1920s Conn identification help

BlackLemonade · New Member Joined: 17 Dec 2020 Posts: 2

Hello, all. I'm hoping to get some help before I possibly purchase this instrument...

I'm looking at this 1924/1925 Conn and the seller thinks it's a 22B NYS. Looking at the images on the Conn Loyalist website, though, it looks like it could be a 26B or 27B (unfortunately the seller doesn't have the ability to measure the bore). Here are some pictures:

Anyone have a guess?

Also, the valves apparently look like this:

Are those concerning at all or is that just old oil that can be (easily) cleaned off? He's asking for $600, which assuming the trumpet plays, doesn't seem to be too crazy compared to what I've seen elsewhere lately.

Thanks.

cplt · Regular Member Joined: 18 Jul 2020 Posts: 29 Location: NYC

It looks like a pretty nice horn!

It's almost certainly a 22B -- Conn made an absurd amount of them in the 20s.

Judging by the serial number, it should be late enough that the model number would be stamped on the underside of the mouthpiece receiver. Did the seller say whether there's anything there?

As for the valves, those look pretty shot. Almost all of these old Conns have terrible compression. It seems like a lot of people don't mind playing them with a thicker valve oil, but I used to have a 1924-ish 22B with rebuilt valves that played circles around any other 22B I've tried. (Never should have sold that one.)

$600 is a bit steep for a 22B -- you might have better luck camping out for one on eBay. Ones in decent shape come up pretty frequently. (There's an ugly-looking 26B that's up right now, but with some clean-up it could be a nice horn.) But again, almost all of them will need a valve rebuild to play the way that they can.

BlackLemonade · New Member Joined: 17 Dec 2020 Posts: 2

I asked about any stampings on the receiver but the seller said he didn't see anything there.

Well good to know about the valves. I'm not looking to buy something that's going to require a few hundred more to make it playable.

yourbrass · Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2020 9:29 pm Post subject:

They were good horns in their day - 100 years ago.
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bunny · Veteran Member Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 230

Had a 2B from that era with very similar valves. I must say that thick oil such as Hetman 3 didn't help as much as it has with some other old horns I own.

OldSchoolEuph · Heavyweight Member Joined: 07 Apr 2012 Posts: 2441

I can't match the bell engraving to any 24/25 22B I have seen, but that doesn't mean its not a 22B. The problem is that 22B and 26B horns look identical unless you get matched orthogonal images to compare.

The valves are covered in a shellac of old oil that dried. They may not be too bad. They have been rebuilt. You would have to clean them and see if they are still tight (from the lack of wear on the horn, I would think a first valve job would still be in good shape)

- the price of 22Bs has doubled in the last 24 months. The last two I bought, a silver plated that plays perfect with valves tighter than new ran me about $800 and a recently cosmetically overhauled and gold plated that plays well despite poor compression ran me $700.
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2017 Austin Winds Stage 466
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1927 Conn 22B
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