Conn 90I New Wonder Euphonium

Conn 90I New Wonder Bell Up Bb Euphonium 1926

Date: 1926. Instrument owned by Sam Funkhouser

The New Wonder family of double bell Euphoniums consists of the 90I/91I (pictured here), 92I/93I and the 94I/95I (see separate listing). These instruments all had the main bell pointing up, and the second bell facing forward. The 90I/91I are four valve front action instruments. The 92I/93I are five valve, top action instruments. The 94I/95I are five valve front action instruments. Even numbered instruments are low pitch, odd numbered instruments are high pitch.

What Conn said in 1924:
These double bell models of the Conn line of Euphoniums find great favor among professional performers because the extra bell makes possible variety of tone color, allowing use of echo or trombone effects when desired. The second bell is controlled by a separate valve, and there is no difficulty in operating the mechanism, for unless this valve is depressed the instrument is exactly like the single bell model. The five-valve instruments are equivalent to the four-valve models with the single bells, the extra valve simplifying the fingering in many cases as well as extending the register of the instrument.