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Martin Heavyweight Member
Joined: 18 Nov 2001 Posts: 1168 Location: Vienna/Austria
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Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2005 4:26 am Post subject: |
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Hans wrote: | Only a handful of SS-horns were sold in Europe. Mostly because of the name . Conn would have been smart if they renamed the model before the sent them over here. |
I had the same thought. There´s just not much awareness about these things overseas... |
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badebop Heavyweight Member
Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 1591 Location: Lacon, IL
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Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 11:10 am Post subject: |
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I purchased gregplo's SS-1 from him. Compared to my SS-4 the SS-1 has more resistence...I would say a lot of resistence in relation to other horns I have played. The SS-4 is more open. I think it takes someone of Doc's caliber to make the SS-1 sing. It's a lot of work.
On the other hand, the 1000B "Doc" trumpet is very open and speaks very quickly, with moderate resistence, but you can't blow too hard or the sound will distort. For a student it would be a really great horn.
I also have a 1000B post-Doc trumpet. A different animal all together. A heavier horn with a hefty bell where you don't have to worry about holding back. More resistence than the "Doc," though. Slots well above high C.
If I were playing Big Band I'd use the SS-4
If I were playing small ensemble I'd use the "Doc" 1000B
If I were playing concert band I'd use the post-Doc 1000B
I don't know what I'll use the SS-1 for. A good practice horn I guess. Put all that resistence to use. |
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Timothy Connelly Regular Member
Joined: 06 Jan 2005 Posts: 91
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Posted: Thu May 05, 2005 11:19 am Post subject: |
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After leaving Getzen, Doc Severinsen did a brief stint with Conn. Severinsen seems to have been partial to Bachs and Bessons. He later explained that the Severinsen-Akright Bel Canto trumpet was an attempt (hardly the first) to emulate the old New York Bachs. It seems that the Conn Severinsens were also based on the Bach Stradivarius model. The Conn horns were designated "SS" ("Severinsen Series" ?), but did not bear Doc's name. When one of these was listed on eBay, the seller reported that there had been four models--the SS 1 (a bright lead/ solo horn which Doc himself played), the SS 2 (a light french type), and the SS 3 and 4 (which were darker in tone). Evidently the Conn Severinsens could be fitted with a variety of leadpipes and bells. I believe that they were manufactured in Texas. In my opinion, the valve casings could have come from the left over parts auctioned off by Olds in 1979. I purchased an SS 3 some time ago. It certainly appears to be a Bach clone, and seems to be a large-bore orchestral type of instrument.
Interestingly, Doc’s association with the Conn Severinsen seems to be more tenuous than that of other celebrity musicians with instruments named in their honor (e.g., Mendez, Hirt, Maynard Ferguson, Sandoval, etc.).
If my horn is any indication, the workmanship on the Conn Severinsens left a lot to be desired. The factory evidently counted on silver plating to conceal shoddy soldering; and it seems that the valves were simply dropped into the casings without any hand lapping (the serial number does not appear on the valves). The serial number on my trumpet is 02XX, which suggests that very few Conn Severinsens were made. They are good, but not great horns. Musicians who wanted Bachs, purchased Bachs, and Conn’s faux Stradivarius quickly fell by the wayside.
Tim |
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badebop Heavyweight Member
Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 1591 Location: Lacon, IL
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Posted: Fri May 06, 2005 5:48 am Post subject: |
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Timothy Connelly wrote: | The serial number on my trumpet is 02XX, which suggests that very few Conn Severinsens were made.
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As I mentioned in a previous post, my SS-4 serial # is 300623 so they either changed the numbering (maybe this was made after Doc left) or they made a whole lot of them. |
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meplaytrumpet Regular Member
Joined: 03 Aug 2003 Posts: 13 Location: Denver, CO
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GHughes New Member
Joined: 08 Dec 2012 Posts: 1 Location: Malvern, AR
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Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 6:25 pm Post subject: |
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I got my Con SS3 back in high school around '89 or '90 (serial #402528). The high range is wonderful, but the low range (like others have stated) is stuffy. Though I'm looking to upgrade relatively soon, it is still the horn I play on today. No complaints about this wonderful trumpet. |
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Tony Scodwell Heavyweight Member
Joined: 17 Oct 2005 Posts: 1961
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2012 9:20 am Post subject: Doc Conns |
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FYI, Dick Akright was very involved with all the design of the ill fated Severinsen/Conn venture after some initial work by Dave Monette. Conn was indeed making instruments in Texas then after Macmillon Publishing bought the company prior to selling it to Danny Henken who moved everything to Texas. Dick Akright was all set to become plant manager and decided it wasn't for him with the many problems obvious with quality and the workforce. Design was good, quality suffered and Doc split the sheets shortly thereafter and worked with Dick on the Bel Canto for a few years. I played some of the Conn horns through the years and if you find a good one, it should be a good buy. It still seems like the best playing horns Doc was involved with through his many permutations were the Getzen Eternas and the Bel Canto's, which continue to be outstanding instruments and some of the best used trumpets out there. The current Shires affiliation will be judged down the road I suppose.
