Rounded Conn Helleberg?

[Paul S]

For the past few years I have wondered as to when and why Conn took out the more extreme inner edge "bite" and rim flatness of the Conn-Hellebergs made in the late 1970s-early 1980s. I bought mine new when I was in High school and it is very flat, the bite is quite severe and I always respond to it very well. I still consider it as the mouthpiece that can let me play my best overall but it has a lot of wear and mileage.

When I tried the newer Conn Hellebergs, I was suprised at how different the rim and inner edge bite was. I really did not care for the feel or its response in comparison to my old one. I get along well with a PT-50 that is desginated a flat rim with sharp inner edge but neither it nor the new Conn Helleberg is even close to what my old one is. The old Conn stays table top flat right to the inner edge.

The differences are easily more obvious when you actually see them all together but I tried to take some photos to show what I mean. Photos do not come across quite as well but I think it still demonstrates a bit of what I mean.




The only really similar flat rims with the inner edge "bite" that I have found are the Canadian Brass replica and the Curry Hellebergs but the shallower depth of the CB and heavy weight of the Curry models just do not suit me as well. In addition for those of you who know, which is more true to the early Hellebergs, the very flat or the newer more rounded type?