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I have a friend who plays a 12J. It is a BBb horn. On the Conn Loyalist page they show that a 12J is an Eb horn. Has there been a 12J BBb or does he have a frankentuba and not know it? The horn is really sharp. He has to pull out the main tuning slide to it's limits to get it to be close. Any thoughts on this?

Conn Loyalist is probably referencing the old model number system.
See page 34 on the 1924 Conn Catalog for their description of the 12J EEb Bass - http://www.saxophone.org/museum/publications/id/143
Also found on page 12 of the 1924 Price List for Conn - http://www.saxophone.org/museum/publications/id/501

For the 12J BBb Tuba, see the 1988 Catalog, page 11 - http://www.saxophone.org/museum/publications/id/327
Or see the Conn Webpage (this is a current model, available new through a variety of retailers) - http://www.conn-selmer.com/en-us/our-in ... tubas/12j/

Conn has notoriously recycled model desugnations for completely different instruments. They also made a few really bad playing instruments at various times.