Conn

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• Sold Out

  *Conn F Mezzo Soprano Saxophone 213894 Silver Plate Overhauled Very Good Condition

  $ 7,500
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  Conn (Holton) Bass Saxophone Good Playing Condition Original Silver Plate CLEAN P22298

  $ 7,000

  Extremely good price on this beautiful Conn BASS Saxophone that comes in good playing condition! This is a gigging bass sax that sounds excellent and feels great too.

  You seldom see a vintage Bass sax in good condition in this price range. The price is lower because it’s on consignment and the owner got a good deal on it back in the day. Also because it says Holton on the bell, though it’s built by Conn with possibly a few Holton touches to the aesthetics. This horn is in good playing condition on current pads. Not completely overhauled, but it is easy to play. Very few past repairs, and very little dent work, which is quite remarkable for any vintage bass. This is a great deal, and someone should grab it and start having some fun. Bass is fun even if you have a smaller frame, because you can (and should) put it on a floor stand and play it without any weight on your shoulders. It’s also fun because you can rock out on the bass lines of tunes without feeling like you have to take a technical solo. It adds a lot. Look below for one of my favorite classic SNL sketches with Steve Martin featuring a bass sax in the band.
• Sold Out

  Conn 10M Tenor Saxophone 306843 Original Lacquer Pre-War

  Nice original lacquer freshly-overhauled pre-WWII Conn 10M Tenor Saxophone. These are the best of the vintage Conn tenors! The price includes the full, high-end OVERHAUL, which was just completed. An overhaul (people always ask) means that everything that can be changed gets done, and done correctly: all new pads, corks, and felts, professional setup, key fit checked and improved, neck fit checked and improved, full disassembly, cleaning, all new oil, lots of play testing. This horn turned out exceptionally well, and plays really easily and beautifully throughout the range. The tone is medium dark, wide, but with more focus than earlier Conns, and a bigger, wider sonic pallette than any modern saxophone. The palm keys stay full and consistent with the rest of the horn. The low register whispers out at a saturated pianissimo whether subtoning or not. Intonation is excellent, keywork is comfortable. If you’re coming from a modern horn, there’s a couple of weeks’ adjustment period, but then you are back up to full speed playing wise, in most people’s experience. A nice, orignial, overhauled 10M is pretty hard to find, and this one is one of the really good ones. It has only minor past repairs, like a resoldered octave key. Great condition, and plays like a new horn.
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  Conn 10M Tenor Saxophone Naked Lady Rolled Tone Holes Original Lacquer Good Pads 322571

  $ 3,450
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  Conn 10M Tenor Saxophone Prewar Overhauled Outstanding Condition 271884

  $ 6,000
• Sold Out

  Conn 26M VIII Connqueror Alto Saxophone 295759 Pre-War Original Lacquer Excellent Condition

  $ 3,650

  This is a rare and beautiful Conn 26M “Connqueror” alto saxophone, from one of the last pre-war batches, with the “VIII” stamp on both the body and the neck.  This saxophone sports what is arguably the finest craftsmanship of any model of saxophone ever made, with sterling silver key touches on the Eb/C cluster, the side F#, the side Bb-C-E keys, and the palm keys.  The mechanism is complex but extremely well thought-out, and a meticulous and thoughtful repairer can overhaul these so that they last for a decade or more per overhaul with only minor adjustments to the perma-just feet over time- just as Conn intended.  These saxophones are also beautiful, with a particularly elaborate version of the famous “naked lady” found on Conn 6M/10M saxophones on the bell.
  
  This particular instrument is in extremely good condition with original finish.  The engraving, which is very detailed and is particularly dense, is a good indicator of how much use these saxophones have seen, with the lacquer around the cuts tending to be the first to wear on the saxophone.  The lacquer around the engraving on this saxophone is fully intact, which combined with only light evidence of playing wear elsewhere on the horn- such as small bit of lacquer wear near the thumbrest about the size of a pea, and some small scratches here and there- leads me to believe this saxophone was played for at least a few years by a meticulous and caring owner.  The neck is in excellent condition, showing no evidence of past repair or pulldown.

