Conn catalog showing "S" tuba mouthpiece?

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willako
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Conn catalog showing "S" tuba mouthpiece?

Post by willako »

Would anyone happen to have a catalog or page showing this mouthpiece? I have a page in electronic form showing the Giant E flat tuba mouthpiece, the BBb, the Chief, and the Conn Special Ltd or with "Conn L" on the shank but I don't have a page showing the "Conn S" on the shank of a mouthpiece that has the same outer shape as the Conn L. I was wondering what it was originally designed for.

Once I saw a Conn with an" S" on the shank on ebay but it had an outer shape like the original hellebergs. Someone else won the auction. Does anyone know how the Conn S with the outer shape like the Conn L compares to the Conn L? Thanks William
jacobg
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Re: Conn catalog showing "S" tuba mouthpiece?

Post by jacobg »

I don't have the catalog but I have one of these mouthpieces. It's very small, about half way in between tuba and bass trombone. Probably comparable to a contrabass trombone mouthpiece.
It's my understanding that these were intended for conn's smallest tubas. In this period (early 20th cent., pre-model names) conn seemed to like to label things S, M, and L - the early trombones have the same system.
willako
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Re: Conn catalog showing "S" tuba mouthpiece?

Post by willako »

Thanks for your information. I think you are right: it is for a small tuba. I thought that this Conn S was the size you described.

I read another post some years ago by a professional trombonist who owned a Contrabass trombone in BBb that was owned by Sousa, and he said that the Conn L came as standard on that instrument. It is a shallow funnel. So, probably the Conn S that I was referring to was made for their small E flat tubas--smaller than the Giant or Monster ones. As I said, I did see a different "S" Conn on ebay some time ago, but the outward shape was like the original Helleberg not like the Conn L.
Thanks, William
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Donn
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Re: Conn catalog showing "S" tuba mouthpiece?

Post by Donn »

Conn has also been known to apply the same nomenclature to several different ranges of mouthpieces, for example a Conn 3 might be a tuba mouthpiece, or a very different trombone mouthpiece. With a little more foresight, they might have realized how confusing that would be on EBay.
willako
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Re: Conn catalog showing "S" tuba mouthpiece?

Post by willako »

Yes, you are right. I read a post from some years ago, and the tuba player said that the "S" and "L" were also used for mellophone. I am interested in these old mouthpieces because I have a vintage tuba and only a few mouthpieces work perfectly with any tuba. William
(actually my name is Bill but the post office won't give me packages unless they say "William").
rom41238
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Re: Conn catalog showing "S" tuba mouthpiece?

Post by rom41238 »

I suspect I was the one who bought the "S" in question on ebay a while back. It fits nicely on a small 1894 Conn Eb that I have had since the mid 1950s - small shank like B. Trom. It looks better on the horn than it plays. When actually using the instrument a larger Herco Eb works adquately.
Bob in Iowa
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