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Dale Proctor
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 26 May 2005
Posts: 9375
Location: Heart of Dixie
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 Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 3:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Matt Graves wrote: | Here is a real beauty, although it is going to need an overhaul!
Just bought it off Ebay. An 1899 Conn Wonder Cornet in B flat with original case and changes to A and C. Take a look at this engraving!!! |
Very pretty cornet, and a really old Conn, too. Congrats on the win. Hope it plays to suit you.
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"Brass bands are all very well in their place - outdoors and several miles away ." - Sir Thomas Beecham |
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Matt Graves
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 19 Dec 2001
Posts: 836
Location: Brooklyn NY
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| Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 3:45 pm Post subject: |
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Dale:
I was amazed to find the valves to be in decent condition
after 109 years, all slides move fine and give a nice pop when
pulled! There is significant plating loss, though, around the contact points.
It is going to cost a pretty penny to have this one done right.
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BAC Custom Dream Trumpet |
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CBJammin103
Regular Member
Joined: 13 Mar 2006
Posts: 18
Location: New Orleans, LA
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| Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 4:32 pm Post subject: |
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Wow! 
I guess I'm going to either have to work overtime in the day job or gig a lot more to save up for horns like some of these. 
Are the more eloquent of these engravings typically done on the "factory" side of things or are they done after the horn is bought? I've seriously never seen horns as unique as some of these before.
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OASAASLLS |
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A.N.A.Mendez
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 27 Jul 2005
Posts: 5228
Location: ca.
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| Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 5:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Matt Graves wrote: | gringoloco:
I am not sure yet. I have inquired via email to Rich Ita and the people at Oberloh and have not received a reply yet. Any other suggestions?
bilboinsa:
I watched it for some time, also. Got outbid at first. Tracked down the winner and just had to have it!!! So now I am probably going to end up selling my Selmer Claude Gordon C trumpet in mint condition. Any takers? |
Charlie Melk
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☛ "No matter how cynical you get, it's never enough to keep up" Lily Tomlin☚ |
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Winghorn
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 07 Apr 2006
Posts: 2164
Location: Olympia, Washington
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| Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 5:06 pm Post subject: |
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For classic brass restoration, Robb Stewart is the best IMHO. He can be expensive, though, and probably has a pretty long waiting list. But if you want the best....
Regards
Steve Allison |
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excelsiorcornetband
Regular Member
Joined: 15 Mar 2005
Posts: 53
Location: Syracuse, NY
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| Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 5:36 pm Post subject: |
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| CBJammin103 wrote: | Wow!
I guess I'm going to either have to work overtime in the day job or gig a lot more to save up for horns like some of these.
Are the more eloquent of these engravings typically done on the "factory" side of things or are they done after the horn is bought? I've seriously never seen horns as unique as some of these before. |
This sort of engraving was done in-house at the largest manufacturers such as Conn and H.N. White, and generally farmed out by the smaller makers. For instance, for almost 100 years, Conn had a large engraving department, with a succession of highly skilled master engravers, among them Jake Gardner (who engraved many masterpieces before and shortly after 1900 (he engraved Patrick Gilmore's spectacular Conn Wonder, which has to rank with the best cornets I've ever played) and brothers Julius and "Doc" Stenberg, who apprenticed with Gardner, and were responsible for the finest engraving on Conn New Wonder/Victor era horns. The engraving department was always a tremendous bottleneck, especially after the factory was unionized, and by the 1930s the company had standardized on simpler art deco designs that were much quicker to engrave, but eliminated much of the individual artistic discretion of the engravers. Conn also tried automatic engraving machines, with indifferent results; by the 1960s, hand-engraving was not cost-effective, and almost none was being done except on special order. Today's laser engraving is, in my opinion, a pale and soulless shadow of the superb artistry of the best 19th- and early-20th-century instrument engravers. There are only a small handful of people living who can do this sort of engraving, and they concentrate primarily on engraving high-end collector guns, because that's where the money is. When I get a chance, I'll post some examples of Conn's pre- and post-1900 hand-engraving. |
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A.N.A.Mendez
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 27 Jul 2005
Posts: 5228
Location: ca.
