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Conn CONNSTELLATION 28M ALTO saxophone X'lnt
Item # 1446912123
Music:Musical Instruments:Woodwind:Saxophone
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Currently $360.00   (reserve not yet met) First bid $350.00
Quantity 1 # of bids 2   bid history
Time left 6 days, 12 hours +
Location Just Saxes, New Orleans
Country/Region USA/New Orleans
Started Jul-13-01 20:38:10 PDT envelope mail this auction to a friend
Ends Jul-20-01 20:38:10 PDT watch this item watch this item
Seller (Rating) tungp (59) star about me
view comments in seller's Feedback Profile | view seller's other auctions | ask seller a question
High bid saxappraiser (21) star
Payment Money Order/Cashiers Checks. Personal Checks. Other. See item description for payment methods accepted
Shipping Buyer pays actual shipping charges. Seller ships internationally (worldwide). See item description for shipping charges.
Item Revised Before First Bid To review revisions made to this item by the seller, click here .

Seller assumes all responsibility for listing this item. You should contact the seller to resolve any questions before bidding. Auction currency is U.S. dollars ( $ ) unless otherwise noted.
Description
1952 Vintage Conn
28M
* CONNSTELLATION *
Alto Saxophone

(Ser. no. 346,xxx)

If you've been looking for one, here it is:  Conn's rarest, most uniquely designed, most sought after horn - the company's last, spectacular, truly professional-line saxophone. A radical departure from the vintage Conn 6M lines, the Connstellation builds on many of the keywork advances of the Connqueror alto; the sound is brighter than the 6M or Connqueror, with greater focus and projection. On the Connstellation in question, the lacquer is all original, and the horn is very well preserved both cosmetically and mechanically.  It's been completely, and newly, overhauled and carefully set-up for optimal response.

Saxophone has total of three flaws, all carefully detailed in photos below: (1) very subtle bend in front lip of bell, (2) tiny ding under octave key mechanism, just below neck tenon, and (3) Torn corner on plastic guard (described & pictured in detail below). Otherwise, the horn is completely dent/ding/ping free, and has only normal lacquer wear, primarily on the flanks of the neck.

(very graphics heavy listing - please excuse the wait during loading)
 


* Outstanding player *

Features:

85-90% original lacquer
 
 

..
Completely overhauled with Conn "Reso-Pads," resonators custom sized for best response

OVERHAUL DETAILS:
- completely cleansed & disinfected, inside & out -
- complete recorking & refelting, new neck cork -
- springs replaced as needed, carefully & individually tensioned -
- every linkage & keyheight attentively adjusted, & readjusted after break-in period -
- complete repadding, Ferree's "Conn Reso-Pads" with custom sized ('oversized') resos -
- guaranteed leak free -
(FOR MORE INFO, PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINK)
 
 

.
....
Body tube straight and lovely, mechanism 100% sound, key tubes tight
 
 

..
.

Unique 28M key layout:
- Renowned Santy Runyon-designed "Balanced Action":  very fast, comfortable & natural -
- Unique key leverage design, enabling extremely comfortable, light side-key & spatula action -
- Uniquely designed F# trill -
- Unprecedented pivot lever octave key mechanism -
- Underslung neck octave key -
- Unprecedented 3 octave vent design! -
- Connqueror reminiscent key foot & linkage design, with foot pegs secured by set screws -
- Uniquely designed side key ergonics, taking into account angle of hand's motion -
 
 

...

Neck in excellent condition: round & lovely at both ends;
no dents/pings/dings;
nice, snug tenon fit
 

..
Art-Deco styled plastic guard in very good condition.
Torn corner at bottom right, but guard is secure at all screw in points,
roughly 85-90% intact - unusually good for these guards.
 

A FEW MORE DETAIL PICS:

..
..



* Sold with 7-day refund guarantee (please see below for terms) *
 

* Excellent condition Protec case included *

* Original, factory-installed pads (with complete set of resonators) included at buyer's request *



 
 
A few links to sites with info on 28M's:

Vintage Sax Gallery - photos, article

Saxgourmet.com - original Santy Runyon advertisement for 28M, requires "Adobe Acrobat Reader"

Steve Goodson's Vintage Saxophone Value Guide -
features a bit of commentary on the 28M


 
 

 
Q & A:

Why are you selling?

