Comparative quality of Conn instruments, part 2

Reading between the lines
In part 1 of "Comparative quality of Conn instruments" I indicated that the Connstellation models were always top of the line, and that the Victor models were one small step below that. For the most part this is true, but there are a few wrinkles.

Let us start with some history. In 1955 Conn came out with the 6B and 10B Victor trumpets. These were both bottom spring models identical in all respects except that the 10B had a Coprion bell. I suspect the 6B and 10B were developed from the 12B Coprion and 22B New York Symphony (which was itself remodeled as the 22B Victor). These 1955-1957 6B and 10B Victors were quite different from the 1955-1957 38B Connstellation which had top spring valves and a wider "wrap". With the decline in the number of professional players Conn probably decided to redirect its marketing more towards the school band player. In 1958-1959 Conn remodeled the 6B and 10B with top spring valves, a wider "wrap" and also a Coprion leadpipe. Except for the Coprion leadpipe this made them more closely resemble the only slightly restyled and ever-popular 38B Connstellation. Although the 10B was discontinued after 1963, the 6B lasted into the 1970's. I suspect the redesign of the 6B and 10B was mostly a marketing decision perhaps with a view to reposition to 6B and 10B as more direct steps below the 38B Connstellation. Afterall, these instruments were now much more similar.

Between 1961 and 1969 Conn produced both a C trumpet (25B) and a D trumpet (35B), both on special order only, and also a 2A Eb cornet. The 25B and 35B and were presumably not expected to be used by school band students and other non-professionals. I suspect marketing was much less of a factor in design and styling descisions, so Conn with its long history and experience in producing musical instruments had numerous designs to choose from for these strictly professional models. The design choice Conn made is very intersting: not the top of the line Connstellation, nor the Victor model as it stood in 1961. The 25B and 35B closely resemble the 1955-1957 6B Victor and are also called "Victor". The 2A Victor Eb cornet seems to have been designed as a smaller version of the 35B D trumpet, and it follows that it closely resembles it. The decision to make it an Eb cornet as opposed to an Eb trumpet might have more to do with Eb cornets being generally more common than EB trumpets? Although this earlier design for these instruments was still in keeping with the trend for heavier and sturdy instruments, in my opinion it confirms the idea that the 1958/1959 redesign of the Victor was not to produce an even better instrument, but for the marketing purpose of creating instruments more closely resembling the popular Connstellation. One might even conclude that the 1958/1959 redesign of the 6B and 10B models mainly for marketing purposes was at the expense of creating an in some respect slightly inferior instrument. Just a thought.

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