screamingmorris

I already owned a 1956 Conn 14B Director and knew what its valve guides were like: they look like they are one piece from the factory.

A few minutes ago I received in the mail my eBay 1952 Conn 22B.
While oiling the valves I discovered that the valve guides are totally different from the 1956 14B.
The little things that stick out to keep the valves from spinning are attached to vertical rods that stick down into holes in the valves.
Those vertical rods are extremely loose in the holes so that they wobble like *crazy*.
Is there any way to tighten them?

Also, 3rd valve sticks up slightly higher than the other 2 valves.
I made sure that all 3 are screwed together equally tight.
Any clues on what to do about it?

BTW:
I am amazed at how much darker the 1952 22B sounds compared to my 1956 Conn 14B Director even though they have the same .438 bore size.
And the beat-up Conn 4 mouthpiece that came with it is also amazing in the richness of its sound while also making upper register relatively easy.
When I put the richness of the Conn 4 mouthpiece with the richness of the 22B, I actually have a *good* tone for the first time in my life, from low F# right up to High F without warming up.
Do the later 22B Victors have a similarly dark and rich sound?

- morris

Dale Proctor

I don't think they will wobble in the valve case. When the valve body and guide are held in line by the valve case, there will be very little rotational movement, if any.

Those Conn 4 mouthpieces are pretty nice. I bought one to use on my 6B Victor and am very pleased with the overall tone, intonation, and upper register when using it.

Vulgano Brother

Do they wobble a bunch in the valve casing too? If so, it might be time to see a repairman.

With the valves in, pop out the second valve slide, depress second valve and look to see if the holes line up. If so, the third valve may have a too thick of a cork on it. If not, then perhaps the cork on first and second valve may be too low. Most all repairmen have nifty gauges and mirrors for adjusting the vertical valve allignment, which is a pretty cheap fix. The horizonal allignments are more costly. Have fun with your new horn!

Sturmbill

Screamingmorris,

You might also check on the valve stem. There should be a line scribed around the stem just at the place where the stem disappears into the valve cap. Those lines should be lined up with the top of the cap. It is supposed to be a quick way to see if you have the proper alignment.

I found this on the Conn Loyalist site with this article being the one with vertical alignment info (The Conn Loyalist) This works on my '47 22B, and I would guess that it would apply to your '52.

The old Conn mouthpieces seem to work best on these great horns. I have had a real devil of a time trying to mate up a mouthpiece to the horn, and lo and behold, the Conn stuff works best! Go figure.

Good luck,

Bill

Dale Proctor

My experience, exactly, with the '60 Conn 6B I bought. After trying numerous trumpet mouthpieces which had worked fine on my Bach, I bought a Connstellation mouthpiece on eBay, a 9C-W, which works great for upper register stuff. Then I bought a Conn 4 on eBay, and like it even better for most playing. It has a nice tone and is a great all-around piece.

Sturmbill

Dale,
How do you like the .485 bore on your 5A? The one pictured on the Conn Loyalist site is mine, and when I started playing it with a Wick 4B I felt as though I was blowing into a hollow log! Same deal, a Conn 4 tamed it. Great horn, though!

I have since moved on to a Schilke XA1, but the 5A soldiers on in our brass band. I am probably going to sell it this summer (along with a 76A short cornet), but the guy that is using it doesn't want to return it! He loves it, too!

Regards,

Bill

Dale Proctor

Hi Bill, I haven't had the 5A long enough yet to tell. After I cleaned it up a little, I took it to brass band rehearsal and played a few numbers on it. I first used a 7C-N Connstellation mouthpiece on it, and didn't care for the combination. I then switched to a Bach 6 and all was well. I didn't notice any extreme open feeling, but that could be due to a combination of factors: my regular cornet is a large bore (but not a .485!), I'm sure the horn is dirty inside and the valves weren't lining up right, and I wasn't using a Wick - those things have huge throats. The horn seems to be capable of a powerful sound, and the intonation seems to be excellent. I've dropped it off to have the valves aligned, some stuck slides loosened, and a pinhole in the bell bow plugged. I've looked at the pic of yours on Christine's site many times, and decided I wanted one. Too bad the one I bought has so many cosmetic problems - but what can you expect for $29? If it plays as well as I think it will, I'll probably keep it. I might even put a Coprion bell from a same-era Director on it if I run across one. Funny you should mention it, but the 76A is the other cornet I regularly peruse eBay for.

Sturmbill

Dale,

I'll give you a head's up when they go up for sale. I am also getting rid of my '57 77B Conquest and my '67 Connstellation. I guess it will be a Conn-siderable sale...

Bill

brunets

Hi Morris,

Welcome to the Conn 22B fan club

On my '48 Conn 22B, I have the same valve mechanism. Although the clearance between these little rods and the valve itself is really high, I have never had any problem with them and they don't make any noticeable noise when playing.

When installed, the valves have very little play in rotation either. I wouldn't try to tighten this rod if this play in rotation is reasonable. Actually I have no clue if it's possible.

In fact I really like the Conn 22B valve mechanism as there is no way to go wrong when installing them, and there is no crappy nylon part in it.

As for the valve alignment, this is due to the wear of felt and/or cork parts which position the valve when not pushed. You can find on eBay replacement parts for the 22B (PM me if you want to share a bunch of replacement kits with me). One day I would like to align my valves precisely too.

Stéphane

brunets

As for the mouthpiece... I put a Yamaha signature "Rod Francks" in it without any problem. And the sound is really amazing when played correctly.

Stéphane