like the C melody has the Lady engraving? There can't be many of those. Next challenge would be to find a soprano with the engraving; I have seen photos, but they must also be quite rare.

 

[motteatoj]

It looks like the C melody has the Lady engraving? There can't be many of those. Next challenge would be to find a soprano with the engraving; I have seen photos, but they must also be quite rare.

Indeed it does. From what I'm told there are less than 20 in existence (or ever made)!
The sopranos are rare as well, as is the bass, but they all exist in silver and with the last engraving.
Like I said above, this will take time, lots of it. And good timing too.
Just missed out on a 4M curvy before I had the funds!
It's a waiting game.

 

[Grumps]

It looks like the C melody has the Lady engraving? There can't be many of those.

That threw me for a loop as well. Did not know they existed.

John, what's the serial number range for that C melody?

 

[zapatista]

Looking at the Conn documents on saxophone.org....catalogs from the 30's and they were offering 8M's (C Melodies) with split bells until at least 1938. Page 21 in the publication/pg. 22 as presented in the document scan. To find a 00 finish 8M with a 280k serial number. What a great find that would be for Grumps...he could die a happy zombie.

https://www.saxophone.org/museum/publications/id/128

 

[Grumps]

 

[motteatoj]

That threw me for a loop as well. Did not know they existed.

John, what's the serial number range for that C melody?

243K, which puts it at '30-'31, so 'technically' a tranny, but it fit my critera for the collection (silver, RTH, naked lady engraving, ~250-3105K s/ns).
The 10M is 311K, but was in such good condition and just overhauled i couldn't pass it up.

For the 8M, there are later serial numbers out there, but like I said, less than about 20 as I understand it.
I also have a beautiful NWII from about '23 that I cannot decide if i want to keep or sell ,needs some leaks fixes after all this craziness.
I am so afraid to do too much with the 8M as it is essentially MINT and couldn't get any 'newer' if you tried, so may just keep it under wraps to preserve its rarity and condition.

 

[turf3]

If you end up with a complete set (curved sop, straight sop, alto, C mel, Tenor, baritone, bass) you'll really have something probably unique amongst saxophonists.

 

[motteatoj]

If you end up with a complete set (curved sop, straight sop, alto, C mel, Tenor, baritone, bass) you'll really have something probably unique amongst saxophonists.

That is what I am going for....but also going to add the 26M & 30M (how can I leave them out)....rare, but also in silver, I just missed a really nice 30M as well.....

So, the full list as I understand it that were made (or at least offered) as M series horns with Naked Lady Engraving....
2M C Soprano
4M Curvy Soprano
6M Alto
8M C-Mel
10M Tenor
12M Bari
14M Bass
18M Straight Sporano
20M Eb Soprano (Sopranino)
26M Alto Connquerer
30M Tenor Connquerer

Loooooooong way to go!

 

[Grumps]

One more to consider. A high pitched 10M (which was 11M before that designation became low A baritones). Think there was one pictured on the site not too long ago. And by the looks of it, you'd have to seek out an alto and bari in HP as well:

http://granlundwoodwind.com/connmodels.html

 

[motteatoj]

Yikes! I think I’ve got enough issues with the “even Ms”.
...unless they come up super cheap cause no one wants them!

 

[turf3]

That is what I am going for....but also going to add the 26M & 30M (how can I leave them out)....rare, but also in silver, I just missed a really nice 30M as well.....

So, the full list as I understand it that were made (or at least offered) as M series horns with Naked Lady Engraving....
2M C Soprano
4M Curvy Soprano
6M Alto
8M C-Mel
10M Tenor
12M Bari
14M Bass
18M Straight Sporano
20M Eb Soprano (Sopranino)
26M Alto Connquerer
30M Tenor Connquerer

Loooooooong way to go!

Although all of these might theoretically have been available, I suspect that if you went to order a C soprano in 1936 you would have gotten a new old stock fully assembled horn that would have been sitting in the case (with old style engraving) since 1927 or whenever. Things like the C soprano or nino were probably only built new upon receipt of an order if none were hiding in stock; and I would suspect the factory might well not have accepted orders for 1 unit of something they hadn't built in 10 years. But that's just speculation on my part.

 

[motteatoj]

Yikes! I think I’ve got enough issues with the “even Ms”.
...unless they come up super cheap cause no one wants them!

 

[motteatoj]

Turf3, no doubt very true.

That will be part of this journey.
The Bari will be the next “easiest” albeit pricey piece.
After that it’s rarer and rarer and may mean earlier engraving as temporary to permanent “placeholders”