  
  The rollers are fully intact and in perfect condition, and the pearls and sterling silver touchpieces are largely unworn.  The keys are tight and the horn plays well on what seems to be an older repad, though the it looks to have been played little and/or taken very good care of since the repad.  The neck and body are both marked with the VIII stamp, which is viewed as the most desirable of the pre-war M series saxophones, although theories vary widely as to what exactly the VIII stamp means, the most popular of which being that the neck had a slightly different taper that intonates better.  The microtuner on the is fully functional, leak-free, and smooth. The body shows so evidence of past damage or major repairs/resolders of any kind.

  All in all, this is a beautiful and rare saxophone in uncommonly fine condition, with a unique mechanism and design that took extreme skill to manufacture- skill that only really existed for a short time, at Conn in the 1930s.  They didn’t make many of these, and there probably won’t be anything like them ever made again.
  
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  Conn 6m Transitional Art Deco Alto Saxophone 249081 Gorgeous Silver Plate 1931

  $ 1,950

  The Conn 6M transitional takes many forms, and this particular original silver plated example is from 1932.  It features art deco engraving (a style which only appears for a few years), left hand bell keys, 6M style keywork everywhere except the left hand pinky table, which is New Wonder II style.  This is the last iteration before the transitional becomes nearly identical to the 6M, and to my ears these have a bit more of the big tone of the New Wonder II than the transitionals just after it- and in fact around this serial range is my favorite of the transitionals, playing-wise.  

  This horn plays a bit on some very old pads, but it will need a repad.  Physically it is in extremely good condition, with no dents or dings or evidence of past repairs that I can see.  The neck is undamaged and shows no signs of past pulldown, and the microtuner is free and functional. The silver plate is thick and unworn, and will shine up unbelievably well, if my past experience is any guide (see Matt Stohrer’s guide on polishing silver saxophones to see what I mean).  It comes with its original case in good condition and its original warranty card. These are great altos, built by the finest American saxophone craftsmen in their heyday, and a super clean one like this is a great place to start if you are looking for a fantastic vintage horn that will last you a lifetime for less of an overall investment than most any new horn of even middling quality that you can buy today.
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  Conn 6M Transitional Art Deco Burnished Gold Plate Alto Saxophone The Best!

  $ 3,950

  Price just lowered!!

  This is one of those super-rare Conn alto saxophones from when Conn was at the height of it’s manufacturing expertise. Conn had the most advanced saxophone manufacturing facility in the world, and it set the standard for quality for all other manufacturers. This alto would have been a special, top-of-the-line model. It has the most elaborate thick burnished finish that is also by far the most time consuming to apply. (Ever burnished anything by hand?) This is original (real, actual) gold plate. (People often think this can’t be real gold, but hey, welcome to the 1930’s where both gold and labor were cheap, and American craftspeople were the best in the world! And there’s the most desirable engraving pattern here also, or at least one of them. For just about a year and a half, Conn did this deluxe ‘art-deco’ geometrical engraving style on its nicer instruments. There’s a lot to see here – it’s a masterpiece of hand engraving that is no longer done at this level by any manufacturer today.

  Conns from the early 1930’s are my absolute favorite There was a short burst of gold plate examples mixed in with other horns between 238k-252k, and they are the best of the best in my book.
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  Conn 6M VIII Alto Saxophone Pre-War Original Lacquer Excellent Condition 282496

  $ 2,100

  Full description coming, but this is a beautiful Conn 6M VIII alto with great original lacquer. This is pre-war, original pads, needs a good overhaul, but besides that, man, this is the one you want.
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  Conn 6M VIII Alto Saxophone Pre-War Original Lacquer Very Good Condition Plays Well 294775

  $ 1,950

  This pre-war (from the American perspective, meaning prior to the government order than restricted the manufacture of musical instruments along with anything else made out of brass) Conn 6M was built in 1941, and is the desirable “VIII” version, with the VIII stamp on both the body and neck.  

