Repairman's Overview: 1925 Conn New Wonder Series II Alto Saxophone

[@StohrerMusic]

Thanks! I think it was the general state of their craft. The quality and precision of the construction of Conn saxophones reaches its zenith from about 1931ish until 1941ish. IMHO

[@aarondminnick]

Thanks, Jake. God bless teh interwebz, because it has really helped me understand some of the quirks of these vintage horns. I had a couple of go-arounds with repair folks on this one, and a few years ago with a Buescher bari with the same problem. I would come into the shop, explain the problem, and they would get someone who played a little sax to slap a mouthpiece on, honk out a few low notes at fortissimo, and say "nope, there's no problem with the horn--must be the player."

[@aarondminnick]

I found a 1927 New Wonder 2 alto for $300 @ the bottom of a pile of student horns, and 2nd your comments about big sound. I discovered this playing w/my local community band & put a little air through the horn--easily blew over the rest of the section, even on a moderate Selmer C* mouthpiece. Comments on intonation are spot-on too; you have to humor the horn. Might mention that these are susceptible to low B/Bb warble (as mine is) which can be remedied with a cork down the bell.

[@carlrudd1858]

Wonderful...thanks a million..a 1926 NW2 just came in for a refurb and this will be useful.

[@anunbeliever4220]

I say this nicely and mean it,,You are Mr Know it all, great video I just got a Conn alto from 1914 and has case and in FaB condition .you are helpful

[@bradsasher7196]

Hi Matt,Leon choo Berry Played a Transitional Nw2 and the knurled g sharp keys are The new wonders that were coined Chu's

[@aarondminnick]

Sorry, Jake--I just saw your comment. Not a bad idea; I'll give that a try! I picked up a Runyon SR jazz piece from a used shop over the weekend (round chamber) and it plays very well with the NW. Good response, about 1/2 the warble problem that I have with my Selmer (tho not entirely gone). Intonations is great except a little sharp on the left palm stack, but I'm still playing around with placement and reed so I don't think that will be an issue.

[@StohrerMusic]

I know audio quality is not amazing on this one, will do better for next video.

[@TwinCitiesOxygen]

Any tips for best buys on used saxophones? I want to get a tenor or baritone without breaking the bank.

[@benjaminratliff5546]

Can you do a video on a selmer bundy series 1 sax? I just came across one and was wondering about the pros and cons of the hardware. I can't find any good videos of this sax other than playing samples. Thanks!

[@AdvisoryMode]

Matt, I have a 1921 Conn Wonder 1, and am hoping you can steer me in the right direction for finding it a new home.

[@JakeWerkmeister]

The warble itself is an issue with the design of the bow. It's too steep, and naturally want's to bypass the fundamental tone of low B. The warble is caused by one trying to force the fundamental out. To correct this, you can either dent the bow in (not recommended) or add a round piece of flat metal to the bottom of the bow. In my case, I flattened out a quarter and epoxied it in there. Do a little experimentation before you make the modification permanent.

[@motivation89742]

How does this compare to the 26m

[@JakeWerkmeister]

You may want to swap that piece for something as simple as the Yamaha C*. Medium to large round chambered pieces will work better than the square chamber of the Selmer, with this horn. Intonation usually becomes much easier to manage as well.

[@JakeWerkmeister]

Awesome video Matt, and your overview of the play-ability of the horn is spot on. You did mention that you felt that the Series I New Wonder had the inferior keywork. Was this the result of QC during the NW run, or something else?

[@langemau]

Does anyone knows what would be the correct pad thickness on these? I just got a 1926 alto and a 1925 c Mel both still sporting their original “pillow” pads. Wondering if I would do better with .165” regular or .185?” soft pads? The originals reso are fairly thick but did not use shellac.

[@madeintheyard]

Great video! Such awesome sax, too bad we didn't get to hear that little sucker

[@key_leefield]

what is the little key in between the lower F E key?

[@key_leefield]

Ok thanks

[@waltermorgenroth7872]

g sharp trill. when you press down the g sharp key, you can use the trill key to, well, trill.

[@aircooledsax3453]

Hi, Do you know the saxophone conn Adeby serial number 9393B?

[@aarondminnick]

And to be fair, from my readings on the topic, the player does have a role in this -- it's a complex interaction between embouchure, throat position, mpc/reed, and the geometry of the bow. Still, it was frustrating when I could put the same mpc/reed on any crappy, banged-up Bundy or Vito and NOT have a warble, and then have folks imply that I was causing my own problems through incompetence.

[@TheQuijote76]

Hi, I have one of these saxophones silver-plated. Would it be advisable to have it replated?

[@Steezologist]

Don’t do it, it can make the locking pivot screws a pain for techs to work on and generally make the keys fit looser and worse. And it decreases the value by a ton.

[@JeffreySaxophoneTallNewton]

I just watched your video on the New Wonder First Version - I am considering buying alto #144,124 (10-21-1924, per the original warranty card). It has a a microtuner neck, no nail file G#, and no engraving. Is it a #1 or #2? New Wonder? Thanks....

[@natanku1]

Did they use real gold on the sax?

[@marioxyryzos3523]

Hello you guys. How much would one of these New wonder series ii cost?

[@Bttfmc]

Anywhere from $1000-$1500 for a good alto, just have to be careful

[@tonypark2601]

Hi Matt, thank you for your invaluable videos. I have a New Wonder Series II alto saxophone and was wondering what mouthpiece you would recommend. Thank you! Tony

[@blessedchilds6411]

What do you usually charge for an overhaul?

[@waltermorgenroth7872]

In my shop at least, it all depends. sometimes you can get some serious dents, some smashed in tone holes or some seriously bad kinks. a re pad in my shop is around 300 for a tenor, though we could charge more. ~500

[@Bttfmc]

I play on 1927 nickel plated alto

[@agriffin5308]

I play a Conn 1932 Alto Naked Lady