Well if you are, there is currently one on eBay. What’s a bit unusual about this particular sax is that it is lacquered, whereas most of the others that pop up very occasionally are silver plated.
Source: eBay.com
The seller describes this little horn as follows:
F Mezzo Soprano Saxophone
213,xxx – serial number – 1929/29
This is a very unique Saxophone. It is very rare to find a F Mezzo Saxophone at all, and to find one like this, where the body is in near mint condition is rare indeed. Conn only made a limited amount of the F Mezzo and most have not survived. I have only seen a few , and never any in such perfect condition as this one is. No dents or dings on the body. Neck is also in very great shape.
This is a no reserve auction!! Bid away. We are also happy to answer any questions via email or phone.
This is a classic horn, in fantastic shape. Your sax life will greatly improve with this horn. Has the original neck, mouthpiece and case.
Currently it plays, though it could use some adjustment, to put it in professional playing condition.
We invite you to check out all vintage and new saxes and woodwinds we have for sale available on ebay. Be sure to check out our full line of International Woodwind saxophones that is currently being offered on ebay.
This sax is priced to move. And if you are one of our European Customers you are in good shape. With the low US dollar to the euro you get this baby for a great price.
Unfortunately the photos, while large, are not great, and tend to be on the blurry side. This makes it tough to see the details of the horn.
Source: eBay.com
Source: eBay.com
In this picture it looks like the 2nd pearl—the B key—is partially broken off. You can see the damage more in a photo of the left hand keys.
Source: eBay.com
Source: eBay.com
In this shot you can clearly see the damage to the 2nd pearl.
Source: eBay.com
Source: eBay.com
Source: eBay.com
Source: eBay.com
The official Conn designation for the F Mezzo Soprano was 24M. If you’d like to see copies of a couple of the original Conn ads for this horn, you can find them here, on the main portion of my site.
Besides introducing this new horn to the public, the ads list the finishes available for the 24M, and their respective prices. Brass was naturally the least expensive option available, and this particular horn would have cost the buyer $100. In today’s dollars that would be $1284.80 US, according to The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
However, the ad says Polished Brass, it doesn’t say lacquered. I might be wrong, but this makes me think that this sax might have been lacquered at some point over its lifetime. This is very common, and we see many vintage saxes that started out as bare brass that have been lacquered over the last 100 or so years to protect their metal and finish.
The auction for this Conn 24M F Mezzo Soprano runs until October 24. At the time of writing there were 14 bids on this horn. The high bid so far sits at $3,601.00.
Another f-mezzo just popped up on eBay, listed as a “Conn F alto.” http://www.ebay.com/itm/321161684555?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649
Mmmm…. I wonder how long its price is going to stay under $1,000? This morning when I first saw your comment, the price was around $550. Just a few hours later, it’s already $660.
I had a brief moment of GAS this morning, but I knew the price was going to climb, and I really don’t have too much of an interest in smaller horns, nor in historical artifacts that belonged to players who at one time ostensibly performed with the Lawrence Welk Orchestra. Wunderful, wunderful, wunderful…
Although I must admit, I am quite fond of SNL’s version of Lawrence Welk. :clown:
So is an F Mezzo just a historical curiosity or would people actually buy and play them if they were available? I play in church bands which are often guitar-led with many songs in E. I used to play an alto and put up with playing in horrible keys because I didn’t know any better. But I recently bought a new C Melody from Aquilasax and now it’s much, much easier. An F Mezzo would offer similar benefits to those playing in concert pitch, but nobody will make them because they think nobody wants to buy them. So back to the question: If Aquilasax or someone started making F Mezzos again who would buy one?
Hi Jay. Thanks for stopping by my site.
There have been lots of F Mezzo Sopranos on eBay over the past while. They have all been upwards of $6,000 IIRC though.
Honestly, I can’t see the appeal, nor the need for them. I suspect that Aquila won’t make them, because no one will buy them.
If I understand you correctly, you’re suggesting that playing an F pitched horn will make it easier to play along with guitarists who play in E. Is that correct?
As a rock/blues player who has worked with lots of bands over the years, I have done a lot of baritone work in the key of C#. You know what? It’s just a key. You get used to it. But it really depends on what kind of guitar players you work with. I now work with guys who play in almost everything but E. Go figure.
Honestly, I think you just have to get used to playing in all 12 keys. Learn the patterns to the keys. Get them under your fingers. Know the scale notes, the important arpeggios, and then it doesn’t matter if you’re playing a C, Bb, Eb, or F pitched horn. The patterns are all the same.
There are lots of books that will help you on your quest to become more familiar with all the keys. I can suggest some if you like.
Let me know if you’d like some recommendations.
But in the end, I personally don’t feel that there is a big enough market for F pitched horns. If there were, someone would have already started building them.
Update: This sax did sell, and I must admit, I’m a bit surprised at the price. By the time the auction ended, there were 20 bids on this lacquered F Mezzo. The high bid was $5,877.00, and that won the auction.
Remember, this was the cheapest version of the horn that Conn made. A silver plated version sold on eBay almost 2 years ago to the day, for $5,100. While I realize that these horns are rare, and hard to come by, if I were going to spend nearly 6K on a F Mezzo, I would like it to be at least silver plated. But hey, that’s just me.