Conn Monster Tuba ID?

[imperialbari]

A serial # wouldn’t hurt either.

Klaus

[imperialbari]

The N prefix tells it being made in 1970.

Klaus

[sailn2ba]

Oh! I played one of those long time ago. What a beautiful sounding horn! Big open low register, non-edgy highs. . . and those short stroke valves are nimble. You need to train your embouchure to speak to keep up with the conductor, though.

[Mike-ICR]

Here's a horn posted in the for sale section: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=34519" target="_blank

It's just like yours but with an upright bell. The asking price is $2000 and it's in silver and in better shape than yours. I guess yours might be worth $1500 OBO. I think yours is a 24J from the 70s.

[Wyvern]

He could sell it like this guy on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/Conn-4-Valve-25J-Tu ... 286.c0.m14, the seller has had that up there for a long time with no takers, its reasonable, but not reasonable.

That looks restored to beautiful condition, so does not seem expensive to me if I was in the market for a 25J in top condition

[imperialbari]

He could sell it like this guy on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/Conn-4-Valve-25J-Tu ... 286.c0.m14, the seller has had that up there for a long time with no takers, its reasonable, but not reasonable.

That looks restored to beautiful condition, so does not seem expensive to me if I was in the market for a 25J in top condition
]

Jonathan, for fair comparing of prices you would have to add European VAT to the US price.

Klaus

[Rick Denney]

It has to be a 24J, the 3xJ tubas with the similar short action valves had the double wrapped third valve slides at the top of the branch.

3XJ tubas did not have short-action valves. Only 2XJ's had them.

This one is a 24J--top action, forward bell, four valves.

The 20J had three valves, and the 22J was the same with front-action valves, and both had forward bells. The 21J had an upright bell, and the 23J had front-action valves and an upright bell. The 25J has four top-action valves and an upright bell. Theoretically, the 26J would be a front-action recording bass with four valves, and the 27J would have an upright bell, but I've never seen either.

Definitely 1970. Made in Abilene, TX, during the Macmillan era, not in Elkhart.

I had a similar 20J (M serial number, 1969) in slightly better condition that I sold for $900 on fleabay. The fourth valve makes a difference, but the upright bell would make more difference, and the very rare front-action valves more difference still. The price you have asked seems completely reasonable to me.

Rick "expecting Rob Perelli-Minetti to come out of Tubenet Past and set all the young'uns straight" Denney

[Matt G]

I've seen a 26J and 36J. The 36J was in Gold Brass, IIRC.

[Wyvern]

Theoretically, the 26J would be a front-action recording bass with four valves, and the 27J would have an upright bell, but I've never seen either.

There you go Rick. Me with 26J during my recent trip to the US. Fantastic tuba too!*

* The best sounding BBb I have ever played and I love those short action valves!

[Tuba Guy]

For what it's worth, I have a 28J sitting a few feet back behind me. It's got 3 front action valves and a one piece upright bell

[Rick Denney]

I thought the 36J had front action short action valves...or am I just confusing that with something else?

You must be, or the valves were changed, or the bell where the model number was marked was from the wrong instrument. I've had a guy holding what was without question a 20J insist with some vigor that it was a 12J.

But I'm looking at a 1934 Conn catalog, and the 3xJ's have long-action valves. That was the catalog that introduced the short-action valves.

Rick "not saying never, but just saying..." Denney

[WakinAZ]

I was at a local music store today and took a closer look at what I previously thought was a lacquer 2XJ in the tuba graveyard up in the attic. It actually turned out to be a *34J* recording bell (model number stamped onto the bell just above the tenon), 4 valve, top-action with long/regular stroke pistons. Looked to be just like a 24J with regular valves. Long story short, I did not have a mouthpiece with me (d'oh, remember to throw a Kelly in the glovebox for emergencies), so I'll be going back next week to see how it plays. The S/N indicates it was made c. 1933, which also matches the range of the production run of the 34J recording basses per the Conn Loyalist.

(Funny, the Loyalist site lists the 34J as a "BBb DeLuxe Recording Bass Bell Up", but my own eyes saw that front bell with the "34J" stamped right on it. The site is not perfect, but the best resource we have other than encountering actual horns, and of course a work in progress. It's a tough thing to catalog all those different models this many years after the heyday of the Elkhart era, since Conn model numbers were recycled, not always stamped on the instruments, etc.)

Eric "looking forward to spending some quality time with this horn" L.

[Rick Denney]

(Funny, the Loyalist site lists the 34J as a "BBb DeLuxe Recording Bass Bell Up", but my own eyes saw that front bell with the "34J" stamped right on it. The site is not perfect, but the best resource we have other than encountering actual horns, and of course a work in progress. It's a tough thing to catalog all those different models this many years after the heyday of the Elkhart era, since Conn model numbers were recycled, not always stamped on the instruments, etc.)

If you remind me on Monday, I will look in my copy of a 1934 Conn catalog, which is at the office.

Rick "who remembers seeing only recording bells on the big tubas in that catalog" Denney

[imperialbari]

:

[eupher61]

Steve Dillon is about as much an expert about Conn horns as there is, and more accessible than Dr Banks in Vermillion.

[Rick Denney]

On the next page after the one that Klaus linked, they show the DeLuxe Recording Model Bass--32J, 36J, 80J. These all have front-action valves. The 32J has three valves, the 36J four valves, and the 80J "is the same bass in medium bore. 3 valves, 23-inch bell, key of BBb."

All three show bell front.

The 36J designation has also, however, been used for the Orchestra Grand Bass, which had a fixed upright bell but was otherwise similar to the instrument mentioned above. Stauffer shows one in his book. Nothing in the pages that I have from the 1934 catalog, however, show an upright bell.

Rick "noting that several of the endorsers in the back, including Donatelli, probably would not have ever used a forward bell" Denney

[imperialbari]

:

[Wyvern]

Has anyone see one "gold burnished" ($650 in catalog for 36J)? That I imagine would be some sight

I presume that would be gold plate???

[van]

For what it's worth, here's a photo of a 36J I bought a few years back from the auction site. It needs some work to get it in reasonable working shape (valves, etc) but I haven't given it the $$ priority up 'til now to get it done. I don't know how anyone less than a weightlifter could have wrestled with this monster in a day-to-day playing situation - talk about top-heavy (26 in. bell). Notice the sophisticated stand I came up with - an inverted saw horse with a "custom" cutout.

[WakinAZ]

The original intent, as mentioned in the doubling scenario in the catalog, was to use a stand.

Klaus, Rick, and other owners of Conn catalogs: have you ever contacted Christine at Conn Loyalist about sending her image files of your catalogs to complement (and possibly clarify) some of the info already on there? The best use of the info would be to open it up to everyone, and The Conn Loyalist is the main location where people go to find Conn information on the web.

Eric "who will use a Tuba Tamer with his big Conn" L.