For those of you who have been following this story, I FINALLY released a video introducing the horn I ended up with, a 1931 Conn Transitional, with detailed information on modifications I requested to make it more comfortable to play. You can see it here: th-cam.com/video/5PMwfL3Wm7E/w-d-xo.html
Yeah, I'm 16 and got my first professional saxophone last year. I want to the shop to expecting to get a Mk VI, which they had a massive selection of. But when I got there, I found this old Conn 10m that had definitely been a players horn, with lacquer even completely worn away from the thumb hook. It played better than all of the VI's there, so I left that shop with maybe not the prettiest looking horn, but the one with the most beautiful voice. I have played many more Yamaha's, Yani's, Selmer, King, etc. But I still love my Conn best of all.
Wow that's quite impressive that you have such clear ideas at this age. When I was looking for my first professional saxophone I don't think anything could have changed my mind about needing a Mark VI. There were just too many of my heroes who'd made their mark with that horn. Congratulations on trusting your instincts and best of luck for the future!
@@sequoyahcisneros8719 Such wisdom at a young age I bet you are a very good player I love Conns also I have a New Wonder that sounds amazing and a 10 M that needs some work but I'm sure it will sing also , all the best to you
I’ve got a 1935 King Zephyr that will put a Selmer Mark IV to shame... incidentally Dexter Gordon played a Conn 10M for most of his life. He switched to a Selmer Mark IV in 1965.... King made radar equipment and fuses for the military during the Second World War . Conn and Buescher made altimeters for the military....
I haven’t played sax in ten years. Been a banjo player, ukes, everything but a woodwind. Today, I just got a 62 King Zephyr in perfect condition and I’lm watching every saxophone video I can find. I do feel a love for the King that you played. Hitting the low stuff with a pro vintage instrument is a thing of beauty. Nice video. Sorry about your loss but attachments are what can hurt you greatly, according to my Zen learning. Be blessed. Thanks. Rob in the Virgin Islands.
King Zephyrs are sensitive to key heights when it comes to intonation. Another thing that can give them bad intonation is a mouthpiece with a raised baffle or small chamber. With correct key heights and the right type of mouthpiece the intonation issues disappear.
Good to know Nathan. I found it an interesting horn timbrally, but just didn't love it enough to pursue it. I ended up with a Conn Transitional, hope to post a video of that soon. Plesae consider subscribing if you'd like to stay up to date.
True, all true. I have a very late Zephy r. I repadded it and adjusted key heights for intonation. I play it with a Morgan Jazz ML (medium large) chamber mouthpiece. The neck is long, almost protruding into the mouthpiece chamber. That's why you can't skimp on chamber size. I am not in the Old Horn Cult. I just hit a bad spell and had to sell my expensive horns.
Really liked hearing the history behind the instruments, what was going on at the time they were built and how that effected them. Could be a good theme for a nice short documentary. All sounded great to me, partial to the Conn M10 though. Thanks for posting.
Yeah, I played a lot of 10Ms that year, but none of them was on the level of the one in this video. It belongs to a friend (whose main tenor is a Buescher THC 400), and I tried to talk him into selling it to me, but he refused (and rightly so). Pretty nice to have a backup horn of that level!
I don't know if it's because Dexter Gordon played one that I'm biased towards it, but damn I love what the 10M is capable of. I wonder what's the secret that made them so special.
I made an embarassing mistake, the first saxophone is actually a Conn 'New Wonder I', not a transitional model. I guess next time I should do my research before I make the video :-P
don't worry about that! possiamo dire che sia un modello si transizione tra il serie 1 e il serie 2, l'anno è a cavallo tra le due produzioni (1924), e non è da escludere l'eventuale presenza di caratteristiche ibride....non sarebbe una rarità, bellissimo video, grazie!
Grazie Francesco. Sono curiosissimo ora di provare un serie 2, o di provare un serie 1 in stato decente. Se hai altri suggerimenti scrivi pure, devo fare la lista perche' vado da un collezionista fra qualche settimana e ci sara' l'imbarazzo della scelta.
beh, io sono solo un meccanico, quindi sul suono posso parlare solo di gusto personale, a me il suono datato 1936 piace moltissimo: per i Conn la produzione era estremamente discontinua in termini di timbro, pertanto se un n.w. serie 2 o 1 che sia ha un sono davvero pazzesco può capitare che il fratello con matricola lievemente differente abbia una sonorità diversa, magari meno accattivante, quindi meglio cercare l'esemplare singolo e non il range di produzione; anche l'intonazione è un pò scostante e non è detto che quelli più recenti siano più intonati di quelli più vecchi... se realizzi un video anche con i super action e con il buescher sarebbe super; se non li hai mai provati, trovare un The Martin Committee serie3 (art pepper ne suonava la versione contralto) potrebbe essere molto interessante...