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| Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 5:39 pm Post subject: |
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| excelsiorcornetband wrote: | | CBJammin103 wrote: | Wow!
I guess I'm going to either have to work overtime in the day job or gig a lot more to save up for horns like some of these.
Are the more eloquent of these engravings typically done on the "factory" side of things or are they done after the horn is bought? I've seriously never seen horns as unique as some of these before. |
This sort of engraving was done in-house at the largest manufacturers such as Conn and H.N. White, and generally farmed out by the smaller makers. For instance, for almost 100 years, Conn had a large engraving department, with a succession of highly skilled master engravers, among them Jake Gardner (who engraved many masterpieces before and shortly after 1900 (he engraved Patrick Gilmore's spectacular Conn Wonder, which has to rank with the best cornets I've ever played) and brothers Julius and "Doc" Stenberg, who apprenticed with Gardner, and were responsible for the finest engraving on Conn New Wonder/Victor era horns. The engraving department was always a tremendous bottleneck, especially after the factory was unionized, and by the 1930s the company had standardized on simpler art deco designs that were much quicker to engrave, but eliminated much of the individual artistic discretion of the engravers. Conn also tried automatic engraving machines, with indifferent results; by the 1960s, hand-engraving was not cost-effective, and almost none was being done except on special order. Today's laser engraving is, in my opinion, a pale and soulless shadow of the superb artistry of the best 19th- and early-20th-century instrument engravers. There are only a small handful of people living who can do this sort of engraving, and they concentrate primarily on engraving high-end collector guns, because that's where the money is. When I get a chance, I'll post some examples of Conn's pre- and post-1900 hand-engraving. |
I'm becoming more and more aware that you, sir, are a great plus to this forum! 
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"There is no necessity for deadly strife" A. Lincoln 1860
☛ "No matter how cynical you get, it's never enough to keep up" Lily Tomlin☚ |
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excelsiorcornetband
Regular Member
Joined: 15 Mar 2005
Posts: 53
Location: Syracuse, NY
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| Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 5:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Winghorn wrote: | For classic brass restoration, Robb Stewart is the best IMHO. He can be expensive, though, and probably has a pretty long waiting list. But if you want the best....
Regards
Steve Allison |
Robb Stewart has restored nine of my pre-Civil-War and Civil-War-era instruments, and his work is uniformly spectacular. Rich Ita has also restored rare antique instruments for me, to a similar extremely high standard. I can highly recommend them both without reservation. |
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A.N.A.Mendez
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 27 Jul 2005
Posts: 5228
Location: ca.
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| Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 5:46 pm Post subject: |
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These King sterling silver bells are a fine example of engraving in the good days, I believe these go to the influence of Mr. F.A. Reynolds.
This instrument belongs to a friend of mine, Murray.
 
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"There is no necessity for deadly strife" A. Lincoln 1860
☛ "No matter how cynical you get, it's never enough to keep up" Lily Tomlin☚ |
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A.N.A.Mendez
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 27 Jul 2005
Posts: 5228
Location: ca.
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| Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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And those are NOT cases hanging in my garage in the bell reflection, they are not! they are not!
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"There is no necessity for deadly strife" A. Lincoln 1860
☛ "No matter how cynical you get, it's never enough to keep up" Lily Tomlin☚ |
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mpo
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 24 Apr 2008
Posts: 577
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| Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 7:15 pm Post subject: |
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Here are some updated pictures of my horns:
My C7:
My Committee:
My 6310Z:
Last edited by mpo on Mon Jul 28, 2008 7:32 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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A.N.A.Mendez
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 27 Jul 2005
Posts: 5228
Location: ca.
