MB&BS now has a bass

I have recently purchased another instrument for inclusion on the site, a bass saxophone. It is a Holton labeled Conn stencil. Some dates suggest 1926 as the year of manufacture but I’m not certain. The finish is a black enamel paint of unknown age.

I first saw this horn back in 2008  on eBay when it was purchased by a regular on the website Saxontheweb.org. I don’t remember how much it was exactly when it sold but i remember wishing I had the money for such a fun looking horn. It wasn’t until early September 2014 that I spotted it again. I know which person bought it back in ’08 and i assume the fellow I bought it from got it from him. Either way I can trace its last few years pretty accurately and now it is in my hands and is a welcome addition to the family.

The horn survived shipping well, aside from leaks and maybe some tweaking from the 5 days in the back of a UPS trailer. These images are from the auction. When I get the horn back from the shop I’ll take new ones. I am quite tempted to strip the horn and have it silver plated. In all likelihood this horn was bare brass originally but a silver plate would really set this girl off.

The neck is not original as you might have notice but it plays in tune and the ergonomics of the tenor styled bend makes playing with a harness much easier. A huge bonus is the case. Normally this case is between $599 and $1200 by itself. I got a great deal. Look forward to hearing more bass around this place!