  It is in very good physical condition with original lacquer, no dents, and no major or minor past repairs or resolders, with the exception of a repaired dent on the bowguard, which is visible in the photos.  It has what appears to be a recent repad, or perhaps an old repad that wasn’t played much after it was done, and Conn Res-o-pads were used. It plays well with a big voice, and although to my professionally-obligated-to-be-picky tastes it is not quite as astoundingly slick under the fingers at these feel when they have been overhauled as the best repairers can do, it is definitely playable as-is and will beat the pants off of most any challenger, especially modern imports that cost a lot more and give you a lot less than this fine example of vintage American saxophone craftsmanship.  
  
  Oddly, the lacquer on the neck is more worn than the rest of the horn- although physically the neck is in immaculate condition with no dents or past pulldowns.  In the past when I have seen this the culprit is usually a homemade neck bag that was lacquer-unfriendly, or perhaps the owner had a habit during rests to hold the horn with the neck in his hand.  Given the lack of wear elsewhere on the horn, I’d guess a neck bag was the culprit here, although I can’t be certain. But again, though the lacquer itself is mostly gone from the neck (and the neck alone), the neck tube is flawless and there are no signs of past repairs of any kind.  

  The microtuner is free and functional, and all of the original rollers and present and moving freely.  The engraving is crisp and clear with no lacquer loss, and the pearls seems largely unworn. The keywork is tight and the body is straight.  This is a very clean example of the most desirable vintage of the most desirable variant of the Conn 6M, and it can be yours for less than a new Yamaha YAS-26.  
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  Conn 94M DJH Modified Tenor Saxophone Keilwerth Made Excellent Pro Tenor!

  $ 1,800
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  Conn C Soprano Original GOLD Plate Rare! New Wonder 1 143xxx with C Mpc 117193

  $ 2,950
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  Conn Connstellation Alto Saxophone 28M Excellent Condition Original Lacquer 338006

  $ 2,750

  The Conn 28M will always have a special place in my heart.  It represents the last time one of the great American saxophone manufacturing companies tried something wholly new, and although the horn never really found a market and not many were made, they are fantastic instruments that besides being unique and historically interesting, play *really* well.  

  These saxophones were redesigned, utilizing many ideas from Allen Loomis (Conn’s resident saxophone visionary) and Hugh Loney, with input from Santy Runyon, with the aim of creating a saxophone that had extremely slick keywork and a very balanced scale.  The keywork, although familiar under the fingers with regard to placement and layout, is mechanically quite different from any other saxophone and has been built from the ground up with the goal of reducing mechanical friction. There are no pivot screws anywhere on this saxophone, instead the long rods have a very long hinge rod with the middle machined down so only the ends touch.   The G# has a very unique torsion mechanism to provide a G# feel that is smooth throughout the range. The side keys are designed so that the angle and distance of travel is the same for each key. There are adjustment screws on the upper and lower stacks as well as the left hand pinky table. The bell keys are on the left side, and the pants guard/bell keyguard is a large acrylic plate that was designed with the idea in mind of allowing the horn to vent properly regardless of playing position or clothing choice.  The octave mechanism has three pips (octave vents), one on the neck and two on the body, which has the end result of a very clear middle D and no hiss on the A or G#, as well as excellent intonation. The keywork in general is very light, and the pearls are larger than usual for Conn and a little flatter. The overall feeling is of a very light horn, extremely slick, easy to play, excellent intonation, and very even throughout.

  The one downfall of this design is the pants guard, which is fairly brittle and often broken.  Although nowadays there are excellent replacements available, this one has its original guard is about as good condition as they come, fully present with only a few small cracks radiating from around the screw holes, which is common.  However none of the cracks are large and it is not broken in two or missing any pieces, which is not common! And believe it or not, I have experience shipping these so you can rest easy knowing I will remove it for shipping, wrap it separately, and it will arrive to you in good condition.  

  This instrument plays quite well on older pads, with a strong, moderately bright, cheerful voice.  The clarity of the tone is notable, and it is a lot of fun to play with a unique look and feel and timbre that would lend itself easily to classical, big band, or small group jazz.  The lacquer is original and nearly flawless, with no evidence of past repairs or dents or resolders of any kind. It is also a unique and interesting piece of saxophone history, in exceptional condition, and whoever owns this instrument next will have a lot of fun being its steward for the next generation.  
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  Conn Connstellation Alto Saxophone 28M Very Good Condition Original Lacquer 335771

  $ 2,350

  You could be forgiven for thinking that because there are two original lacquer, very good condition Conn 28M “Connstellation” saxophones on my website at the moment that these are somewhat common, but I assure you that is not the case!   I will copy and paste the general statements about the 28M from the other description, with the unique description of this particular instrument’s physical and playing condition at the bottom.
  
