A superb CONN 10M LADY-FACE tenor saxophone, made in Elkhart in 1935; serial #270,097.  

Really superb saxes, especially tenors, don't come to us often.  Normal "daily driver" saxes are easy to find, sometimes costly to make playable, but they're not particularly rare.

A "nine points out of ten" LFace alto and especially a tenor, is a rare find and this one is the best CONN tenor we've had for a couple of years.

Our tenor has never been seriously dented or damaged, no pull-down to the neck.  Mouthpiece is original, Conn "Steelay" ( tip opening 1.85). The SL mouthpieces are usually pretty poor, but this one responds nicely.  Use a Rico 3 or 3 1/2 (#2 1/2 if your chops are as tired as mine!)  The lacquer is absolutely original, worn maybe 10%. See the area near the strap ring where the original finish was ( probably ) toasted when the new ring was installed.  All pads and corks are new, the key pearls sharp, not worn.
Yes, it has rolled tone-holes. 

Note "one & three" fingering for right hand gives you an alternate low Eb. Or we'll cork it off for you, if you so desire.

And a confession.... Between 1977 and 1986, I didn't watch ANY television...not one show.  But when I met beautiful Beryl, my trophy British bride, I changed my mind.  But not by much: the occasional old movie on Turner, news shows sometimes.  But Beryl had never watched the sometimes embarrassing Lawrence Welk Show.  Yeah, I know....if I had to live with Norma Zipper, I'd be now doing the hard-forty.

However, the boys in his sax section sometimes really play well.  I heard Skeets Herfurt's Cigar-Cutter alto last week and was very impressed.  Man, what a great "American" tone-color.

So don't get me started about Russ Klein.  Every time I hear his very tasteful tenor-playing, I'm more impressed.  Just like Skeets' alto, Russ's tenor playing is, to me, the perfect sound.  Not dirty or Boots Randolph, but just like I wish I could play half as well.  And Russ sometimes used a Mark 6, but more often a Lady Face Conn.

But don't please try to compare a vintage 10M with a modern instrument.   If you've got a Selmer you really like, you're a-wasting your practice time of long-tone by trying a thirties Conn.  The two saxes are like apples and grapefruits.

Read enough?  For me, a 30's Conn is the perfect tenor.   But they ain't for everybody!

Write me for more opinions from a stubborn geriatric who loves to correspond with real people!
GR/Wichita
 
HG