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Forum » Vintage Saxophones » Conn Naked Lady Chu C melody Soprano Sax on eBay


by HappyWill
(3 posts)
4 years ago

Conn Naked Lady Chu C melody Soprano Sax on eBay

Hello all.  I saw a very interesting sax on eBay a few days ago. The seller cancelled the auction because of strange bidding activity. Anyway, Its a Conn Ser# M204XXX Soprano sax keyed in C with a Finger file G sharp and a Naked Lady engraving as well.  Everywhere I have checked tells me this sax was made long before the Naked Lady engraving. Any Conn experts out there able to make heads or tails of this? Here is a link to the listing :

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Conn-Saparno-Sax-/174504028629?ul_noapp=true&nma=true&si=ksDaOyayPy6%252FpsfK9RF78hoP3KE%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

Just click on the "Original Listing" link on the page to see the 3 pictures that were posted.  The owner of this sax told me that they are going to re-list it at a fixed price taking offers. The sax needs a complete rebuild.

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  2. by historicsaxwhisperer
    (644 posts)
    4 years ago

    Re: Conn Naked Lady Chu C melody Soprano Sax on eBay

    I am unable to open the tab myself here, due to my employer's filter, but I would think more than likely the serial is a 264XXX or 284XXX, putting it in the beginnings of when the naked lady engraving started. The Transitional era.

    If you decided at that point in history to special order a C soprano or a C melody tenor, the keywork is identical to the  Fingernail file era horns, because that is what it is. The only difference is the engraving.

    But, it is cosmetically, meaning with that engraving, very rare. No better, just very uncommon.

     https://www.saxophone.org/museum/saxophones/specimen/1401

    Here is a C melody example here in the museum

     

     

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    1. by HappyWill
      (3 posts)
      4 years ago

      Re: Conn Naked Lady Chu C melody Soprano Sax on eBay

      just copy and paste the entire link into your browser to see it.  The serial number is one of the 3 pictures that were posted and its very clearly M204XXX. Yep, not 240 or anything else. That is why I asked if there were any Conn experts/fanatics to possibl;y shed a little light. Thanks for the reply though.

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      1. by JonHuff
        (121 posts)
        4 years ago

        Re: Conn Naked Lady Chu C melody Soprano Sax on eBay

        The owner of this sax contacted me at Saxquest, probably after his first posting went bonkers, to see what he had. It is definitely a 204xxx and the engraiving looks original. My best guess, and what I told him, was this was most likely a shell at the factory from 1927, which didn't sell until the 30's, and was given the current engraving at that time. It's not like C soprano saxes were flying off the shelves in the late 20's / early 30's. No concrete evidence to back that up, other than I've seen other weird examples of similar nature over the years.

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        1. by historicsaxwhisperer
          (644 posts)
          4 years ago

          Re: Conn Naked Lady Chu C melody Soprano Sax on eBay

          I think your description and scenio makes more sense to the original purchaser than putting a serial number on that would represent a newly made horn. I bet by the time it was engraved they had stopped any "making" of the parts for such a horn. I would consider it was made in 1927, prior to introducing the machinery for the F mezzo, then sold in the 6m timeframe.

          Possibly the last C soprano Conn ever sold retail.

          Cool info Jon.

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        2. by HappyWill
          (3 posts)
          4 years ago

          Re: Conn Naked Lady Chu C melody Soprano Sax on eBay

          Well that makes sense. Someone probably ordered a C soprano and they just said "hey! This things been laying around for 5 years. Unload it!   Thanks for the reply. I was a little baffled for a minute. The guy said he will be relisting the sax soon.

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        3. by Saxquest
          (420 posts)
          4 years ago

          Re: Conn Naked Lady Chu C melody Soprano Sax on eBay

          Yes, I'm sure this is the scenerio for this c-melody. You see this for other instruments too. Conn continued to market F-mezzo and Conn-O-Saxes in their catalogs through the 1940's because they didn't sell well in the late 1920's and they held onto the lingering stock. This is why you see these horns (all in the 213xxx-225xxx serial range) with late 20's floral engraving, 30's art deco engraving and 40's lady in a pentagram engraving. 

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