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| Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 7:19 pm Post subject: |
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Very nice! What year is your Committee?
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"There is no necessity for deadly strife" A. Lincoln 1860
☛ "No matter how cynical you get, it's never enough to keep up" Lily Tomlin☚ |
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mpo
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 24 Apr 2008
Posts: 577
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| Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 7:33 pm Post subject: |
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| A.N.A.Mendez wrote: | | Very nice! What year is your Committee? |
1954 |
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MU37strd
Veteran Member
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 129
Location: Moscow, Pa
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| Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 7:35 am Post subject: |
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I'm not very good with a camera, but here's what I have laying around the house at the moment. I don't have anything as nice as a lot of you but they all play pretty well.
I also have a 49 committee but my brother is using it now so i don't have any pictures.
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Schilke B1
L.A. Benge C-trumpet
Yamaha YFH-631 Flugel
Last edited by MU37strd on Thu Jul 31, 2008 8:43 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Dale Proctor
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 26 May 2005
Posts: 9375
Location: Heart of Dixie
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| Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 8:16 am Post subject: |
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_________________
"Brass bands are all very well in their place - outdoors and several miles away ." - Sir Thomas Beecham |
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gringoloco
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 04 Jan 2005
Posts: 1197
Location: Mérida, Yucatan
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| Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 10:09 am Post subject: |
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People are still doing this kind of hand custom engraving:
http://www.dumarsengraving.com/
http://www.artisticengraving.com/index2.htm
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Last edited by gringoloco on Thu Jul 31, 2008 11:07 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Dale Proctor
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 26 May 2005
Posts: 9375
Location: Heart of Dixie
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| Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 10:19 am Post subject: |
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I had this cornet engraved at Artistic Engraving - Sherry does beautiful work. Here's the earlier post:
| Dale Proctor wrote: | | A.N.A.Mendez wrote: | | I was just thinking, where is that beautiful Bach ? |
Thar she blows...
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"Brass bands are all very well in their place - outdoors and several miles away ." - Sir Thomas Beecham
Last edited by Dale Proctor on Wed Feb 16, 2022 1:19 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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chenzo
Regular Member
Joined: 24 May 2008
Posts: 61
Location: Australia
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| Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 4:39 am Post subject: my babies |
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[
IMG]http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/vdphoto/P8010133.jpg[/IMG]
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excelsiorcornetband
Regular Member
Joined: 15 Mar 2005
Posts: 53
Location: Syracuse, NY
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| Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 8:06 am Post subject: |
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Here are some pics of Conn engravng from two different eras. First, a Conn "Superior Class" Eb cornet #2435, circa 1878, with engraving probably done by Jake Gardner:
(For a fabulous example of Gardner's engraving skill, check out Artur Pryor's trombone, owned by Steve Dillon: http://www.dillonmusic.com/Arthur_pryor_tbone/APryor_Trombone.htm)
Next, a Conn 40B "Slimline Vocabell Connqueror" trumpet, #289370. circa 1933, with full-length art deco bell engraving and full burnished goldplate finish. Note the fine and subtle shading in some areas around the pixie. I don't know who the engraver on this one was, but those guys sure knew their stuff, in spite of the limitations imposed by Conn's standardized designs of the era.
This horn is a real murderer for swing-era music--just fantastic.
Sorry about the mediocre quality of the pics; I figure I can either practice my photograpy or practice the horn, and either spend my $ on a good camera or on another horn. Guess what's my choice? 
I'll post some more pics as time permits. |
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excelsiorcornetband
Regular Member
Joined: 15 Mar 2005
Posts: 53
Location: Syracuse, NY
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| Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 9:32 am Post subject: |
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Here's another example of the Conn engraving department's work: a Conn 80A Victor New Wonder, #169616, circa 1920, a custom order in full burnished goldplate. Deluxe engraving done by Julius Stenberg; his classic "Leda & the Swan" design.
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