Posted by ken k on November 19, 2000 at 23:21:35:
Howdy Y'all, Yesterday I attended a "Pro Day" event at my local instrument dealer. They had company reps in with lots of instruments from Yamaha, Bach/Selmer, UMI and Gemeinhardt as well as some Getzen instruments there but no reps. Unfortunately for tuba players it was not a pro day at all since the only tubas they had there was a Conn 5J and a King 2341. They show was really geared toward HS kids upgrading from their student models. I knew there would be no tubas there and I really went to look at bones (BTW, for you doublers out there, UMI has some really nice horns out now! 88H in various guises, the Benge 190, Kings jazz horns are still great.) Anyway, In the UMI catalog had a page of instruments listed as "Conn International" These were all rotary valved instruments, trumpets, flugels, Eb and F tubas and three different BBb four valvers and even a CC five valver. I would guess these are made by some European maker and stamped Conn International or something. I rmember UMI used to import the Musica rotary tuba, not a bad piece. Does anyone know anything about these Conn International horns? Who makes them, etc.? The one picture of the CC did not look like a Czerveny which would have been my first guess, since they are the kings of stenciling, perhaps VMI? I do not know, just guessing. Anyone out there know?
ken "Inquiring minds want to know" k