Currently	$360.00   (reserve not yet met)		First bid	$350.00
	Quantity	1		# of bids	2   bid history
	Time left	6 days, 12 hours +		Location	Just Saxes, New Orleans
				Country/Region	USA/New Orleans
	Started	Jul-13-01 20:38:10 PDT		mail this auction to a friend
	Ends	Jul-20-01 20:38:10 PDT		watch this item
	Seller (Rating)	tungp (59)
		view comments in seller's Feedback Profile | view seller's other auctions | ask seller a question
	High bid	saxappraiser (21)
	Payment	Money Order/Cashiers Checks. Personal Checks. Other. See item description for payment methods accepted
	Shipping	Buyer pays actual shipping charges. Seller ships internationally (worldwide). See item description for shipping charges.
	Item Revised Before First Bid	To review revisions made to this item by the seller, click here .

If you've been looking for one, here it is:  Conn's rarest, most uniquely designed, most sought after horn - the company's last, spectacular, truly professional-line saxophone. A radical departure from the vintage Conn 6M lines, the Connstellation builds on many of the keywork advances of the Connqueror alto; the sound is brighter than the 6M or Connqueror, with greater focus and projection. On the Connstellation in question, the lacquer is all original, and the horn is very well preserved both cosmetically and mechanically.  It's been completely, and newly, overhauled and carefully set-up for optimal response.

Saxophone has total of three flaws, all carefully detailed in photos below: (1) very subtle bend in front lip of bell, (2) tiny ding under octave key mechanism, just below neck tenon, and (3) Torn corner on plastic guard (described & pictured in detail below). Otherwise, the horn is completely dent/ding/ping free, and has only normal lacquer wear, primarily on the flanks of the neck.

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A few links to sites with info on 28M's:

Vintage Sax Gallery - photos, article

Saxgourmet.com - original Santy Runyon advertisement for 28M, requires "Adobe Acrobat Reader"

Steve Goodson's Vintage Saxophone Value Guide -
features a bit of commentary on the 28M

 
 

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Q & A:

Why are you selling?

This is a really terrific horn, with the best feeling action of any alto I've owned.  Originally, I planned to keep this horn and sell two tenors, as I allow myself only a few horns for my personal collection.  One of the tenors, however, won't let me sell it.  It comes down to a choice between a '32 transitional Conn tenor, and the 28M alto, or between a tenor and alto, and tenor is my main instrument of study.  The price is heady, but well below general market value, and other 28M's priced higher in other stores aren't likely to be completely overhauled, & playing like new, as this one is.
 

Is the finish original?

Yes, as certainly as can be ascertained about any lacquered horn (silver-plating is a much simpler and more foolproof question than lacquer).  The engraving is deep & sharp, sticky to the touch.  The patina to the finish is exactly what you'd expect for a well-cared-for, clear-lacquer-over-bare-brass finish; clear lacquer over polished brass was the conventional factory finish for the 28M.  There are no signs of any dent repair, or even spot relacquering, anywhere on the horn.
 

How can I be assured that the overhaul and subsequent work on the saxophone was done to a high standard of quality?

Although I'm relatively new to the saxophone as a player - about 2 yrs of committed study - I've been very lucky in terms of receiving good instruction in repair.  I learned the basics of saxophone overhaul and repair from a local repairman named Joe Haddad (in Houma, LA), who very generously taught me the basics of overhauling saxophones.  Joe repairs wind and brass instruments, roughly according to the approaches taught at Allied Music in Elkhart, Indiana, and in the repair manuals by Ronald Saska and Eric Brand.  What I learned from Joe has been fortified, and has evolved, through many conversations with numerous saxophone technicians who have been very generous with their knowledge and time, as well as by hands-on instruction and contact with, and the repairing of many horns.  I'm particularly indebted to Steve Goodson for his generosity as a friend and teacher (for more, please see my "About Me" page -- & please do note that the website is still under construction).  To get an idea of the very minimum I do for an overhaul, a point-by-point listing is available in my website's "Services" area (link provided below).
 
 

What's the story with the guarantee?

As with all my auctions, the horn may be returned within 7-days of confirmed receipt, provided that it arrives properly packaged, insured, and unharmed.  I don't offer a refund of shipping as I incur costs for listing the horn on eBay, as well as commission fees of about 2.5-4% on the sale itself, and these are not refunded to me in the case of a return.

By sharing the burden of the return overhead in the transaction, the buyer is protected from being saddled with a horn that doesn't satisfy, while I am protected from bidders whose intention from the start is only to "window shop."  To this point, no buyer has ever requested a return on any horn purchased from me, nor have I fielded a single complaint as to the horns' set-ups or Just Saxes' service.  I do recognize, however, that there's a significant amount of uncertainty associated with buying a saxophone on eBay, and I offer the guarantee in order to protect both the buyer and myself, in good faith.
 

    Buyer pays actual shipping cost, to be estimated prior to shipping, and then adjusted after actual
shipping receipt is in hand.  For an alto, shipped within the U.S., shipping should come to roughly $30
to most destinations. Internationally, fast air-rates tend to be between US$100-150 for
safe transit times (3-7 days).
    I prefer to ship by US Postal Service as UPS's insurance policies and claim-processing practices are abominable.  Buyers may choose other shippers, but return guarantee is valid only with shipping by USPS, as there is too much danger of irredeemable damage when using other shippers.

    Preferred payment is Postal Money Order, especially for international transactions.  PayPal is
available upon request, but there's a 3% fee for using it, which the buyer will have to pay (not
included in refund, in event of a return).  Personal check and cashier's check also OK, but checks
have to clear prior to shipping.  International bidders may choose direct transfer, but will have to pay
the banking fees (usually about $50 -- $40 from their own bank, $10 from mine).

    The saxophone will be shipped with the keys securely clamped down, in a good condition, high-quality Protec case. Case itself will be suspended in soft packing materials in another sturdy double box.

    I'll ship within 2 business days of confirmed payment.

 

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Conn CONNSTELLATION 28M ALTO saxophone X'lnt Item # 1446912123   Current bid:   $360.00 (reserve not yet met)     Bid increment:   $5.00     Your maximum bid:       (Minimum bid: $365.00 )     eBay will bid incrementally on your behalf up to your maximum bid , which is kept secret from other eBay users. The eBay term for this is proxy bidding . Your bid is a contract - Place a bid only if you're serious about buying the item. If you are the winning bidder, you will enter into a legally binding contract to purchase the item from the seller.

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