“Connie” Alto Sax.
She was made in the C.G. Conn Ltd factory in ’53 .
I was told by the eminent American saxophone collector Ron Semak that he bought her as proto-type from the factory in Elkhart Indiana in ’77. He had about 2000 other horns and didn’t play the sax so she was left un-played in his large collection of one- offs.
Shortly after this, Conn sold their factory to Macmillan publishing and moved production to Mexico.
The Elkhart Indiana factory was responsible for Conns world wide reputation. Models like the 'Naked Ladies' range ('30s - '50s), so named because of their engravings and regarded among the best in the world.
The Elkhart factory also turned out Selmers under licence and their own cheaper range of student horns- Pan Ams. The Pan Ams weren’t a stencil model but a separate company owned by Conn.
After the move to Mexico Conn then designed and made a range of 'M' series horns that were of poorer materials made by lesser skilled underpaid staff to cheaper design. One theory is they had exhausted their supply of spent WW2 cartridge shell brass.
The ‘M’ series horns made in Mexico known as Directors and shooting stars, ruined Conn’s reputation, (pretty much to date).
Collector Ron Semak retired and moved to Hawaii in ‘08 and sold off his entire collection on e-bay as his pension. I was drawn towards the advert, “ New 1953 prototype Conn for sale”.
After a year of complete rebuild she is finished and playing. I would like to have her engraved as a finishing touch but I am not sure what to have.
Nev Bonner
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