Saxophones Conn 150th Anniversary Alto Saxophone

[jonf]

@turf3 Exactly this. Well put.

 

[PigSquealer]

Anyone seen or know of one that’s been on stage ?

 

[PigSquealer]

Yikes! I forgot how ugly it was.

It looks better with the mass bell weight upgrade.

 

[Joe from New Orleans]

I just found out about this new sax being marketed from The Woodwind Forum. It is a limited edition with only 40 being made. Kessler & Sons in US has received 3:

https://kesslerandsons.com/product/conn-150th-anniversary-limited-edition-alto-sax-connfirmation/

Cost is $6,999.00.

Beautiful!

 

[skeller047]

Welllllll..........i was actually hoping for something more concrete. I mean, yes it got pre-strafed pretty good but ALSO in those "keyboard warrior" criticisms resided, as the common asterisk: "but it will be interesting to hear from someone who actually playtests one" or some iteration thereof...

I played the one Master Squealer decorated above. Interesting that it was in the Conn-Selmer booth at NAMM, and of the two horns I played there (Signature tenor and CONNFirmation alto) it was the best set up.

It played very well. In tune, nice sound, felt good. Not worth $7K though. A good B+ level horn. Maybe A- on a good day. The next day I talked and listened to a local LA player who is a Conn-o-phile for 15 minutes or so, as he played it and compared it to his 3 6Ms. (Sorry, I forget his name.) He liked it OK and sounded very good on it, but ultimately felt he preferred his vintage instruments.

If they bring the pro equivalent version in at $3.5K or so, it would be a good buy. If they are as good as this horn.

 

[JayeNM]

Ah, thx for that .

 

[PigSquealer]

If they bring the pro equivalent version in at $3.5K or so, it would be a good buy.

I didn’t play it. In your honest opinion, does this play / feel like an intermediate level horn ? I did have it in my hands. Full visual & structural review. It had a solid feel. The action was smooth. I didn’t detect any RH or LH pinky discomfort. (I have medium hands by glove standards). It didn’t feel or appear lightweight or a cheesy build.
Yeah, for $7k you could have four very nice 6M’s.

 

[skeller047]

In your honest opinion, does this play / feel like an intermediate level horn ?

I don’t know what “intermediate level” is. Look at Yamaha or Eastman for example. The price difference between “student” and “intermediate” level horns is $200. The next step up is $1K+ more. Sure, the stores love to classify horns this way, but what’s the difference between a YAS-26 and a YAS-480? High F#, engraving and a different neck? I mean, even the YAS-62II, at $4.3K, has plastic key touches…

In truth, most “student” horns play as well as professional horns. They just aren’t made as well, and maybe the keywork is clunkier. I remember playing a Bundy II 15 or 20 years ago, for a work colleague who wanted to know its worth (he saw the word “Selmer” on it…) and I told him he’d be lucky to get $250 for it. It played very well - in tune, nice tone, decent ergonomics. I could have played it on a gig that night.

The Connfirmation I played is a “pro-level” horn. It’s made very well, tight action, smooth and even tone, nice response, SA80-derived keywork, fancy engraving. It felt solid, as you noted when you handled it. It played solid too. $3.5K is, I believe, a good price point for a “pro-level” alto saxophone from a brand that has been dead for decades. At $4.5K it has to compete with the lowest “pro” offerings from Yamaha and Yanagisawa, and while it plays very well, I don’t think it would survive at that price. Also, it has to compete with the BetterSax Session alto, which plays just as well and costs less than $3K.