Posted by Rob P-M on March 20, 2003 at 07:57:30:
In Reply to: Re: 1934 Conn bass instruments brochure posted by Rick Denney on March 20, 2003 at 02:32:52:
In this 12/34 Brochure, which is complete, there is no listing for 21J/23J/24J/25J. I think 1934 was the year Conn introduced the 2XJ and 20K short action valve horns. The largest demand then was primarily for 3 valve recording bell instruments, so that is what was offered first.
The 36J referenced in the description of the 30J/34J was the 36J shown on the next page (7) listing 32J, 36J, 80J -- that 36J is the four valve front action 26" recording bell horn, NOT the four vavle front action 34J/36J Orchestra Grand Bass with the 23" fixed upright bell in either BBb or CC which was available a little earlier and shown in an earlier brochure I have a copy of. That is the horn owned by Don Stauffer and shown in his book. I also have a 1931 or 32 Conn bass brochure which shows the recording bell 36J version.
Catalogs from the mid-1920's (Catalog 'A'- could be any time from 1919-25) show the Orchestra Grand, by 1931 it has been replaced by the recording bell horn.
I also have a 20's catalog, date uncertain but listed as Catalog 'C' which does not have either 34/36J version, but has a very interesting 4 front action valve "Phonograph Bass" in CC with a medium bore with a 15" recording bell, that the catalog states was first built expressly at the request of August Helleburg. Anyone ever see one of these? Seems to me that it looks like while these guys had their BATs, they also preferred smaller horns for solo work. It's widely known that Bill Bell preferred medium bore King rotary CC basses for symphony work and a 4valve King Eb sousaphone for band solo work.
What I find interesting in all of the catalogs I have seen is that while almost everything was shown in BBb and Eb, almost every complete catalog from King, Conn, York or Holton contains at least one reference something being available in CC, often only on special order, but nonetheless known and available. And there are hints that many symphony players used them, although most professionals in those days were not symphony men, but playing dance bands and the like, in which BBb and Eb horns predominated.
It looks to me like the shift to CC over the past 40 years is less novel than we thought, and resulted (as much as anything) from the emphasis in music schools on symphonic playing as the old live dance, theater and other professional bands disappeared. Thoughts?