sold - 1929 Conn "Stretch" Soprano, Maine Saxes Overhaul
Here is a very interesting and somewhat rare soprano. In this period of time, manufacturers were making sopranos of various lengths in attempts to produce something that could be easily played in tune by an average beginner saxophonist. This "stretch" soprano is a little longer and more narrow than what we typically see on most modern sopranos today. The markings around the serial number indicate "S" for soprano and "L" for Low Pitch (A440). So this is indeed a Bb soprano, tuned for the American market. It was apparently designed to play with a particular Conn mouthpiece with proportions that were unique to this horn. The mouthpiece you see in the pictures here is what came with this horn when I bought it but I can't say for sure whether or not it is the original that was designed for the stretch horn. You can see the mouthpiece has a built-in micro tuner that allows you to change the interior volume of the mouthpiece similar to what you see on the neck of many Conn altos.
I have given this horn a complete overhaul so it plays incredibly well with a beautiful full tone and killer low notes. Here's the catch though. I have tried two modern soprano mouthpieces and the included Conn mouthpiece and I can't quite get it up to pitch with any of them. It tends to run about a half-step flat all over the horn. This leads me to believe that this Conn mouthpiece is not the correct original piece that was made for this horn. I believe that if you can find the correct original mouthpiece or get someone to make a custom piece for this horn, you should be able to get it up to pitch but I have not gone that far down this rabbit hole. So for now, this horn plays perfectly and the ergonomics are actually fantastic and the tone is gorgeous but it does indeed play about 1/2 step flat all up and down the horn with a typical modern soprano mouthpiece. So it might be great for a hobbyist who just wants a great sounding horn to play by themselves at home or if you really want to make this a gigging horn you could probably find an appropriate mouthpiece that brings it up to pitch.
This is the original nickel plate and it's gorgeous and a very long-lasting durable finish. It includes an old wood soprano case that's actually in very nice condition and looks great.
I have given this horn a complete overhaul so it plays incredibly well with a beautiful full tone and killer low notes. Here's the catch though. I have tried two modern soprano mouthpieces and the included Conn mouthpiece and I can't quite get it up to pitch with any of them. It tends to run about a half-step flat all over the horn. This leads me to believe that this Conn mouthpiece is not the correct original piece that was made for this horn. I believe that if you can find the correct original mouthpiece or get someone to make a custom piece for this horn, you should be able to get it up to pitch but I have not gone that far down this rabbit hole. So for now, this horn plays perfectly and the ergonomics are actually fantastic and the tone is gorgeous but it does indeed play about 1/2 step flat all up and down the horn with a typical modern soprano mouthpiece. So it might be great for a hobbyist who just wants a great sounding horn to play by themselves at home or if you really want to make this a gigging horn you could probably find an appropriate mouthpiece that brings it up to pitch.
This is the original nickel plate and it's gorgeous and a very long-lasting durable finish. It includes an old wood soprano case that's actually in very nice condition and looks great.
SOLD - Keilwerth SX90 II Soprano, Nickel Plated with Gold Lacquer, Mint Condition
Here's a really gorgeous top of the line Keilwerth soprano with a very unique finish. The body is nickel-plated brass with a dark gold lacquer which gives it a really striking look and makes the engraving really pop. This horn is truly in mint condition as you can see. It's in 100% playing condition and needs no work. It comes with a curved neck and straight neck and the original Keilwerth case. Keilwerth makes a really nice playing soprano with a free-blowing feel and big open sound. The oversized pearls feel nice and comfortable under the fingers and the action is super smooth. This would be a great horn for anyone looking for a top notch modern soprano for much cheaper than buying new.
SOLD - Mint Condition Yamaha Custom YSS-875 Soprano
This fantastic soprano is in mint condition. It could easily be mistaken for brand new. The pads show zero sign of wear and I made sure everything is in perfect adjustment. This gig-ready pro soprano comes with the original M1 and M1R necks, the original case which is also mint, the Custom M1 mouthpiece with lig and cap, and some case candy. Yamaha makes the best sopranos in the business and this one is like new and playing perfectly and costs way less than a new Custom soprano.
