| $260 plus shipping isn't bad at all for a Conn in that shape! I paid $350 for mine and it's probably in not quite as good a shape. I play a 1947 22b and love the horn. If you don't have the air you used too, then this would especially be a good horn. Don't be fooled by the small bore! These horns can take all the air you can throw at 'em and they won't back up on you. They have a huge sound with lots of power and projection. They also can blend well with Bach horns. My teacher has a 72 Bach and when we play together the sound is really balanced with lots of overtones.
Don't be afraid of the bottom sprung valves. They work well, but if you need to replace 'em, use Yamaha Flugel springs. Due to their age, many of these old Conns would benefit from having the corks and felts replaced with artificial material and the valves then aligned. (When they came from the factory, these 22b's had some of the best aligned valves around but once the corks and felts disintegrate from age the alignment really gets off.)
Bottom line---buy one! You'll be surprised at how good these horns are!
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Gabriel is NOT a woodwind player! |