Is my Boston Musical Instruments helicon really a Conn?

davet · Post by **davet** » Sat Sep 03, 2005 9:40 am

When I traded for this (c. 1905) Eb helicon the leadpipe was trashed. My tech replaced it with a Conn which was a perfect fit. He noted that all of the braces were Conn braces and speculated that Conn may have made this horn. However, he did allow that Boston could have bought the braces from Conn or from the same source as Conn and he didn't know of any way to tell for sure.

Anybody out there know of any specifics or of a source that might have this information?

Since I live in Elkhart it would be fun to know whether this horn was made here.

Dave

Lew · Post by **Lew** » Sat Sep 03, 2005 11:26 am

I would be surprised if any Boston Musical Instrument manufactory horns were made by Conn. Boston Muscial Instruments was one of the earliest musical instrument manufacturers in this country, having been founded in 1869 by Graves and Wright. Graves actually had his own company from 1824, so may have actually been the first brass instrument manufacturer in the US.

It's possible that workers from the Boston company were hired by Conn, and designed Conn braces based on what Boston was using. J.W. York worked for Boston before founding his own company, as I'm sure others did.

I have a Boston Musical Instrument Eb bombardon from the 1870s, and the braces look nothing like those on my Conn instruments from the 1910's. I guess by the early 20th century the people left at "Boston" may have been willing to use the services of Conn, who was by then one of, if not the, largest instrument manufacturer in the US. I don't know of any way to definitively answer your question.

davet · Post by **davet** » Sat Sep 03, 2005 2:33 pm

http://www.davetibbets.freehosting.net/custom.html pic is lower right

http://www.neillins.com/he002.htm

Do these help at all? You can see the destroyed leadpipe in the second one.

Dave

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Sat Sep 03, 2005 3:35 pm

Unless I miss my guess, from the second photo you provided, your horn was made in 1900.
Lars Kirmser's Music Trader provides serial number dating lists that I've found to be very accurate so far.
I have a Boston EEb helicon that was made in 1895. It has a fixed leadpipe, not the Conn-style removeable neck. The valve slide braces are SIMILAR TO, but not the same, as valve slide braces on 1917 and 1924 Conn EEb helicons that I have, and the bell braces are not even close to the same size.
I realize that they're 20-30 years apart, but that's all I can add. Other 1893,94 BMIM instruments I have (a valve trombone and an upright alto) are not Conn stencils, nor is the BMIC double horn that I have (1920).
My guess from what I've seen is that they may have obtained parts from the same supplier, if at all.

Shockwave · Post by **Shockwave** » Sat Sep 03, 2005 5:41 pm

Conn closed its Worcester plant in 1898. Maybe some Conn workers migrated to nearby Boston and were making some parts in Conn fashion in 1898, or maybe Boston bought some bins of parts from a Conn factory moving sale.

-Eric