Here are the specs:
32-inch diameter bell
32-inch diameter bell
9.25-inch diameter collar
3 valves with a .815" bore
45 pound weight
Freaking huge, almost as big as the 50th Conn!
The plan is to buff off all the black tarnish, polish it up and use it for an audition that I have in February. After the audition I'll send in the valves to Anderson Silver Plating to be plated and honed into the casings. Then the restoration work can get started. I think I've found someone to make a fourth valve, but I need to talk with them a bit more. Depending on how much work I do, I'll probably be sending it to Lee Stofer for the full overhaul and restoration to make it look brand new, as I do not have the experience in restoring instruments.
The King needs lots of dent work. The bottom bow is crushed inward and there is a crack in the bell collar that needs patching. The silver is worn in the usual places, but for the most part the silver is solid across the body. Inside the bell was another matter... It was patchy so I buffed off the silver plating (and gold plating) from the bell flare - I haven't figured out how to get inside the back section yet.
It was gold plated on the inside, but with the price of gold today... not economically feasible when I can just have the entire instrument stripped and silver plated and then have the inside of the bell lacquered gold. Harvey Hartman did a great job on my Conn bell, which was mostly silver with a hint of gold plating left.
The old look:
The new look:
Anyway, the Conn Grand Jumbo 46K is great, no doubt about it, but I really like large bells, hence why I have a King Jumbo. Once the King is up and running, I'm not sure if I'll be using the Conn as often.
Here are some pictures of the King in various stages::
Did I mention how long these valves are?
And here is Purdue University's King Jumbo "Big Bertha" next to my Conn, this is what I hope the King will look like but in bright silver.
Here's a good picture from TubaChristmas Portland 2011 with the Conn among it's smaller 20K brothers...
Finally, I found out from UniTec that they could build me a case from the King, of course at a premium...
"We are definitely capable of supplying cases to fit your larger instruments. The 32” bell will be oversized but, we manufacture cases to each specific instrument, we it will fit.
Our case is special. The bell is placed into the foamed bottom of the case, where a floating divider lies above that – protecting the body from the bell. This case features a NO HUMP design.
This particular case will come in between 40-50 lbs. It is our ROAD TUFF series which is Ampfelt covered with full piano hinge and recessed hardware. We also manufacture these cases in an ATA style (which meets air transit requirements).
Pricing is listed below for both ROAD TUFF and ATA Style.
Road Tuff: $550.00 each + shipping
ATA: $999.00 each + shipping"