Selmer later improved the crook on the Mark VI tenor to make the bell notes better. I don't know when. That info might have disappeared when Ralph Morgan died. He told me there were, I think he said, four models of Mark VI's.
I prefer the Conn 10M myself, but I'm a bit biased. I own both a 10M and a 6M. I sold my Mark VI alto and tenor after I played Conns, and never looked back. They have so much character and flexibility of timbre. Nice phrasing, by the way.
I used to have a Mark 7, I absolutely loved it..Sadly I sold it. Now I was ready once again for a pro tenor, the Mark 7s were running at the cheapest 3K and nowadays I'm always afraid of buying a fake.. Anyways, due to those reasons, after long and hard thinking, I got me a pre-war 10M.. It's in the shop but, man what a sound.. Totally get what you mean about the voice.. Just gotta get used to that pinky cluster... It's a great horn. I bet you're getting a Conn this time around.. Thanks for the video
I haven't played many Mark VIIs, and have heard bad things about them, but I played one last summer and thought it was great! I think if you find a good one it can be a great alternative to a Mark VI. I did end up going with a Conn (1931 transitional model), and it's a very nice horn. The pinky cluster is definitely clunky compared to Mark VI and newer (or even super-balanced action), but you can find ways to make it work, and it's worth it to me for the response and SOUND...
Sounds good ! I had a Zephyr Alto from the late 40’s …might have been referred to as a Zephyr “Special” right before the Super 20 was introduced! What’s your mouthpiece set up ?
I was kind of taken by your assessment of the Zephyr, "hard to control the intonation." I'm sure the Super 20's improved in terms of intonation. I have a late 10M, beautiful finish. Intonation is never an issue. Just a further word on intonation; one of the problems you want to avoid is intonation issues. I don't think I'll ever buy a Zephyr, thanks for the info!
Thanks for your comment Thomas. If you are interested in the Zephyr, I think you should try one before deciding against it. You may already know this, but maintenance (especially key heights) and mouthpiece choice can really alter the intonation of an instrument. Some commenters below have mentioned this as well. I think if I'd really loved the color or feeling of the Zephyr, I might have made the effort to work all the other factors out.
Hi.. Conn 10m has got a nice tone. The best there... Vintage saxophones are hard to compare...as you can get a good one or a bad one of the same model... I have played many selmers ...from old to new.. and they are all different... I play a Ref 54 Selmer. Great horn.. but it’s also in the set up.. You need a good tech... great video..👍
Thanks! Yeah I really like the Conn 10M. I have had the chance to play 7 or 8 of these over the past few months, and this one is definitely the best out of all of them. I partially agree about the vintage instruments, definitely agree about the good tech. I guess I've found that you can get a lemon now and then, but I have to say that most of the Conns I've played from 1922-1939 (approximately) are at least very good. A good percentage is excellent and a handful are outstanding. I actually have found more variance in Mark VIs (some of which I thought were kind of crappy), but this is just my experience. I would add that many of the Conns I played were in various states of disrepair, so it was very hard to evaluate the low end of the instruments properly. I am currently trying out a Rampone & Cazzani. It's an Italian tenor from the 1940s which is absolutely unbelievable, a very special instrument. I will try to post a video soon. I also have appointments to try out a few Conn Transitional models and some New Wonder I and IIs. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and please subscribe to stay up to date!
Nice comparison. Thanks for posting. I am sorry to hear about your loss of your earlier sax in Italy. Must be a real pain. As a Conn player myself I may be a little biased. But I think in this clip the Selmer has a very nice focussed tone however sounds a bit more nasal and restricted as opposed to the 10M and the NW that seem to have a more open and more spread sound. But then again this can also be a mouthpiece thing. Or my personal preference. I need to add that besides a poor man's Selmer, a kohlert 57, I have never played a real Mark VI, so I can not attest how it feels. Coincidentally I happen to have both '36 10M and '24 NW horns too. I think they are killer horns if you can cope with the keywork. I see this '24' NW I as a sort of transitional model to the transitional era as it already has the 10M style palm keys design but not yet the nail file G#. Not sure if it should be considered a I or II.