This is a really terrific horn, with the best feeling action of any alto I've owned.  Originally, I planned to keep this horn and sell two tenors, as I allow myself only a few horns for my personal collection.  One of the tenors, however, won't let me sell it.  It comes down to a choice between a '32 transitional Conn tenor, and the 28M alto, or between a tenor and alto, and tenor is my main instrument of study.  The price is heady, but well below general market value, and other 28M's priced higher in other stores aren't likely to be completely overhauled, & playing like new, as this one is.
 

Is the finish original?

Yes, as certainly as can be ascertained about any lacquered horn (silver-plating is a much simpler and more foolproof question than lacquer).  The engraving is deep & sharp, sticky to the touch.  The patina to the finish is exactly what you'd expect for a well-cared-for, clear-lacquer-over-bare-brass finish; clear lacquer over polished brass was the conventional factory finish for the 28M.  There are no signs of any dent repair, or even spot relacquering, anywhere on the horn.
 

How can I be assured that the overhaul and subsequent work on the saxophone was done to a high standard of quality?

Although I'm relatively new to the saxophone as a player - about 2 yrs of committed study - I've been very lucky in terms of receiving good instruction in repair.  I learned the basics of saxophone overhaul and repair from a local repairman named Joe Haddad (in Houma, LA), who very generously taught me the basics of overhauling saxophones.  Joe repairs wind and brass instruments, roughly according to the approaches taught at Allied Music in Elkhart, Indiana, and in the repair manuals by Ronald Saska and Eric Brand.  What I learned from Joe has been fortified, and has evolved, through many conversations with numerous saxophone technicians who have been very generous with their knowledge and time, as well as by hands-on instruction and contact with, and the repairing of many horns.  I'm particularly indebted to Steve Goodson for his generosity as a friend and teacher (for more, please see my "About Me" page -- & please do note that the website is still under construction).  To get an idea of the very minimum I do for an overhaul, a point-by-point listing is available in my website's "Services" area (link provided below).
 
 

What's the story with the guarantee?

As with all my auctions, the horn may be returned within 7-days of confirmed receipt, provided that it arrives properly packaged, insured, and unharmed.  I don't offer a refund of shipping as I incur costs for listing the horn on eBay, as well as commission fees of about 2.5-4% on the sale itself, and these are not refunded to me in the case of a return.

By sharing the burden of the return overhead in the transaction, the buyer is protected from being saddled with a horn that doesn't satisfy, while I am protected from bidders whose intention from the start is only to "window shop."  To this point, no buyer has ever requested a return on any horn purchased from me, nor have I fielded a single complaint as to the horns' set-ups or Just Saxes' service.  I do recognize, however, that there's a significant amount of uncertainty associated with buying a saxophone on eBay, and I offer the guarantee in order to protect both the buyer and myself, in good faith.
 


Shipping Details:
    Buyer pays actual shipping cost, to be estimated prior to shipping, and then adjusted after actual
shipping receipt is in hand.  For an alto, shipped within the U.S., shipping should come to roughly $30
to most destinations. Internationally, fast air-rates tend to be between US$100-150 for
safe transit times (3-7 days).
    I prefer to ship by US Postal Service as UPS's insurance policies and claim-processing practices are abominable.  Buyers may choose other shippers, but return guarantee is valid only with shipping by USPS, as there is too much danger of irredeemable damage when using other shippers.

    Preferred payment is Postal Money Order, especially for international transactions.  PayPal is
available upon request, but there's a 3% fee for using it, which the buyer will have to pay (not
included in refund, in event of a return).  Personal check and cashier's check also OK, but checks
have to clear prior to shipping.  International bidders may choose direct transfer, but will have to pay
the banking fees (usually about $50 -- $40 from their own bank, $10 from mine).

    The saxophone will be shipped with the keys securely clamped down, in a good condition, high-quality Protec case. Case itself will be suspended in soft packing materials in another sturdy double box.

    I'll ship within 2 business days of confirmed payment.

To find out more about me, please feel welcome to use the
links below, and to send inquiries by email using the "email" link.
You'll find an "About me" page under "About Just Saxes."
 
Take me back to the homepage!
Current Inventory About Just Saxes
Old Friends & New  (gallery & Ref's) Services
Policies Contact
Links Email

 

* Thanks for checking out this auction! *





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Conn CONNSTELLATION 28M ALTO saxophone X'lnt
Item # 1446912123
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