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Conn Director



 
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tromba mann
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Joined: 23 Jan 2003
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Location: Northern Virginia

PostPosted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 5:20 pm    Post subject: Conn Director Reply with quote

My brother in law just willed his old H.S. horn to his son (my nephew). It's a Conn Director Model P-489xx stamped with Conn on the bell (band members marching, etc.). Japan is also stamped on it on the bottom of the valve cluster, I believe. A 19B or maybe a 21B? The raw brass I can see on the bell peeking through the missing lacquer doesn't look like anything special.

Would this make it a post-MacMillan (sp?) horn and thus virtually worthless?

I checked out the Conn Loyalist site to get the info above. The serial number dates this horn to 1971.

Badly peeling lacquer, two soldering jobs needed for the braces between the bell and valves and leadpipe and valves and the pinky rest has come off. No dents. Valves compress, etc. No signs of red rot, but the leadpipe is nasty with crud.

Debating recommending a newer used horn weighed against what I imagine would be a $300 job to fix, clean and re-lacquer the old Connie.

Thoughts?
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Jon Arnold
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Joined: 07 Jan 2002
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 6:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

scrap it and buy a decent horn for the kid.
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Conn6B
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Joined: 02 Dec 2008
Posts: 816
Location: Kentucky

PostPosted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 6:51 pm    Post subject: Re: Conn Director Reply with quote

A post-1969 student-level Conn Director is not worth spending $300 to fix.

I am a fan of Conn instruments,
and I used to own a Conn Director,
and I know that a vintage professional 1960's Conn 22B in good condition can sometimes be bought on eBay for $300.

- Morris
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ConnArtist
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Joined: 20 Mar 2008
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Location: La-la Land (corner of 13th and 13th)

PostPosted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 7:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pretty worthless in that state

1971 cornets in that condition go for $20-50 on ebay for brass bells, and maybe $50-150 if copper bell. If you are talking trumpets, for some reason those go for about half the cornet prices for this brand and genre.

They are decent solid horns though... If your nephew has yet to try playing trumpet, it would be a good one for him to tootle on for a month or so to decide if he wants to stick with trumpet. If you have the space for it, it would also be good to keep around as the designated marching band horn.

I always used my beater for marching band, and never understood the guys bringing their silver Bachs out for that stuff. Proved quite a wise decision when an upper-cut from a twirling flag folded the bell in half!
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"Stomvi" PhrankenPhlugel w/ Blessing copper bell
1958 Conn 18A cornet
1962 Conn 9A cornet (yes, the Unicorn )
Reynolds Onyx cornet
c. 1955? Besson 10-10 trumpet
1939 Martin Imperial Handcraft “Model 37”
1986 Bach Strad 37 ML
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ohiotpt
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Joined: 25 Jan 2008
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 8:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I bought an auction Director cornet ($35) about 13 years ago so the kids could have a horn to try out and maybe take a liking (they didn't) I forgot about it until cleaning out the basement a few months ago. The valves worked out of the case as did the slides and suprisingly a decent player. I was going to use it as an experimental horn to try taking the Lacquer off..but that's the extent of how much money I would invest into this horn.

(My first trumpet was a Director in those Samsonite style trumpet case).
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Lots of horns available to try and buy (or just try) in the Florida Treasure Coast area (Especially Kanstul trumpets) - PM if you'd like to stop by.
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tromba mann
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Joined: 23 Jan 2003
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Location: Northern Virginia

PostPosted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 3:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks all. I had a sneaking suspicion but I wanted to bounce it off the TH Collective.

I'll recommend they let it die with dignity or keep it for marching practice as suggested. I used my old Bundy that way once I got my next horn.
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plp
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 6:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nothing special, for sure. The only claim to fame with these were they were produced for Conn by Yamaha for that one year, 1971. I had one of the more rare nickel plated Victors, same configuration with a 1st valve trigger, and one of my bandmates has the copper belled Director, same configuration. I donated the Victor to a school program in need, while a decent player I had a dozen others that were better cornets.
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Since all other motivesfame, money, power, even honorare thrown out the window the moment I pick up that instrument..... I play because I love doing it, even when the results are disappointing. In short, I do it to do it. Wayne Booth
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