  The Conn 28M will always have a special place in my heart.  It represents the last time one of the great American saxophone manufacturing companies tried something wholly new, and although the horn never really found a market and not many were made, they are fantastic instruments that besides being unique and historically interesting, play *really* well.  

  These saxophones were redesigned, utilizing many ideas from Allen Loomis (Conn’s resident saxophone visionary) and Hugh Loney, with input from Santy Runyon, with the aim of creating a saxophone that had extremely slick keywork and a very balanced scale.  The keywork, although familiar under the fingers with regard to placement and layout, is mechanically quite different from any other saxophone and has been built from the ground up with the goal of reducing mechanical friction. There are no pivot screws anywhere on this saxophone, instead the long rods have a very long hinge rod with the middle machined down so only the ends touch.   The G# has a very unique torsion mechanism to provide a G# feel that is smooth throughout the range. The side keys are designed so that the angle and distance of travel is the same for each key. There are adjustment screws on the upper and lower stacks as well as the left hand pinky table. The bell keys are on the left side, and the pantsguard/bell keyguard is a large acrylic plate that was designed with the idea in mind of allowing the horn to vent properly regardless of playing position or clothing choice.  The octave mechanism has three pips (octave vents), one on the neck and two on the body, which has the end result of a very clear middle D and no hiss on the A or G#, as well as excellent intonation. The keywork in general is very light, and the pearls are larger than usual for Conn and a little flatter. The overall feeling is of a very light horn, extremely slick, easy to play, excellent intonation, and very even throughout.

  The one downfall of this design is the pantsguard, which is fairly brittle and often broken.  Although nowadays there are excellent replacements available, this one has its original guard in decent condition.  There is one repaired crack (visible in the photos) and the common small cracks radiating from some of the screw holes.  I would anticipate, absent any further damage, that this keyguard will last and should not present any problems- although I will furnish you with contact information for obtaining a well made (and somewhat more durable) replacement should you ever need it.  And believe it or not, I have experience shipping these so you can rest easy knowing I will remove it for shipping, wrap it separately, and it will arrive to you in good condition.

  This instrument plays quite decently on what appears to be an older repad with plastic domed resonators, with a strong, moderately bright, cheerful voice.  The clarity of the tone is notable, and it is a lot of fun to play with a unique look and feel and timbre that would lend itself easily to classical, big band, or small group jazz.  The lacquer is original and in good condition with some playing wear and a few stand scratches near the low C#, with no evidence of past repairs or dents or resolders of any kind. It is also a unique and interesting piece of saxophone history, in very good condition, and whoever owns this instrument next will have a lot of fun being its steward for the next generation.  
• Sold Out

  Conn Eagle Baritone Saxophone Mouthpiece D73

  $ 350

  This is a Conn Eagle mouthpiece for Bari. It has a .073 tip opening, no baffle, curved side walls, and a large round chamber. For you philatelists out there, it looks like this piece was stamped with the logo twice. The shank is slightly discolored, but this piece is in excellent condition.
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  Conn Early 10M Tenor Fresh Overhaul Original Lacquer 269461 BIG Player

  $ 4,250

  This is this kind of Conn 10M tenor saxophone that makes people ditch their Selmers and Yamahas. Keywork is comfortable, intonation is excellent, and the tone is to die for. Wide, dark, but still punchy and with a good amount of focus. Palm key tone is gorgeous and full, not a bit thin. Priced to sell quickly. Only one available.
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  Conn New Wonder 1 Alto Original Burnished Gold Plate Portrait 84738

  $ 2,950

  There are a ton of beautiful altos on the site, but this one stands out from the crowd. It is the heaviest gold plate finish that Conn offered – basically sheets of thick (actual) gold rubbed onto the brass to give you a finish that will last for centuries with minimal maintenance required. Both gold and skilled labor were cheap back in 1920’s America and Conn could afford to invest an extra couple of days’ labor in applying all this gold by hand-burnishing, and engraving such an elaborate scene on the saxophone, and still make a profit. These days, it would be literally impossible to reproduce saxophones like this and market them. They would cost far too much. Just a thin layer of modern gold plate costs like $3500 to do.

