Conn Director bottom sprung valves -- a hassle?

[Subtropical and Subpar]

I'll toss in an endorsement for forgoing a Conn Director and getting a Victor or some other pro-level Conn instead. I believe they all have top-sprung valves.
Look into the 5A Victor, 9A Victor (if you can find one), and 28A Connstellation: all feature .485" bores, which is about as big as it gets in greater trumpetland. I acquired my 28A a few years ago for something in that undefined region between "a few hundred dollars" and "several hundred dollars" and I just adore it. Spend a bit more on a handful of mouthpieces of different depths and you have not just a cornet but a fine approximation of a trumpet and a flugelhorn as well. Plus it's built like a tank and the nickel plating is almost magical in its ability to not pick up fingerprints.
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1932 King Silvertone cornet
1936 King Liberty No. 2 trumpet
1958 Reynolds Contempora 44-M "Renascence" C
1962 Reynolds Argenta LB trumpet
1965 Conn 38A
1995 Bach LR18072
2003 Kanstul 991
2011 Schilke P5-4 B/G
2021 Manchester Brass flugel

[delano]

The 28A Connst. has a #1 bore (calibore) = 0.438

Maybe you meant the 38A Connstellation

It's difficult to say of the vintage Conn cornets whether they are pro or not but there are lots of old Conn cornets with bottom sprung valves like the 10A, 12A, 36A, 38A Victor, 80A and so on.

[James Becker]

As a side note. I became interested in exploring the XXL .485” bore back in the early 1980’s and built a cornet-trumpet hybrid from a Conn 15A Director. I mounted a Bach 25 mouthpipe and Reynolds Metalist bell (tuning bell) I’d opened up to match the bore. Greg Black who was studying trumpet at Appalachian State at the time called it a Corumpet, and the name stuck. It could be played with a wide variety of mouthpieces, but my favorite was the Mellophone 6V I’d played in drum & bugle corps, allowing me to produce a flugelhorn like tone.

This predates my awareness of hybrids by DeNiccola, Monette and others.
_________________
James Becker
Brass Repair Specialist Since 1977
Osmun Music Inc.
77 Powdermill Road Rt.62
Acton, MA 01720
www.osmun.com

Our workshop is as close as your nearest UPS store https://www.ups.com/dropoff?loc=en_US

[Subtropical and Subpar]

@delano,

Yes, I meant the 38A, not the 28A. The short model Connstellation. Thanks for the correction.
_________________
1932 King Silvertone cornet
1936 King Liberty No. 2 trumpet
1958 Reynolds Contempora 44-M "Renascence" C
1962 Reynolds Argenta LB trumpet
1965 Conn 38A
1995 Bach LR18072
2003 Kanstul 991
2011 Schilke P5-4 B/G
2021 Manchester Brass flugel

[Filius]

I appreciate the suggestions but I'm looking at the Director only as a learning experience, not as a final destination. I've been reading these forums for a couple of months and a lot of people are able to give opinions of these commonly found instruments, and how are they able to do so? Because they tried them at some point. So I'm just looking to try things out and form my own opinions. Once I've tried enough different horns I'll make up my mind what I want to spend some real money on.

Thanks again!

[Dennis78]

Unfortunately trying out student level instruments won’t give you much of an idea of much. All across the board student level instruments are pretty close to each other. Only in professional level instruments will you start to feel the difference in models and materials.
Student instruments are made to facilitate building skill and the lips. They’re built with a considerable amount of resistance regardless of bore.
Some are good but nowhere close to great. There are some intermediate horns that should be classed with pro level but a student instrument is just that.
For around $500 you can really start to get your feet wet
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a few different ones

[Filius]

Fair enough. I'll think about that. My first thought is, I don't have that kind of money to throw around. On the other hand, if I don't like something I could always sell it and buy something else. Still, sometimes you do see people raving about this or that student model being as good as a professional ...

[Jerry]

Filius, my first trumpet was a brand new Conn Director that my parents got for me after renting something else for less than a year. As a young teenager, I had no mechanical problems oiling or maintaining that trumpet at all. If the cornet is built the same, I would say you have no worries getting it.

[Peck Time]

Coming from the tuba, I like bottom sprung valves. They’re easy to oil (less valve to pull), easy to change spring strength too.

Just don’t lose the springs!

[jondrowjf@gmail.com]

What other cornets have you played? Have you played any modern cornets?
_________________
Jupiter 520 M shepherds crook
Denis Wick 4 W classic gold short shank mouthpiece
Getzen 4 B short shank mouthpiece
Vincent Bach 5 B short shank mouthpiece

[Filius]

I won't argue. As I said, for me it's a matter of gaining experience. Maybe after trying the Director and a few other student horns, and then a professional horn, I'll agree with you. We'll see.

[Dale Proctor]

The 15A Director I last owned was a very good student horn. Played well, was in tune, and had a fairly easy upper register. As I posted earlier, my only real complaint was the tone - it wasn’t very rich and sounded more like a trumpet than a cornet. I ended up giving it to one of my nephews who was just starting out in band, and he progressed very well with it.
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"Brass bands are all very well in their place - outdoors and several miles away ." - Sir Thomas Beecham

[jondrowjf@gmail.com]

I would skip buying a vintage student cornet. Have owed two Conn 17 A cornets and did love the look of them. You will soon outgrow the horn and will want to buy a new one. My recommendation would not to buy an older student horn. Buy a more modern step up or professional horn. What cornets have you played?
_________________
Jupiter 520 M shepherds crook
Denis Wick 4 W classic gold short shank mouthpiece
Getzen 4 B short shank mouthpiece
Vincent Bach 5 B short shank mouthpiece