Conn 84J/85J Symphony Model CC Bass
Date: 1926. (Drawing)
The Symphony Model was available in a low pitch 84J and a high pitch 85J version. There was also a Symphony Grand, 86J and 87J which featured a curved bell. The Symphony weighs 20 lbs., is 36" long, 18" wide and has a bell diameter of 20". The symphony Grand is 40½" long.
What Conn said in 1926:
The growing popularity of brass basses in orchestra work - largely due, by the way, to the perfection of Conn Basses made by
the hydraulic expansion process - has led to the introduction of these "Symphony" Models, which are built in CC and are available
either with the upright bell, as shown, or with the curved or "Wonderphone" bell in the Symphony Grand Model.
Several features of these instruments are worthy of special mention. First of all, accuracy of intonation and tune is assured by
the Conn building method - hydraulic expansion of all taper brances. This is of the utmost importance, especially for orchestra
playing. The arrangement of the brances has been changed slightly and the positions of the valves are different in this new model,
falling quite naturally under the finger tips.
As professional musicians know, a fourth valve is extremely desirable for correcting certain tones and for simplified fingering.
The fourth valve is supplied on the Symphony Models for this reason. The special arrangement of the slides and branches will not permit
construction of this model in top action, and it is offered in front action only.