Conn 10M Tenor Saxophone 311xxx Near Mint Silver

Description

If you read around on this site you will see that I have a very high opinion of vintage Conn saxophones. Conn made AMAZING saxophones during its prime years of 1925-1945, during which time the Conn factory was the largest (and arguably best) musical instrument factory in the world. The professional models of these “prewar” Conns are extremely well-made, and they are simply a joy to play. This horn is a pro Conn “Artist” 10M tenor saxophone that is in just about as pristine condition as a person is likely to find. It has nearly all of its original silver plate finish, and it has beautiful hand engraving on the bell, featuring the famous “naked-lady” portrait. This horn still has its original factory pads and factory setup, even the warranty card, and the original case is still very nice, though you might want to add a protective, modern case for safe shipping.

It’s a gorgeous horn in the prime serial range for a Conn 10M. When they are this clean, with original pads, you know that you are getting the experience of what one of these really should be like.

The sound of a good Conn tenor is different from any modern saxophone. It can be smooth and velvety like Lester Young, but also focused and straight-ahead like Dexter Gordon on Go. The keywork is very fast, and the intonation is very good. When properly setup, these horns are ALIVE with a big, resonant voice and a body tube that vibrates in your hands. This free vibration is a consequence of the excellent build quality that leaves these horns free from tension and binding in the keywork, and free to resonate. I recommend these horns very highly to anyone looking for a great tenor sound who is willing to work with the Conn style keywork (very comfortable and “modern” but not “Selmer-modern”, so you have to learn!). You do not often see these 70+ year old horns in this kind of condition, so get one now before they disappear!