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Okay, I've acquired a decent Conn 3v Bb Satin silver helicon w/ Gold leaf highlights on the Bell stack and valve caps. The curious question, is the estimated age. The #2 va;ve casing, gives me a s/n of 158xxx, base on Conn Loyalist this would be a approximately a 1917 Helicon. The Bell stack is quite well adorned with engraving including an anchor with a bold USN gold leaf emblem, below it is engraved Great Lakes, Il and a number of 15505 or 45505 depending on how the font is read. This would indicate a s/n year of the late 1890's. This creates the question of age. The bell does display solder tinning, and a possible bell replacement w/ that of an older Eb Monster type bell. The bell diameter is a short 19". Any thoughts out their regarding old Helicons. I'm considering a restoration for personnal reasons only, and would love to play it in our veterans dixie group. I'm an old sailor and went through Great Lakes for my initial training and played in a recruit band. It is playable, and needs a replacement valve pearl or button. Any Helicon experts out there in the TNFJ, Kiltie do you have any histiry on these instruments. I'll try to add some pics. But I think it was for sale here in the past, I acquired it via the world famous auction sight. I haven't started the restoration yet, but considering the dismantling of it this winter. Any thoughts?

I played in the Great Lakes Command Band (as a recruit... NOT an MU) in early 1965. They had several old tubas, sousaphones, and a couple of helicons as late as then.

Tundratubast wrote:The #2 valve casing gives me a s/n of 158xxx

That would, in fact, indicate it to be around 1917-1918 according to the Loyalist.

The valve block is where Conn put all their serial numbers, anything else is an ID number put there by the purchaser (Navy in this case) as an inventory ID number.

Raincatcher Sousaphones were used MOSTLY indoors by Sousa, so I'd go with 1917-1918 Helicon for a horn that was used for marching.

Most of the Great Lakes horns that I've seen have been similarly engraved.

Thanks to all for the information, the cluster does , make the most logical sense. Dan, I played in the Recruit Drum & Bugle during the summer of 1973 boot camp. They had stopped the recruit band somewhere in the two previous years. One of my brothers had played in the Recruit band in 1971, so I packed my Helleberg mpc with me to bootcamp in anticpation of playing,much to the dismay of my DI.

Tundratubast wrote:.... I played in the Recruit Drum & Bugle during the summer of 1973 boot camp. They had stopped the recruit band somewhere in the two previous years. One of my brothers had played in the Recruit band in 1971, so I packed my Helleberg mpc with me to bootcamp in anticpation of playing,much to the dismay of my DI.

Not meaning to 'twist' your thread. But....

It's a shame the recruit band was discontinued. Many of the guys in the attached picture were designated to become Navy MU's. I think three of us went to Corry Field in Pensacola to become Communications Technicians. Even Corry Field had a small command band. Back 'in the day'... most any installation with more than a handful of guys had some sort of music group that was set aside from the rest of the guys and considered sort of 'special'.

Which fresh faced recruit is you Dan?

sousaphone68 wrote:Which fresh faced recruit is you Dan?

Front row... 2nd from right.

TubaTinker wrote:

sousaphone68 wrote:Which fresh faced recruit is you Dan?

Front row... 2nd from right.

Thanks curiosity satiated

Why are so many of them smiling???
The Navy likes to throw groups of recruits at the various patriotic missions we do; they always look completely blank eyed scared.

Bob Kolada wrote:Why are so many of them smiling???

That picture was taken on March 22, 1965. We had been at Great Lakes through January and February and were ready to leave for our class A schools, etc. Leaving Great Lakes after sliding around on several inches of ICE for over two months should be enough to make anyone happy!

When I got to San Diego (winter of 1968-69) they just had a Recruit D&BC unit - I got in and played baritone bugle in the Watts Freedom Day Parade (Los Angeles) the 2nd day I was there!

We had to extend our bootcamp schedule 2 weeks to be part of the corps, but we did get a few liberty days in those extra weeks. We didn't have to go to regular classes but we still had to pass all of the standard tests (we did have to do the fire-fighting, swimming and first-aid training) so we had extra hours to practice marching and playing. We had a distinctive cadence and arm swing plus tricky marching formation moves.

We played all base flag cerimonies every day, graduations every week, and Sundays we had a chance to solo "Church Call" - I did my shot on a military non-keyed bugle, not baritone.) By the time I was out of there I could play all of the parts - drum AND bugle.

We seemed to spend a lot of time keeping our uniforms and gear in perfect condition - soaking our white uniforms in Blue Cheer so they would be super white! When I got out to my first ship I had to get all new uniforms (and use the ship laundry) because my super white ones made everybody else's look dirty yellow...

In The Navy!