Thanks for your comment Cool Jazz. I think this particular Mark VI is not an amazing instrument. It's not bad, but it's a little dull compared to what I remember of my own. I really like the NW, I'm hoping to find one that actually seals so I can see what it really feels like in the low register. For the moment it's probably the most fun to play for me, despite the primitive ergonomics, but the music I make doesn't depend too heavily on speed and mechanical precision anyway so I may be able to live with it if the acoustics are as amazing as they seem. I also recently tried a new, very affordable Taiwanese instrument which plays amazingly, I was really shocked. In some ways I think it was more fun than my Mark VI! But I am waiting to lay my cards on the table until I've had another chance to spend some more time with one ;-).
Nice Demo. I find what you say to be true. Those old Conns have such a singing quality. Get that New Wonder sealing, it's worth it. You may want to try out some early Buescher Aristocrat tenors. They tend to have what I like about a good Selmer and a good Conn. Kings for me are interesting but yes, wild pitch! I like the early ones tone wise, but could never play one live without losing my mind. Thanks for posting and good luck on your search.
Thanks a lot! I just bought a Conn Transitional. It needs an overhaul, but I think it's going to be good. I'll try to post a video of it soon. I feel like the Buescher Aristocrats are a little too primitive soundwise for what I need. I actually really like them, but feel they're less versatile, and that the NWIIs and Transitionals are a happy medium and a bit more elegant.
@@danielkinzelman7093, Interesting. I wound up feeling the exact opposite. I felt freed by the Buescher and limited by my Conn, like it was too primitive! Though if you get the right one, a transitional is near impossible to beat. I sold a 1930 Transitional last year that to me just wanted to be old, yet, my 1921 New Wonder seems to be able to do whatever I want. Anyway, so many great options! My Balanced Action is lovely too. Each one inspires me in a different way. Happy playing!
@@danielkinzelman7093 I have a 1925 NW I changed the thumb rest and will try to move the bis key but other than that I can get around very quickly on it and the sound is amazing! I can get used to the pinky table it's worth the sound, I also have a Selmer made in Taiwan a Soloist I'm told it was some kind of promotional horn and for $600 it is amazing but you just can't beat that old Conn sound IMHO best to you
Thanks @@1dotele , I bought a Conn Transitional (late NW II) and am having it overhauled now. They are moving the thumbrest and the bis Bb plus a bunch of other little stuff. When it's done I'll try to make a video showing where I ended up.
Put the money into the New Wonder. If you want a really great modern horn, get a Yanagisawa TWO2O unlacquered Bronze. Get it virgin from the factory. Not one that has been out on trial and played down. That is state of the art sax making I promise you.
That's good -- keep spreading the myth that Kings play out of tune. The earlier Zephyrs did have more problems in the intonation department, but by the time you get to the late 40s (the Zephyr Special and the subsequent Super 20) they could hold their own against anything else in that deparment. But that's good because it keeps the prices down on these amazing horns (though most folks apparently believe otherwise about the Super 20 since prices on those continue to shoot up and up.)
I'm not sure if this is an early or late Zephyr, but I had a pretty hard time playing it in tune. The other horns all felt much more comfortable in that regard, as did the Super 20s I played in this video: th-cam.com/video/MePYKixWdHg/w-d-xo.html
@@danielkinzelman7093 It's a very early one (1939?). By the time the Super 20 had come out (1947), both they and the Zephyrs made from that point had better intonation. You have to realize that the Zephyr continued to be produced concurrently with the Super 20 right up through the 1970s. Both models are essentially the same horn up to around 1958, except the Super 20 has better LH action. Otherwise, same horns. Same body tube. Same bell. Same neck dimensions. Everything. But around 1958 the Zephyr was cheapened to have nickel keys, and became more of a student horn. But I have played Zephyrs from the early to mid 50s that played and sounded better than Super 20s with full pearls from the same period.
I don't doubt it. I don't know Zephyrs well, but I will never forget the first time I played a Super 20, and they have the most amazing low notes I've ever encountered.
@JR Beckman I have a very late model Zephyr that I like a lot, except for the pinky table. The older ones are more expensive, I suppose because of a lot of mother of pearl and engraving.
