Vocabell - how many ?

[Windmill]

Good evening

I'm the new proud owner of a beautiful 1936 Vocabell. I just love the spirit of this horn.





I wonder how many were built ? And why Conn stopped the production ? I guess the trend was to move to bigger instruments...

[imsevimse]

How many? I got one too but mine is in brass. I think many more will chime in. This is a player, and it plays bigger than you may expect. Great horn

/Tom

[sf105]

There's a photo of Simone Mantia playing one when he was first chair at the Met.

[walldaja]

You done good! Enjoy it.

[ithinknot]

I'm a fan. Slide is just too narrow for my face, but they play great. Lots of character, but not quirky - just a really dense, interesting sound with an easy response.

How many made? Lots - several iterations of Conn catalog say it was their biggest seller. Survival rate might not be the highest - straightening out a crunched bell is more complicated sans bead wire. Fontana played one in his early days with Kenton, pre-6H. Why did it go? Partly size, though the 24H held on quite a bit longer. Perhaps more that from a consumer goods perspective the Art Deco styling must have looked specifically 'recently out of date' by the 50s.

You the proud owner of the organ too?

[andym]

When I was in junior high school, my teacher had one just like that and I loved it. Unfortunately, as an adult I never found one that worked for me. But I’m not giving up hope! That one is a beauty!

[Windmill]

Yes, that one is in perfect shape, and slide action is perfect. I had it shipped in France cause you never find any down here it's already hard to find a decent 3B or 6H...!

I love the bright sound and that it gets angry if you push it further... Pan piper god, engraved on the bell, was getting angry too when awakened from his nap they say . Reminds me of my old Tempo with nickel bell, although the vocabell is even thicker. I measured 1mm at the edge of the bell! But I find it surprisingly well balanced with the plain bell braces and the not-too-heavy slide. Better than my German jazz small bore. The mouthpiece goes further in the leadpipe too, although it's a bit smaller bore.

Thank you for the infos and yes, the father of my flatmate is an organ builder so we've got this baby practice organ in the living room !

[Windmill]

Is it by the way possible that the early Vocabells are kinda low-pitch ? I have to get used to the horn but the tuning slide is all the way in...

[ithinknot]

Yeah. Mine was only just in tune against the bumpers with the TS in - if I'd kept it, I might have given it a 5/8" haircut. Same story with the 70H... I think old Conns are just long.

[Windmill]

Thanks for your experience. I'll consider shorten his legs then !

[harrisonreed]

"Vocalbell -- How many?"

42.

That'll be one dollar, please. I'm ready for the next question.

BTW, that horn looks awesome

[whitbey]

I remember reading that the horn was intended to be a symphony horn. Not what we would think of a small horn to do now but in the 1930's they played to cut though rather that fill the room with a big horn.

[Windmill]

As I play mostly in brass bands or lead in big bands, it's the perfect tool for me. But kind of hard to achieve a soft full tone though, have to practice in this direction.

[Kbiggs]

"Vocalbell -- How many?"

42.

That'll be one dollar, please. I'm ready for the next question.

BTW, that horn looks awesome

But what’s the question to the answer?

And yes, that’s a gorgeous horn. I played one for an afternoon years ago. Very much like it was described above.

[Windmill]

I just wondered how many vocabells were built, in total, in 20 years production.

[BGuttman]

The problem is that all of Conn's records were destroyed during the move to Abilene. There isn't anybody alive who could tell you.

[Macbone1]

The problem is that all of Conn's records were destroyed during the move to Abilene. There isn't anybody alive who could tell you.

Making the Abilene decision seem even more evil than it already was....

[Kled999]

I just acquired a 1932 in silver plate. It plays beautifully, but it is much more bell heavy than I'm used to.

[Windmill]

I played a brass band concert yesterday, outside were I had to push hard on the horn. The upper register was sizzling but below the middle Bb, I felt some kind of "back up" like the notes would stay in the horn rather than pop out of the bell... I didn't have this issue on my other horn. Leadpipe problem?

[ithinknot]

It's a fairly heavy, small diameter bell, set forward - you're not going to get the *most* feedback

outside were I had to push hard on the horn

Tough environment to judge - do you get the same feeling from that register in a decent room?

[Windmill]

It does feel like it wants to project, rather than spreading . Might be one characteristic of the horn ... Interesting though !

[cb56]

At one time I had 2. One silver plated that I inherited from my dad, and a yellow brass one I bought for$5 at a church yard sale.
Sold the silver one and gave the yellow brass one to a kid after I cleaned it up and got it in decent playing condition.