Hello and Euphonium identification

[Yulia B.]

Hello! First off it's amazing to see an old school style forum still alive and active on the internet now days. I just joined your forum hoping to get some help and inspiration as I pick up the euphonium again. Full disclosure I'm a horn player.
But I played euph as a kid. I'm picking it back up to help teach a new brass player. Music lessons are harder now in the days of quarantine and recently a coworker asked if I could teach his daughter since we're in the same city but work from home. He figured that since I play brass and have a master's degree in performance I'd be able. Since I'm also working from home I'm pretty low risk. Also, I love teaching!

I never owned a euph as a kid, it was borrowed from the school district. But my partner's family owns one and so I'm borrowing theirs (Elkhart Conn, no mouthpiece, hasn't been played in years). I found the forum while trying to identify the instrument and find a suitable mouthpiece. I saw David Werden's posts on serial numbers and mouth piece sizes.

Here's my question...Is this board a suitable place to post the photos, serial number, and measurement in an attempt to solidly identify the instrument and find a suitable mouthpiece? Nice to meet you all.

[tbonesullivan]

Here's my question...Is this board a suitable place to post the photos, serial number, and measurement in an attempt to solidly identify the instrument and find a suitable mouthpiece? Nice to meet you all.

Yes. So post some pictures and most likely in a few days you'll know exactly what it is, and also how to bring it back into "playing condition" after sitting around for quite some time.

[Yulia B.]

Awesome thank you! Luckily the slides all move easily and so do the valves. Someone has pulled it out every couple of years to lubricate it at least. The valves all spring back up and the compression on the valves seems alright. It had literal cobwebs and dead spiders inside the bell. I cleaned it just like I do my un-lacquered horn, with mild dish soap and lukewarm water. I used a soft toothbrush in the valves and soft metal free snakes to run through the tubing. I oiled it with Al Cass valve oil and Shilke slide grease. I dried off the exterior with a polishing cloth. I've not used any chemical metal cleaners.

The inner diameter of the lead pipe appears to be 15/32 in when I compared it with a drill gauge. The number on the second valve is 138087















The slight shine here looks like it's not matched up perfectly. However, it is. That is just the light reflecting on the metal inside the lead pipe

[daruby]

Based on the serial number and pictures, I searched the Conn Loyalist web site. https://cderksen.home.xs4all.nl/ConnEuphonium.html Your horn is a 1914 model. They do not appear to have a picture of the horn, however based on the date and the fact that it is a front valve, 4 valve, bell up horn, it could be a "New Invention" baritone. I did see a similar horn on Horn-u-copia that was a Conn New Wonder 70i baritone. In either case, it will use a small shank tenor trombone mouthpiece. I would suggest something like a Bach 7C or 6 1/2 AL but no larger than that for this kind of horn.

[Yulia B.]

I was also looking at those two websites as well. Although the serial numbers posted on this forum differ from the Conn Loyalist slightly. Based on the serial number list here it looks like it'd be 1915. A year difference seems trivial. It's good to have my ideas confirmed by people who are more knowledgeable on the subject. I was hoping I'd properly identified/located the serial number. I'm really surprised it's that old!

In the past I've only ever played a three valved euphonium. Here's another question, how is this fourth valve to be operated? With the right little finger or by wrapping the left hand around? I've seen more modern 4 valve euphoniums played that way but the fourth valve seems to be placed more comfortably on those. With this instrument it's a little awkward and puts the left wrist at an odd angle.

Thanks for the mouthpiece suggestions!

[davewerden]

Most people would play this with 4 right-hand fingers on the 4 valves. For someone used to a 3+1 setup, they might choose to reach around with the left hand to operate the 4th valve. Both work. The LH is stronger, which gives the reach-around approach an advantage. But playing 4 in a row on the RH allows much more flexibility for your left hand placement.

[Snorlax]

Yulia~
It would also be useful if you took the valves out and posted a picture of them, so we could see how worn they are (if at all).
Worn valves could make a significant negative difference in the horn's playability.