Yeah you're probably right. But I really like my mouthpiece, and it's worked pretty well (IMHO) on all the other vintage saxophones I've tried. I think it might not have been a great example of a King, and also perhaps needed some TLC from a repairman.
@@danielkinzelman7093 it’s only a matter of time… If you’ve got the serial number and you’ve alerted every online potential source/stolen goods register then who knows🤞?
Grazie Federica, io continuo a guardare il vecchio Conn con gli occhi a forme di cuore, ma per il momento non e' molto suonabile. Il mio Mark VI era meglio di questo qua, ma rimane un bel strumento.
For those of you who have been following this story, I FINALLY released a video introducing the horn I ended up with, a 1931 Conn Transitional, with detailed information on modifications I requested to make it more comfortable to play. You can see it here: th-cam.com/video/5PMwfL3Wm7E/w-d-xo.html
Hi Daniel, Mate, I also play the Conn Transitional, mine is the 1932 , love it!!
Yeah, I'm 16 and got my first professional saxophone last year. I want to the shop to expecting to get a Mk VI, which they had a massive selection of. But when I got there, I found this old Conn 10m that had definitely been a players horn, with lacquer even completely worn away from the thumb hook. It played better than all of the VI's there, so I left that shop with maybe not the prettiest looking horn, but the one with the most beautiful voice. I have played many more Yamaha's, Yani's, Selmer, King, etc. But I still love my Conn best of all.
Wow that's quite impressive that you have such clear ideas at this age. When I was looking for my first professional saxophone I don't think anything could have changed my mind about needing a Mark VI. There were just too many of my heroes who'd made their mark with that horn. Congratulations on trusting your instincts and best of luck for the future!
@@sequoyahcisneros8719 Such wisdom at a young age I bet you are a very good player I love Conns also I have a New Wonder that sounds amazing and a 10 M that needs some work but I'm sure it will sing also , all the best to you
Finally I have a 10m (1959), has a beast sound, dark and power... finally I'm so happy!!!
I’ve got a 1935 King Zephyr that will put a Selmer Mark IV to shame... incidentally Dexter Gordon played a Conn 10M for most of his life. He switched to a Selmer Mark IV in 1965.... King made radar equipment and fuses for the military during the Second World War . Conn and Buescher made altimeters for the military....
Dexter switched to Selmer after his Conns were stolen in Paris
I haven’t played sax in ten years. Been a banjo player, ukes, everything but a woodwind. Today, I just got a 62 King Zephyr in perfect condition and I’lm watching every saxophone video I can find. I do feel a love for the King that you played. Hitting the low stuff with a pro vintage instrument is a thing of beauty. Nice video. Sorry about your loss but attachments are what can hurt you greatly, according to my Zen learning. Be blessed. Thanks. Rob in the Virgin Islands.
Thanks Rob. I definitely feel like in the long run this has worked out well for me.
Mine is a 1935 Conn 30M and it’s amazing to me how resonant and alive it feels when played.
King Zephyrs are sensitive to key heights when it comes to intonation. Another thing that can give them bad intonation is a mouthpiece with a raised baffle or small chamber. With correct key heights and the right type of mouthpiece the intonation issues disappear.
Good to know Nathan. I found it an interesting horn timbrally, but just didn't love it enough to pursue it. I ended up with a Conn Transitional, hope to post a video of that soon. Plesae consider subscribing if you'd like to stay up to date.
True, all true. I have a very late Zephy r. I repadded it and adjusted key heights for intonation. I play it with a Morgan Jazz ML (medium large) chamber mouthpiece. The neck is long, almost protruding into the mouthpiece chamber. That's why you can't skimp on chamber size. I am not in the Old Horn Cult. I just hit a bad spell and had to sell my expensive horns.
The old Conn’s get a beautiful sound ! I’d like to get one someday! I own a late model Mk VI that I’ve had for about 35 years or so !
Very nice video!
Really enjoyed it.
10M and VI were my favorites!
The last one is very close to my Tenor VI year.
Thanks again
Love your videos
Mario
Nice demonstration of all these classic horns. Great sound and playing, by the way.
Really liked hearing the history behind the instruments, what was going on at the time they were built and how that effected them. Could be a good theme for a nice short documentary. All sounded great to me, partial to the Conn M10 though. Thanks for posting.
Yeah that would be cool!
My first alto in 1946 was a Conn. Since i post it in the 50's hace not found an sdewuate replacement. The 10M tenor was awsome.