  So this horn is something very special. Not just as a piece of art, or a piece of exceptional craftsmanship, but as a musical instrument as well. William Morris, the influential artist, famously encouraged us to “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, and believe to be beautiful.” This alto sax just wails as a player, and definitely fits both requirements nearly as well as a saxophone could. The engraving features (probably) Apollo, god of music, with his harp, and an extremely ornate C.G. Conn logo and decoration.

  This alto has very good pads, and plays extremely easily on the current, high-quality overhaul. It feels nice and snappy under the fingers, and the pad work is very good, flat and ‘dry’ feeling, which is a sign of high-quality work with rolled tone holes. The tone is pure 1920’s jazz power: wide, smooth, warm, and dark, but very projecting. This horn vibrates under your fingers even at moderate volumes, and is super fun and responsive to play. Low register is easy. Intonation is good, though you can easily bend notes around also. The keywork is vintage, so it will feel weird if you’re coming from a Yamaha, at least at first. But the tone and beauty you get in exchange makes it well worth it.

  Only one available!
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  Conn New Wonder 1 C Melody Saxophone Playable Insanely Cheap 79645

  $ 195
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  Conn New Wonder 1 Tenor Exceptionally Fine Player Tunes Great Fresh Overhaul BAM Case 67890

  $ 3,200

  Do you want the biggest, darkest, most spread and room-filling vintage Conn tone possible? Do you want a gorgeous vintage Conn with original silver plate that looks almost new? Do you want it with a freshly-done high end ($1k+) overhaul, with high-end metal resonators? Do you want a premium $350 BAM tenor case included that fits the horn beautifully and will keep it in top adjustment?

  Well, look no further. That’s what this is. Any you should buy it. Right now. You won’t be sorry. I didn’t call it an exceptionally fine player for nothing.
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  Conn Pan-American Baritone Saxophone New Wonder II Style Recent Full Overhaul!

  $ 3,000

  Well here’s something of a unicorn.  A well overhauled vintage baritone in good shape without any gremlins hiding around the corner, and although it has the 12M body tube AND is keyed to high F, because it is a Pan-American (Conn’s second line brand) it is cheap, baritonely speaking.  Plus, this horn is just so fun to play. The overhaul was done with black kangaroo skin pads and domed resonators, the key heights are correct (12Ms like fairly open key heights) and even the neck tenon receiver has been replaced with a very well done custom replacement- which is amazing and excellent because those neck receivers are a major pain point, almost always leaking or cracked and not easy to replace well and impossible to replace cheap.  

  Physically, the horn has seen a good bit of use and has the scratches and dings to prove it, but it has no major damage, the neck is in good shape, the keywork is tight, and its ready to play reliably for years out of the box.  The lacquer looks to be original, though I find it harder to tell with Pan-Americans since they sprayed it over the engraving a lot of the time. At least it certainly doesn’t look to have been buffed to my eyes. The toneholes are straight, not rolled, but other than that this is basically a Conn 12M and it plays just like one- that is to say with an enormous, rich tone that makes playing a joy and listening a treat.  

  Curiously, at some point in the past, somebody installed adjustment screws on the bar for the C# and F# in the upper and lower stacks, like a modern Yamaha.  It was well done, and would not have been cheap. Combined with the neck tenon receiver replacement and professional quality overhaul, the person who owned this before I did clearly cared a great deal about it and spent a lot of well-aimed money with a talented repairer making it an exceptional baritone- and they succeeded.  This baritone is worth more than it will sell for, and the next owner is a very lucky person.
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  York made by Conn Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece D83

  $ 50

  This is a York alto saxophone mouthpiece made by Conn. It has a .054 tip opening, a concave baffle, curved side walls, and a large round chamber. This piece should look great after a cleaning.