Tech/maintenance 1983 Conn 18M Alto Student Sax Restoration

[ghostler]

In this thread, I requested an ID and year for this sax that I bought today:

Today I scored from eBay US a Conn project student sax rather clean for its age, no major dents, missing a few key pearls and neck tenon screw, with usual student rash - scratched and eroded lacquer, tarnish, etc. Appears to be a low mileage one for $90 plus the other charges, $130 total. Serial Number appears to be C172xxx (lacquer wear, and tarnish makes it harder to read):

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Case is in extremely clean condition, similar to Bundy II one I have that is black moulded thin skin ABS shell with aluminium edges. Just curious, but did I do good or not? Comments on its worthiness when restored? What model and year do I have?

To which @Stocker replied it was a 1983 Conn 18M. Then I did a little reading up on various Café threads with 18M content:

The standard joke when something like this is posted on an instrument repair forum is: "Don't worry. That will buff out". 🙂

Then the following observation comes through:

Indeedy. At first it looked like a Yamaha 21/23 and I was gonna get a bit angry...

Then when I realized it was the 18M, I thought "OK..... understandable"....

with further clarification on the quality of an 18M:

Just for posterity sake...

The King 660 aka Conn 18m/20m.....the initial subject of this thread...

Is NOT a 'good' horn. I mean, it isn't garbage, but its pinky layout is not particularly ergonomically pleasing, its intonation is meh, and tonality is thin.

I mean, I would not recommend ever paying more than $250 for a playable one. They were a swing and a miss...

UMI did better with the Conn 24m and King Empire, the alto models which replaced the 660/ 20m.

THOSE I can recommend...but not the 80s models they displaced.

My first thoughts reflected the final words of the cartoon, Milton The Monster's opening song:
Inventor: "What have I done?"
Milton: "I'm Milton, your brand new son!"

Did I just get CONNed? I think @lig knows the answer. 😉