Yeah, I played a lot of 10Ms that year, but none of them was on the level of the one in this video. It belongs to a friend (whose main tenor is a Buescher THC 400), and I tried to talk him into selling it to me, but he refused (and rightly so). Pretty nice to have a backup horn of that level!
My dream is to have a Conn 10M! So beautiful!
I don't know if it's because Dexter Gordon played one that I'm biased towards it, but damn I love what the 10M is capable of. I wonder what's the secret that made them so special.
He switched to a Mark VI.
Really like the characteristics of the sound of the 10M, Daniel. Thanks for the comparison video.
Thanks PlainEd, I'm really glad you found it useful!
Great comparison Daniel. Great job.
Thank you.
Thanks for this comparison, illuminating!
Thank you Peedrow, I'm glad you found it useful.
These old ones are amazing!!!
I made an embarassing mistake, the first saxophone is actually a Conn 'New Wonder I', not a transitional model. I guess next time I should do my research before I make the video :-P
don't worry about that! possiamo dire che sia un modello si transizione tra il serie 1 e il serie 2, l'anno è a cavallo tra le due produzioni (1924), e non è da escludere l'eventuale presenza di caratteristiche ibride....non sarebbe una rarità, bellissimo video, grazie!
Grazie Francesco. Sono curiosissimo ora di provare un serie 2, o di provare un serie 1 in stato decente. Se hai altri suggerimenti scrivi pure, devo fare la lista perche' vado da un collezionista fra qualche settimana e ci sara' l'imbarazzo della scelta.
beh, io sono solo un meccanico, quindi sul suono posso parlare solo di gusto personale, a me il suono datato 1936 piace moltissimo: per i Conn la produzione era estremamente discontinua in termini di timbro, pertanto se un n.w. serie 2 o 1 che sia ha un sono davvero pazzesco può capitare che il fratello con matricola lievemente differente abbia una sonorità diversa, magari meno accattivante, quindi meglio cercare l'esemplare singolo e non il range di produzione; anche l'intonazione è un pò scostante e non è detto che quelli più recenti siano più intonati di quelli più vecchi... se realizzi un video anche con i super action e con il buescher sarebbe super; se non li hai mai provati, trovare un The Martin Committee serie3 (art pepper ne suonava la versione contralto) potrebbe essere molto interessante...
Grazie Francesco, mi sto facendo una lista di strumenti da provare. Il Buescher c'e' gia', aggiungero' il Martin e Super Action.
Check out Nubia Garcia, young British jazz tenor player, to see someone getting a fantastic tone on a New Wonder 1.
Selmer later improved the crook on the Mark VI tenor to make the bell notes better. I don't know when. That info might have disappeared when Ralph Morgan died. He told me there were, I think he said, four models of Mark VI's.
I prefer the Conn 10M myself, but I'm a bit biased. I own both a 10M and a 6M. I sold my Mark VI alto and tenor after I played Conns, and never looked back. They have so much character and flexibility of timbre. Nice phrasing, by the way.
Thanks! I did end up with a Conn Transitional.
I used to have a Mark 7, I absolutely loved it..Sadly I sold it. Now I was ready once again for a pro tenor, the Mark 7s were running at the cheapest 3K and nowadays I'm always afraid of buying a fake.. Anyways, due to those reasons, after long and hard thinking, I got me a pre-war 10M.. It's in the shop but, man what a sound.. Totally get what you mean about the voice.. Just gotta get used to that pinky cluster... It's a great horn. I bet you're getting a Conn this time around.. Thanks for the video
I haven't played many Mark VIIs, and have heard bad things about them, but I played one last summer and thought it was great! I think if you find a good one it can be a great alternative to a Mark VI.
I did end up going with a Conn (1931 transitional model), and it's a very nice horn. The pinky cluster is definitely clunky compared to Mark VI and newer (or even super-balanced action), but you can find ways to make it work, and it's worth it to me for the response and SOUND...
@@danielkinzelman7093 I'm with you on that, Dan.
Sounds good ! I had a Zephyr Alto from the late 40’s …might have been referred to as a Zephyr “Special” right before the Super 20 was introduced! What’s your mouthpiece set up ?
I was kind of taken by your assessment of the Zephyr, "hard to control the intonation." I'm sure the Super 20's improved in terms of intonation. I have a late 10M, beautiful finish. Intonation is never an issue. Just a further word on intonation; one of the problems you want to avoid is intonation issues. I don't think I'll ever buy a Zephyr,
thanks for the info!
