Conn New Wonder 2 (1929)

chadders

Member
295
Wrexham.
I have just rebuilt my Conn New Wonder 2, and I have 2 questions about it

1) When I bought the sax, it had just been rebuilt/padded by a reputable tech. They used a cork pad on the lower body octave key. It has worked fine for the last 4 years, but wouldn't you normally expect to see a leather pad there? Is there any advantage in using cork for this or was it possibly a Friday afternoon repad?

2) The main body E key (middle key, lower stack) closes the pad under the key and also closes a small auxiliary pad on the lower left-hand side of the sax body. This pad had previously been closed off by a big piece of cork - I have removed the cork and adjusted the regulation on the linkage. The sax works fine with the auxiliary key working and without - so why is it there? If Conn saw fit to build this bit of mechanism into the sax it must serve a purpose and yet I have been playing fine for the last 4 years with this blocked off. so am confused

Any help with these two questions is gratefully appreciated

Thanks
 
Yes, finger D, lift the right middle finger, you get Eb. It’s kind of stuffy sounding, and is another somewhat tricky regulation problem, which is why the vast majority of these are corked shut.

I guess the idea was to convert all those recorder players…
 
The mechanism in question is the fork Eb. It's NOT hard to regulate, no harder than any other linkage. Most of the time when the pad is around the back, it IS a somewhat stuffy fingering. It is very handy for going from low C to Eb as no sliding is required.

Cork pads on octave vents are an acceptable substitute but not used that often. I have one on the neck of my baritone.
 
@chadders
The octave being cork is quality workmanship. Very long lasting.
The key on left just above bow joint is the forked E. Most makers discontinued this key by the late 1940’s. It’s not uncommon to find this key corked closed or the spring reversed to hold it closed.
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