ConnMan36B

I was just wondering how many out there own and play a vintage Conn trumpet. I own a 36B Connstellation my parents purchased me from a graduating senior while I was in High School.

I still have and play it today 18 years later! It has a few dings, never had a valve job, and probably has a few leaks here and there, but it has character of sound that I haven't found in a modern horn.

GROENJ

I play a Conn Constellation that I bought new in 1967. Also play a 1924 Conn Opera that my grandfather bought new. I also have my dad's 1948 Bischer. I also have a King silvertone cornet and a "pocket" cornet vintage 1910.

I did buy a Jupiter 846 Flugelhorn new last year, so not everything I own is old.

I do love the old horns.

Dale Proctor

I played a Conn 6B Victor in high school in the late 60's. Like a dufus, I sold it sometime in the 70's when I bought a "better" horn. A few years ago, regret set in, and I decided to find another one. Thanks to eBay, I now own a like-new 1960 Conn 6B Victor trumpet again, just like the one I had in high school. It's a sweet-playing horn, much better than I remembered. It's knocked my Strad out of the #1 trumpet position in my arsenal!

TrentAustin

I have a mint 1957 38B that probably is the best sounding trumpet I've owned.

It kicks my tail sometimes but is worth the extra effort to play!

bilboinsa

2 Conns are mine for awhile...a "27 22B and '47 22B. Love the oldest one the most.

ConnMan36B

Hey guys, thanks for sharing your vintage horn stories. Great reading!

conn53victor

I am 56 years old. Sold my h.s. Connstellation in college to buy a cheap car or some good dope. When I started playing again about ten years ago, I realized that I could never justify such a good horn. I have traveled through many horns, using a LA Ambassador trumpet and cornet the most.

A year ago, a colleague offered me his 1965 Connstellation for $250 if I would keep it to play. It was my original horn. Well, different serial number but indistinguishable. And he had only played it one year in the mid 1960's and stored it well. I love it and use it most of all.

I just got an eBay Connstellation 5BW mouthpiece that really opens it up. I play easier and it sounds fuller, richer from where I stand.

I also just won a really crappy looking 1935 Conn Vocabell that was advertised as an "Elkhart Trumpet." Stay tuned.

Dustin

In November I bought a '62 Connstellation and I'm pretty sure I won't be buying another horn anytime soon unless it's a horn specifically for legit. Absolutely incredible horn, but very different from modern horns in my opinion. Try and get your hands on one and play one before you buy one.

Zaraskabat

The sweetest playing horn I ever blew is also the the absolute worse! LOL My grandpa's 1921 Victor New Wonder Cornet. I got it a couple years after high school because every time we visited, he had me go play that thing for him. It stunk and you had to blow your brains out to get any kind of a tone out of it, like it was packed with cotton balls. And UGLY! Half the silver was rubbed right off it and did I mention the smell? Well, after he died, grandma gave it to me and knowing it never had a dent in it, I looked at the pretty bell and wondered... I took it to a shop in 1973 to send it in to see if it could be fixed up, it came back with new silver plating and the message that the valves were shot and they could not fix it. It sure did look pretty but still played like it was stuffed with cotton. So it went in its case and stayed in a closet until a couple months ago. When I bought my daughter a new trumpet I mentioned it to the guy at the shop and he asked me to bring it in, maybe he could fix it. Well, he found a leak in the hourglass tuning slide but the valves were leaking so bad it was stuffy sounding, just like always. He convinced me to send it to Andersons for a valve job. Well, it came home last month and I have not been able to put it down. It has the solid silver bell, the satin body glows, the polished bell and engraving are beautiful, but the sound! You have the cornet purists and the trumpet purists, but this is a long cornet, usually snubbed by both. Played soft and low this thing can almost cry, but punch it and you can get a trumpeter's attention. I am having fun experimenting with mouthpieces, it seems switching just gives it different voices. I have a few favorites but not just one and I am ok with that. I think granpa had me go play that thing back then hoping to hear what I hear now. Maybe he thought he was the one that was wore out when it was the horn that was wore out.

I also have a 1925 Conn 22B that has a chunk of trombone slide for a leadpipe, what an adventure that is to play! If I can ever get the valves to work right, I might just get a real leadpipe for it. I know there is a good horn in there though, it tries to come out sometimes.

I have a few other old horns that are not Conn's, a 1925 Holton Revelation, a pristine York from 1914-18 with fancy gold plating in the bell and engraving, a 1945 Holton Collegiate and a mutt Ambassador.

Oh, and I still want that Connstellation I never got back in high school. As soon as I run accross one I can afford, I will have one.
Ken

JonathanShaw

I played this horn in middle school....It was one that my school owned. Shweet stuff.