Thanks for your comment Thomas. If you are interested in the Zephyr, I think you should try one before deciding against it. You may already know this, but maintenance (especially key heights) and mouthpiece choice can really alter the intonation of an instrument. Some commenters below have mentioned this as well. I think if I'd really loved the color or feeling of the Zephyr, I might have made the effort to work all the other factors out.
Hi..
Conn 10m has got a nice tone. The best there...
Vintage saxophones are hard to compare...as you can get a good one or a bad one of the same model...
I have played many selmers ...from old to new.. and they are all different...
I play a Ref 54 Selmer. Great horn.. but it’s also in the set up..
You need a good tech... great video..👍
Thanks! Yeah I really like the Conn 10M. I have had the chance to play 7 or 8 of these over the past few months, and this one is definitely the best out of all of them. I partially agree about the vintage instruments, definitely agree about the good tech. I guess I've found that you can get a lemon now and then, but I have to say that most of the Conns I've played from 1922-1939 (approximately) are at least very good. A good percentage is excellent and a handful are outstanding. I actually have found more variance in Mark VIs (some of which I thought were kind of crappy), but this is just my experience. I would add that many of the Conns I played were in various states of disrepair, so it was very hard to evaluate the low end of the instruments properly.
I am currently trying out a Rampone & Cazzani. It's an Italian tenor from the 1940s which is absolutely unbelievable, a very special instrument. I will try to post a video soon. I also have appointments to try out a few Conn Transitional models and some New Wonder I and IIs. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and please subscribe to stay up to date!
I got a 1932 King “Voll-True” tenor. Beautiful horn, sings like crazy, I find ergonomics good…but yeah intonation is spotty as hell.
that's a very different horn though. 1940s were supposedly at lot better when many new designs.
10m is ❤️
Nice comparison. Thanks for posting. I am sorry to hear about your loss of your earlier sax in Italy. Must be a real pain.
As a Conn player myself I may be a little biased. But I think in this clip the Selmer has a very nice focussed tone however sounds a bit more nasal and restricted as opposed to the 10M and the NW that seem to have a more open and more spread sound. But then again this can also be a mouthpiece thing. Or my personal preference. I need to add that besides a poor man's Selmer, a kohlert 57, I have never played a real Mark VI, so I can not attest how it feels.
Coincidentally I happen to have both '36 10M and '24 NW horns too. I think they are killer horns if you can cope with the keywork. I see this '24' NW I as a sort of transitional model to the transitional era as it already has the 10M style palm keys design but not yet the nail file G#. Not sure if it should be considered a I or II.
Thanks for your comment Cool Jazz. I think this particular Mark VI is not an amazing instrument. It's not bad, but it's a little dull compared to what I remember of my own.
I really like the NW, I'm hoping to find one that actually seals so I can see what it really feels like in the low register. For the moment it's probably the most fun to play for me, despite the primitive ergonomics, but the music I make doesn't depend too heavily on speed and mechanical precision anyway so I may be able to live with it if the acoustics are as amazing as they seem.
I also recently tried a new, very affordable Taiwanese instrument which plays amazingly, I was really shocked. In some ways I think it was more fun than my Mark VI! But I am waiting to lay my cards on the table until I've had another chance to spend some more time with one ;-).
the 24' new wonder tranny is a lunch for my ears i know this transitional models from this era beautiful horn and playing
Thank you!
I feels really nice to push into it pretty hard 😂😂
Ouch. That had to hurt right down to your soul! I feel bad for you, but the kindness must have helped, hopefully.
It did indeed. Lucky to have a lot of nice people around me, and musicians in general were very, very supportive.
Nice Demo. I find what you say to be true. Those old Conns have such a singing quality. Get that New Wonder sealing, it's worth it. You may want to try out some early Buescher Aristocrat tenors. They tend to have what I like about a good Selmer and a good Conn. Kings for me are interesting but yes, wild pitch! I like the early ones tone wise, but could never play one live without losing my mind. Thanks for posting and good luck on your search.
Thanks a lot! I just bought a Conn Transitional. It needs an overhaul, but I think it's going to be good. I'll try to post a video of it soon. I feel like the Buescher Aristocrats are a little too primitive soundwise for what I need. I actually really like them, but feel they're less versatile, and that the NWIIs and Transitionals are a happy medium and a bit more elegant.
