Conn New Wonder Euphonium
Date: 1913. Photo by Dave Wright
This is a four valve top action bell up New Wonder euphonium, built approximately 1913. It was available in high and low pitch, thee or four valves, front or top action.
What Conn said in 1919:
This magnificent new model instrument, the New Wonder "Big Tone" Baritone, has enjoyed the greatest popularity among Baritone soloists
today. It will be seen in every famous concert band. Its lines are artistic. It possesses a rich, mellow, yet powerful tonal quality
and the best scale ever found in an instrument of the Baritone family. This is no idle assertion and can be readily established thru [sic]
the thousands of unsolicited testimonials from the most able performers of the world. It is the real cello of the brasses and the wonderful
ease enjoyed by the players of the Conn Ltd. latest model Baritones is continually testified to in the daily correspondence reaching this
factory. The flexibility of tone is also worthy of special comment and the facile of the light piston action add to the wonderful which make
the Conn Baritone supreme.
These models are built with top or front action. The water key will be found located at the lower bend of the mouthpiece, which bend is also
used as the tuning slide. The water is easily drained by this water key, which prevents the possibility of water accumulating in the valves.
They are built in either high or low pitch, or both, with either three or four valves. The fourth valve on the Baritone is used as a compensating
valve, enabling the performer to play the same tones as are obtained by the forst and third valves. This eliminates awkward cross fingering
in difficult rapid passages. By the aid of the fourth valve, the performer can also descend the scale beyond the natural register of the instrument
to the pedal tones below. This is invariably done by usual fingering holding down the fourth valve. Various performers however, use their own
method of fingering on these lower tones.