One "Naked Lady" at a very reasonable price.

[Chas]

I was out vintage clothing shopping, and drew nothing of interest, until I headed over to an antique store near Gastown. I saw the old sax case on the floor, and, as is my established procedure, I checked her out. I already play a '29 Conn Chu Berry Tenor, so I looked. I failed to keep my usual composure after seeing what it was, and what the store asked for it. You DON'T want to know what I paid for it. It is a 1934 Conn 6M Alto, one of the flagship Conn Saxophones - one of the legendary "Naked Lady" Conn's.

Already in playable condition, but she needs a repad, and some minor adjustments. She ROARS!

 

[shortbow]

:eusa_clap Unbelievable.

 

[Forgotten Man]

Swell! I know nothing about saxes or vintage instruments for that matter but, I know I like their sound much better then the new ones!

You'll enjoy playing it I'm sure once you get her right. Say, when you do, film your self playing it and post it on YouTube and then you can push the middle valve down, and the music goes around and around, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh oh, and it comes out HERE!

 

[duggap]

Chas, just put some new clothes on that lovely lady and blow us a song. Congrad on your find.:eusa_clap

 

[Chas]

Well, I just bought two lovely vintage mouthpieces from Sarge at World Wide Sax in Everett, Wa. A 30's Conn Eagle and a King (probably the same piece that came with the ethereal King Zephyr) and both sound sublime.

His workshop/showroom is my Disneyland. DAMN!! Got my eye on a 40s King Zephyr he has there. Be still, my fleeting heart.

World Wide Sax

I will be posting something on youtube hopefully this week. Life is good. I'm gonna be in serious pain when I move to Australia next year. Sarge is the real deal.

 

[Miss 1929]

Fabulous find!!!!

That is so swell!
I do know the feeling...I traded an electric piano I didn't need or want for a 1930 white baby grand...which is in storage as i have not got room for two pianos. Saxes are so much more compact...

 

[Fletch]

A fellow saxoholic responds

Great find Chas! You have one of the mysterious "topside neck" altos, an early variant of model 6M (which was made from 1931-'69 in one form or another - the longest production run of any saxophone, ever).

Most 6Ms, as you no doubt know, have the "underslung" neck with octave lever on the bottom and the "microtuner" sleeve.

The topside neck was an option from about 1932-'37. My 1937 silver plated 6MVIII model is a topsider as well, the latest I know of and the only one I've seen with the redesigned "VIII" neck (which plays just a little b@llsier and better in tune.)

Johnny Hodges with his 1932 6M.

The topside 6M turns up in many pix of name bands of the era - Johnny Hodges and Willie Smith used them, as did the Jan Garber and Dick Jurgens orks. That high professional profile led some to nickname it the "New York neck." The real reason pros used it was the lack of condensation in an upward facing octave hole, plus the ease of large tuning adjustments. A neck with no tuner sleeve is less precise, but a LOT faster (which is why the sleeve fell out of use - Conn had dropped it by the '50s).

And amazingly enough, the topside and underslung 6Ms have totally different octave systems - you can't use one neck with the other horn. [huh]

 

[Chas]

Thanks for the info, Fletch. I am pretty new to the Sax, but am having a heck of alot of fun with it. There is one more horn that I am seriously looking for- A King Zephyr Tenor. I love my Chu Berry, but love the big sound the Kings get at the lower register. If you are in the Seattle area anytime soon, definitely go check out World Wide Sax.