Tony Scodwell
Scodwell USA Trumpets and Flugelhorns available in the US only from Washington Music Center, call Lee Walkowich at 301.946.8808 or now in Europe at Musik-Bertram, Freiburg, Germany. |
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michael manthey Heavyweight Member
Joined: 23 Dec 2005 Posts: 1116
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2012 1:36 pm Post subject: |
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I have to agree, the Getzen's & the Bel Canto's ... but let's not forget Scodwell #0106. Better than either I ever played; your horn but with a 23 guage bell. Still, I love my Scodwell #0105 ... 25 guage bell.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVLEMN0UDhI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQMv9mmWM-A _________________ Michael Manthey
Scodwell USA Trumpets
Stomvi USA FLEX Mpc
Bob Reeves Mpc's
Kanstul Mpc's
'The Brass Spa' Practice Mute
www.ultrapureoils.com
Maynard Ferguson BBN Band |
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yourbrass Heavyweight Member
Joined: 12 Jun 2011 Posts: 3630 Location: Pacifica, CA, USA
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2012 9:20 pm Post subject: |
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I may be wrong, but I believe Conn numbered the model as 100B, not 1000B.
I've seen a couple of them, didn't get a chance to play one. _________________ "Strive for tone." -John Coppola
Edwards X-13
ACB MV3C /ACB A1/26 backbore
https://yourbrass.com/ |
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DickieG64 Veteran Member
Joined: 17 Jan 2011 Posts: 114 Location: Weehawken, New Jersey
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Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2016 7:15 am Post subject: |
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Scodwell 0288 is a killer. Just a little aside.
Dick G. _________________ Chicago Benge Large bore 1947
Monette B993
Taylor Flugelhorn
Kanstul -Charlie Davis pic prototype never produced
Conn 80A Cornet
Taylor Flugle Horn
Kanstul-Charlie Davis Prototype Piccolo-never produced
1946 Conn 80A cornet |
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NYC-player Heavyweight Member
Joined: 03 Jun 2016 Posts: 627
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Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2016 7:23 am Post subject: Re: Doc Conns |
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Tony Scodwell wrote: | FYI, Dick Akright was very involved with all the design of the ill fated Severinsen/Conn venture after some initial work by Dave Monette. Conn was indeed making instruments in Texas then after Macmillon Publishing bought the company prior to selling it to Danny Henken who moved everything to Texas. Dick Akright was all set to become plant manager and decided it wasn't for him with the many problems obvious with quality and the workforce. Design was good, quality suffered and Doc split the sheets shortly thereafter and worked with Dick on the Bel Canto for a few years. I played some of the Conn horns through the years and if you find a good one, it should be a good buy. It still seems like the best playing horns Doc was involved with through his many permutations were the Getzen Eternas and the Bel Canto's, which continue to be outstanding instruments and some of the best used trumpets out there. The current Shires affiliation will be judged down the road I suppose.
Tony Scodwell
Scodwell USA Trumpets and Flugelhorns available in the US only from Washington Music Center, call Lee Walkowich at 301.946.8808 or now in Europe at Musik-Bertram, Freiburg, Germany. |
Yo Tony,
Congrats on all your successes man! I'm glad you're doing so well.
I've played a few of your horns and love them. Question:
Have you ever experimented with a medium bore block? I've been playing medium bore horns for a decade or so, and would jump at the chance to get a Scodwell M bore.
Thoughts??? |
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Odneal's Inferno Veteran Member
Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 424 Location: Houston (Baytown), Texas
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Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2018 8:47 am Post subject: |
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I recently bought a Conn Severinsen 1000B in great shape! It's a real player. Good sound, good slotting and good valves. Someone had put slide grease on the valves. I tried to clean them and couldn't get it all off until I got an idea. I tried WD40 Electrical Contact Cleaner! Success! I've seen some pictures of 1000B's with regular water keys, but this one has Amados and Severinsen in script across the bell. _________________ Bob Odneal
Maynard Ferguson Alumni
Casual Double High C method
Casual Double High C Zoom Lessons
Music Educator
www.bobodneal.com |
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