What’s on My Bench? A 1911 Conn New Invention Circus Bore Cornet!!

Hey brass fans! I wasn’t planning on doing a post on this particular horn, but it turned out to be a bit more exciting than I thought it would! It makes me wish I had taken "before" photos of this one.

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Sometimes when you start work on a horn, it just reveals more and more problems as you go. Other times, it just gets better and better! This horn was just one pleasant surprise after another. It started out super dirty and tarnished, so tarnished that I had no idea what was underneath! I saw patches of yellow that I assumed would be playing loss, but the more I cleaned and polished, the more beauty was revealed!

Someone paid extra for this little beauty back when it was new - not only does it have gold plated buttons and caps, but ferrules, pull knobs and water key assemblies are also gold plate. There is gold plate in the bell engraving, and the entire bell flare is gold plate! The gold is a bit faded, but there is no real hand wear on this horn, and it is stunning! It was obviously played because pistons are quite worn, but it still has an amazing sound with a modern short shank mouthpiece, and intonation is quite good. With a valve job (no surprise it needs a little something at 109 years old!) this horn would be an absolutely tremendous player in modern settings!

This horn does not include a complete kit, but it is ready for a new home and will be a lovely addition to any collection. Look for it in our listings soon!

Wishing you some beautiful discoveries!

#AmandasBench #AmandasHomeBench