Conn Transitional Tenor Saxophone 253xxx Overhauled!

Description

If you read around on this site you will see that I have a very high opinion of vintage Conn saxophones. And I buy too many of them, but I just can’t help myself (In the few months, I have had SN#’s 247k, 250k, 251k, 252k, 253k, 254k, 257k etc). 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. Because Conn moved towards student saxophone production in the 50’s it can be initially a surprise to hear that the pre-war ones are really highest-quality, but it is nevertheless quite true.

This horn is a “transitional” Conn 10M tenor, meaning that it has features of both the previous “New Wonder II” model, and the subsequent “Artist” 10M tenor. These “transitional” Conns are my personal favorites as players, because they have a HUUUGE sound, lots of resonance, and they also benefit from some improvements in keywork that are shared with the later horns.

This is a gorgeous horn in the prime serial range for a Conn transitional. It has a fresh, high-quality overhaul with all new pads, corks, felts and rollers, done by Dan Hansen of Katy, TX. Dan’s work is detail oriented and very good. The only past repairs are the resoldered post by the side Bb key, and a few small dents removed from the back of the bow. That’s pretty minimal for an 80 year old saxophone! Conn didn’t lacquer their horns at the factory until slightly later than this, from what I have seen, so this horn is probably a “first lacquer” example, which would have been done by the dealer who first sold it. More than that is hard to say on the lacquer. The original neck is in great shape and plays really well. This horn is in pretty clean physical condition, and with the fresh overhaul, it is in top playing condition for many years to come.

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 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. The transitional tenors really really vibrate. 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. You do not often see these year-old horns in this kind of condition, let alone in turn-key playing condition, so get one now and start blowing away your friends with your amazing vintage Conn.