Description
Conn F Mezzo in unbelievably great shape! This is the nicest one that I have seen condition wise. Even more perfect than my personal F Mezzo. It just needs an overhaul and to be polished a bit, and it will look just like that.
In the heyday of saxophone manufacturing in the USA, C.G. Conn planned to offer a full family of saxophones in Bb and Eb (as we have today) and also in C and F. This is one of the rare F alto saxophones made by Conn in those days. It is smaller than an alto, and larger than a curved soprano. It is its own fully new design– carefully thought-out and not simply an ad hoc creation out of spare parts. It looks like a New Wonder II, but it already features same side bell keys like the later Artist series horns like the 6M’s.
Cosmetically, this horn has no dents or dings, and no past repairs! It includes the beautiful original case also. It is in original condition and will need a repad. This includes a great F Mezzo mouthpiece made by Babbitt. After a repad, the silver plate will look just like my personal F Mezzo pictured here:
When these are overhauled they are strong players with a sound that is really difficult to describe – it’s like if you managed to take the distill down the essence of a Conn tenor and squeeze it into a horn that sounds more like a curved soprano. James Carter plays one on Chasin’ the Gypsy. That is worth a listen. Kadri Golpanath plays one he got from me, and you can find him on YouTube playing it in several videos. Big and wide like any other late 20’s Conn, but it definitely sounds nothing like an alto, even though it is only one whole step higher. Much reedier and more exotic sounding. This is a must-have for any serious saxophone collector, and it is also a horn that deserves to be recorded and played more widely.
There is certainly only one of these available! There were only a few hundred made, so if you buy one, then welcome to a small, exclusive club of F Mezzo owners!
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