Interesting old Conn Sousa

Kenton · Post by **Kenton** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:46 pm

This old Conn doesn't seem to match up with any Conn lists.

It dates to 1918, SN#154652. I suspect it may be a transitional model as Conn was changing from helicons and raincatcher to a bell front sousa. At least I don't recall seeing another sousa with a detachable bell bow.

Conn-Sousa-145652.jpg

It has a .742 (#10 3/4) bore.
The Bell collar is 7 1/4 in.
The Bell diameter is 23 1/2 in.
And, it has 7 tuning slides!

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 7:04 pm

Kenton wrote:This old Conn doesn't seem to match up with any Conn lists.

It dates to 1918, SN#154652. I suspect it may be a transitional model as Conn was changing from helicons and raincatcher to a bell front sousa. At least I don't recall seeing another sousa with a detachable bell bow.....

Kenton... my 'frankenhelicon' has that option. Of course, it didn't come from the factory like this!

Kenton · Post by **Kenton** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 7:53 pm

It does look like like good ideas do get recycled! What is the model of your helicon body? Bore?

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 10:38 pm

Kenton wrote:It does look like like good ideas do get recycled! What is the model of your helicon body? Bore?

It started as a pre-1985 Conn 14K (.737" bore). I added the 4th valve that was sacrificed by another like valve section. It is pictured here with the latest helicon bell. A 'raincatcher' bell is on the table as a future project.

I just finished a valve job on the helicon a couple of weeks ago and took it to 'Windjammers' last week for a 'shakedown'. It performed very well.

Kenton · Post by **Kenton** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 11:01 pm

ok, I was working on the suspicion that this horn was an adaptation of one of the horns that were later identified as the 1919 models. They had both helicons and raincatchers at that point. Unfortunately, I don't have bore sizes or other data to narrow it down.

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Thu Jan 24, 2013 10:17 am

Kenton,

I have seen others, so this was transitional.

My guess if that the collars are the same diameter, then in could be used outside (bell forward, with intermediate collar) or inside (bell up, without intermediate collar).

Sousa rarely marched with his own band, and disliked the directness of the helicon inside, so it would make sense if used by other bands.

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Interesting old Conn Sousa

Interesting old Conn Sousa

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