Alan Dismukes

Ever since I made the decision to have my grandfather's 1928 Buescher True Tone cornet restored, I have been itching to find another horn to rescue, and today I struck paydirt.

I found an old Conn in a antique shop this afternoon and paid $100 for it (with original case). Being relatively ignorant about Conn models, I researched it at the Conn Loyalist and discovered what I have is a 1947 12A Coprion. Wow, a copper bell! Pretty cool! The lacquer that is left is a deep honey color.

Anyway, she's a little beat up and the lacquer's about gone. The bell is bent a little to the right, the third valve slide is bent upward slightly, and the first valve sticks badly (I have to pull it back up). A few other little dings. Main tuning slide is stuck fast.

There is a Vincent Bach New York 10 3/4 A mouthpiece stuck in the receiver. Somebody tried awfully hard to remove it. Looks like they took hammer and pliars to it without success. Argh!

When I oiled the valves I was a little freaked out by the bottom springs (which I have heard of but never seen before, and it took me a second to figure out the right way to put the valves back in correctly!

From the Conn Loyalist, I believe I am supposed to find the bore size stamped on the 2nd valve casing, but I can't seem to find it. Can any Conn experts help me out, here?

This neat little Conn will have to wait to visit the repair techs until the Buescher is finished, but I have definitely been bitten by the vintage horn bug and can't wait until my next discovery!

tatakata

picture?

nieuwguyski

Conn stamped bore sizes on the 2nd valve casing in the very early days (as in late 1800's), but had discontinued that practice long before your 12A was made. It has a .468" bore.

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John N. Nieuwguyski

Alan Dismukes

Thanks for the bore info, nieuwguyski. Tatakata, I will try to take some decent photos this evening and post them.

Other damage that I didn't mention earlier: the brace between the bell and the leadpipe is broken loose, no doubt due to the previous owner's rather violent attempts to free the mouthpiece. Also, the stuck main tuning slide is badly dinged as if the horn landed on it in a fall. I suspect this is what is causing the 1st valve to stick so badly. The first valve slide is braced to the tuning slide, and was probably knocked askew along with the tuning slide, warping the valve casing/first valve slide junction point enough to interfere with the piston.

Jude

I've been trying to find out the bore size on a Conn Wonder from the period you mention, and I don't see it on the 2nd valve casing. On Horn-u-copia last night I saw a horn that looked a lot like mine and it had a bore of 0.435", I believe. Do you know whether this was standard for all Wonders of the period?

nplotts1

Do you know what year it was, I have a 1918 New Wonder, and it is doesn't have it, I am assuming that they must have discontinued it even before then. SN # 155xxx

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Georgia Southern University Music Ed. Major

Equipment
- Getzen 300 Series Bb
- ZeuS Guarnarius Polished Copper Bb - Wick 3C, GP
- 1918 Conn New Wonder Cornet Bb/A
- NYTC Stage 1 California C Silver

Jude

According to the serial number - 51xxx- it was made in 1898, probably in Worcester, Mass. (It was most likely bought locally by my grandfather here in Mass. about that time.) I know it's small bore, because the 2nd-valve slide from my Olds Ambassador trumpet rattles around on it (no calipers here, unfortunately). I don't whether the bore is the reason it's such a blow - could be leaking air, I suppose, although I gave the repair people $250 to make sure it was functioning properly. "Properly," of course, doesn't necessarily mean like a modern instrument, I realize.

Alan Dismukes

I took some pictures of the Coprion that I would like to post, but it seems the maximum size is 19.5 KB. How are folks posting big images like the ones in the vintage horn eye candy thread? Help! Novice alert!!!

burgerbob

Try making an account on a site like Image hosting, free photo sharing & video sharing at Photobucket, uploading the photos to there, and then using the "Insert Image" button in the reply window, paste the URL into the space there.

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FTW!

Me play brass.

Alan Dismukes

Here are the shots I took of the Coprion.

Attached Images

	Conn 12A Coprion right side (2).jpg (88.5 KB, 36 views)
	Conn 12A Coprion left side (2).jpg (82.6 KB, 19 views)
	Coprion receiver end (2).jpg (84.0 KB, 15 views)
	Coprion bell (2).jpg (78.3 KB, 18 views)