24i Connstellation - kiss, marry, kill?

[hyperbolica]

One of the horns I really wanted was a 24i Connstellation euph/baritone. So I got one. But I rarely play it because it has a few issues.

1) The removable bell collar is somewhat out of round, so the bell doesn't fit on well.
2) Because of 1) the bell has been dropped when moving it, and it has a crease.
3) The entire horn may have been dropped on the receiver, and the leadpipe is bent a bit. It makes the mouthpiece angle odd, and I can't hold it properly to sit back in my La-z-boy and play as is my habit.
4) It has one of those fancy main tuning side tuning mechanisms that I argue all valve instruments should have, but it's not working or not working right, or I don't know how to use it.
5) It has a small shank receiver, which I'm not sure is good or bad. I suspect it's neither, but I've been hanging out in the euphonium forum too much, where they have a predictable and predetermined point of view.
6) I do like the more trombone-like sound, 4v in front, short travel valves, the non-compensated valve set and the idea of actually playing a valve instrument in tune with that little mechanism.
7) If I make this playable, I can get rid of my Festivo. I'm ambivalent about the Festivo. On one hand I think it's hard to play, on the other hand, it's the only instrument my wife actually likes. Do you think I can fool her into thinking the 24i is a Festivo?
8) She haint purdy. But if I start questioning that, I've got a lot of re-thinking to do in my life.

So what do I do?
- Kiss it good-bye? Too much to deal with, and I've already got other valve instruments.
- Marry it? Take it to the shop with a laundry list of things to fix, and keep it for eeeeeevveeeeer.
- Kill it? Take it to the local tuba toss event and sacrifice to the gods of sudden deceleration.

24i.jpg

[ithinknot]

You're clearly not the first person to be puzzled by 4 (see image below taken from that link... or it actually doesn't work, in which case the fix can't be that complicated).

If it turns out that posture isn't going to work for you, even if the leadpipe angle is corrected, then you might as well let it go.

But 1-3 are easily fixed; 5 doesn't matter and you can probably get a nice DE shank to suit, but it's also easily changed.

Conn 24i Connstellation brochure 2.jpg

[BGuttman]

People have been playing the Yamaha 321 with a similar sized mouthpiece receiver and doing very well with it. Key is to get a large mouthpiece with a small shank. I had a Warburton 3B and I put a small shank on it and that worked pretty well. Of course, a lot of people like the Yamaha 4AY on that instrument and I'd bet it would work fine on yours as well.

I have a similar tuning adjustment on my Conn 19 I (identical to the King 2280). It was really balky to use. I think you need to treat it like the 3rd valve slide on most trumpets. It's set up so it moves almost as easily as a trombone slide. I wound up ignoring the thing, disconnecting the spring return, and using it as a "dumb" slide. You can get some more sophisticated tuning adjustments with a 4 valve non-comp than a 3 valve non-comp.

I'd bet the horn will play nicely with a good mouthpiece, a repair of the minor issues, and some blowing adjustments.

[hyperbolica]

Yeah, I had a DE XT G cup with a special 5 shank on it, and that seemed to work ok. Presently owning a few small shank trombones, I'm not as afraid a small shank is going to betray my manhood in some way. Euph players seem irrationally attached to certain sizes. Plus, the clarity of the smaller bore is kind of why I prefer the 24i over the Festivo or standard British euphonia. A big mouthpiece would start to muddle that a bit.

I think the tuning mechanism will work ok if I get the slide working smoothly and get that nut at the top screwed down tight enough that it doesn't loosen on its own.

The mouthpiece angle is the worst part of it all. It wouldn't be altogether bad if I didn't have a bit of a beer gut. I've got to tilt my head up 30 deg or lose a few beer pounds. Or angle the mouthpiece up, which I think is the way I'm gonna go.

I had a 2280 as well. I liked the sound on that one too, but I sold it. The 2280 also had a monstrous low register. You could almost add some tubing to that to make a small F tuba. I like the 24i better because it has front not top valves, which is better ergonomically for me. Plus, the smaller bore of the 24i makes it an instrument I can play with less air. The 2280 had that very cool Eb pull (if you pulled both slides on 4th valve), with all of those funky alternate fingerings. When it comes down to it, you don't play euphonium exceedingly high or low, and no one wants to hear it played loud. (I played a concert last week where some college freshman played wrong notes in my ear at top volume - could not even hear myself). Although the 2280 was a lot of fun, I think the 24i will be a better horn for me once I get the wrinkles ironed out.

[JohnL]

That mouthpiece receiver does look a bit odd. I also wonder if it's even the original part; the 24I's that I have seen "in the flesh" have all had medium-shank receivers.

[Thrawn22]

I'd take it off your hands if i had the bread. You should consider keeping it and getting it worked on.

[spencercarran]

You're clearly not the first person to be puzzled by 4 (see image below taken from that link... or it actually doesn't work, in which case the fix can't be that complicated).

If it turns out that posture isn't going to work for you, even if the leadpipe angle is corrected, then you might as well let it go.

But 1-3 are easily fixed; 5 doesn't matter and you can probably get a nice DE shank to suit, but it's also easily changed.



Conn 24i Connstellation brochure 2.jpg

That looks horrendously uncomfortable. Shame, since otherwise a 24I seems like a really neat concept.

[hyperbolica]

That looks horrendously uncomfortable. Shame, since otherwise a 24I seems like a really neat concept.

Yeah, I would think it would be. Must be why I couldn't figure it out. I hold it differently.

IMG_20221011_111629318.jpg

[Crazy4Tbone86]

All fixable problems. Hold onto it!

The old Conns have a very special place in my heart. When I was in middle school, my parents bought me a King bell-front baritone. The darn valves on the King never worked, so it spent 80% of the two years that I owned it in the shop.

While my King was sitting at the shop, my private teacher loaned me his 1940s Conn euphonium. It was a dream to play and it held such a place in my heart that I bought it from my teacher’s estate sale after he passed away in the late 1990s. I had the valves replated/refit in 1999. I take it out a couple times a year and take a trip down memory lane.

The Conn “movable bell” euphoniums are very unique design. They are very different than the Besson upright bell compensating horns, but still play extraordinarily well.

[whitbey]

I would fix it up.

My Cerveny euphonium has the bell on the right side, like a trombone and I had a lever made that goes to the top of the horn to move a tuning slide in a similar position.

It has been years since I played one, but all of these old Conn euphs played better in tune then the Besson / Yami style horns. There must be something to it.