Lacquer on Conn 6B

Brassnose · Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2024 10:40 am Post subject: Lacquer on Conn 6B

My Conn 6B has fairly significant red rot in the tuning slide and will need to be replaced at some point. Now I was wondering what lacquer Conn was using - somehow my horn looks like the brass parts are gold lacquer rather than plain clear lacquer.

As I’d like it to look original after a repair I’d be interested in suggestions for the lacquer job for a new tuning slide to match the bell color. Will ask my tech anyway but maybe someone has already done something similar.
_________________
2019 Martin Schmidt eXcellence
1992 Bach 43GH/43
1989 Kühnl & Hoyer Model 15 flugel
1980/2023 Custom Blessing Scholastic C 😎
1977 Conn 6B
1951 Buescher 400 Lightweight
AR Resonance, Frate, Klier

Dale Proctor · Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2024 10:47 am Post subject:

The lacquer (and possibly the brass under it) has darkened over the years. Find a shop that does slightly-tinted lacquer and it should match pretty well.

I had some work done on the 3rd valve dump slide on an old Bach cornet, and the shop sprayed it with tinted lacquer. It matched the rest of the horn very nicely.
_________________
"Brass bands are all very well in their place - outdoors and several miles away ." - Sir Thomas Beecham

Brassnose · Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2024 10:50 am Post subject:

Thanks; that’s what I suspected but wasn’t sure.
_________________
2019 Martin Schmidt eXcellence
1992 Bach 43GH/43
1989 Kühnl & Hoyer Model 15 flugel
1980/2023 Custom Blessing Scholastic C 😎
1977 Conn 6B
1951 Buescher 400 Lightweight
AR Resonance, Frate, Klier

yourbrass · Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2024 8:32 am Post subject:

Conn's lacquer was known as "Lustre-Conn" It's a really tough product that was probably baked on at the factory.

Stripping it will require a hot strip bath, pretty noxious stuff. The easier way is to buff it off and relacquer the part after a thorough cleaning. It will be good for years after.
_________________
"Strive for tone." -John Coppola
Edwards X-13
ACB MV3C /ACB A1/26 backbore
https://yourbrass.com/

Brassnose · Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2024 9:29 am Post subject:

No plans to strip and re-lacquer - the tuning slide, although perfectly functional at the moment, is in a bad state of red-rotting out. Sooner or later I’ll need a new slide and was just wondering how I could match the color of the new tuning slide to the rest of the horn (the brass section of it). Good to know that the Conn lacquer is fairly robust, though, as I don’t like raw brass horns so much.
_________________
2019 Martin Schmidt eXcellence
1992 Bach 43GH/43
1989 Kühnl & Hoyer Model 15 flugel
1980/2023 Custom Blessing Scholastic C 😎
1977 Conn 6B
1951 Buescher 400 Lightweight
AR Resonance, Frate, Klier

yourbrass · Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2024 11:59 am Post subject:

If you can get several candidates for replacement crooks, you might want to play test before deciding. Leadpipe, tuning crook, and bell, the three most critical points in the horn in their ranked order of importance.

My opinion, which is based on loads of practical experience.
_________________
"Strive for tone." -John Coppola
Edwards X-13
ACB MV3C /ACB A1/26 backbore
https://yourbrass.com/