@@danielkinzelman7093, Interesting. I wound up feeling the exact opposite. I felt freed by the Buescher and limited by my Conn, like it was too primitive! Though if you get the right one, a transitional is near impossible to beat. I sold a 1930 Transitional last year that to me just wanted to be old, yet, my 1921 New Wonder seems to be able to do whatever I want. Anyway, so many great options! My Balanced Action is lovely too. Each one inspires me in a different way. Happy playing!
Yes, it's amazing how different each one is, and how subjective it all is. Take care :-)@@coilhead
@@danielkinzelman7093 I have a 1925 NW I changed the thumb rest and will try to move the bis key but other than that I can get around very quickly on it and the sound is amazing! I can get used to the pinky table it's worth the sound, I also have a Selmer made in Taiwan a Soloist I'm told it was some kind of promotional horn and for $600 it is amazing but you just can't beat that old Conn sound IMHO best to you
Thanks @@1dotele , I bought a Conn Transitional (late NW II) and am having it overhauled now. They are moving the thumbrest and the bis Bb plus a bunch of other little stuff. When it's done I'll try to make a video showing where I ended up.
conn 10M
The Con...10m....👍
Very close to my Martin C 3...
Martins are awesome horns! I ended up going for a transitional model, which I heavily modified. As soon as i have some time I'll make a video.
Put the money into the New Wonder. If you want a really great modern horn, get a Yanagisawa TWO2O unlacquered Bronze. Get it
virgin from the factory. Not one that has been out on trial and played down. That is state of the art sax making I promise you.
The 1924 was not a transitional sax, the transitional models began around 1929/30 becoming full-fledged 6M, 10M and 12M around 34/35
That's good -- keep spreading the myth that Kings play out of tune. The earlier Zephyrs did have more problems in the intonation department, but by the time you get to the late 40s (the Zephyr Special and the subsequent Super 20) they could hold their own against anything else in that deparment. But that's good because it keeps the prices down on these amazing horns (though most folks apparently believe otherwise about the Super 20 since prices on those continue to shoot up and up.)
I'm not sure if this is an early or late Zephyr, but I had a pretty hard time playing it in tune. The other horns all felt much more comfortable in that regard, as did the Super 20s I played in this video: th-cam.com/video/MePYKixWdHg/w-d-xo.html
@@danielkinzelman7093 It's a very early one (1939?). By the time the Super 20 had come out (1947), both they and the Zephyrs made from that point had better intonation. You have to realize that the Zephyr continued to be produced concurrently with the Super 20 right up through the 1970s. Both models are essentially the same horn up to around 1958, except the Super 20 has better LH action. Otherwise, same horns. Same body tube. Same bell. Same neck dimensions. Everything. But around 1958 the Zephyr was cheapened to have nickel keys, and became more of a student horn. But I have played Zephyrs from the early to mid 50s that played and sounded better than Super 20s with full pearls from the same period.
I don't doubt it. I don't know Zephyrs well, but I will never forget the first time I played a Super 20, and they have the most amazing low notes I've ever encountered.
@JR Beckman I have a very late model Zephyr that I like a lot, except for the pinky table. The older ones are more expensive, I suppose because of a lot of mother of pearl and engraving.
10 M . Sounded tops.
Where could I buy vintage saxophones? I live in Texas in the Denton area but idk any places I could buy a sax near me
You should try a different mouthpiece for the King
Yeah you're probably right. But I really like my mouthpiece, and it's worked pretty well (IMHO) on all the other vintage saxophones I've tried. I think it might not have been a great example of a King, and also perhaps needed some TLC from a repairman.
@@danielkinzelman7093 Yeah, no worries though. Good playing BTW!
Good review.
Joel Bb
Thanks Joel
Did ya ever get your Sax back..?
Not yet, unfortunately. I doubt I ever will, but would be very curious to know where it is now.
@@danielkinzelman7093 it’s only a matter of time…
If you’ve got the serial number and you’ve alerted every online potential source/stolen goods register then who knows🤞?
Il Selmer!
Grazie Federica, io continuo a guardare il vecchio Conn con gli occhi a forme di cuore, ma per il momento non e' molto suonabile. Il mio Mark VI era meglio di questo qua, ma rimane un bel strumento.
I prefer Selmers timbre.
conn 10M !!! nothing comes close !!!! not even a selmer