Expert: Kenton Scott - 7/5/2007

Question
QUESTION: do you know anyone that might have old Conn cornet parts?
the best i know of this horn dates 1912 with "The Wonder Phone" C.G.Conn , Maker, Elkhart,Ind. on the bell and the "Union Label " stamped on the 2nd valve casing , serial # 103494

ANSWER: The answer may be different depending on what your intentions are. Are parts missing or just damaged.  Do you want to make it playable, refurbish it to good condition, or restore it to like-new condition?  

The issues are:  if parts are just damaged, it is probably possible to fix them and continue using them, if parts are missing or destroyed, then if they are common things like tubing, it probably makes sense to just replace them with new.  If the parts are not common items, then the choices are to find spares from a "parts horn" or make them from scratch.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I have a customer that wants this horn restored and it is missing the water key, that is the part I am looking for and wanted to know where  or who I might contact for such a part.
ANSWER: Most Waterkeys are pretty simple to replace and probably all repair shops will have a replacement in stock.  I don't believe there is anything unique about the Wonderphone waterkey.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: we do have replacement water keys but I am trying to find an original one, and yes they are a unique design
ANSWER: All I have to go on is pictures of the Wonderphone, so tell me what is unique about the waterkey, it appears to be a standard design.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: the design of it allows only a single coil spring, in other words it is a very narrow type key with an internal spring, this is a very old style key which I am familiar with, my background in musical repair goes back to my grandfather who opened a music repair studio in NY in 1921, I was taught by my father who has done this all his life and myself have 41 years doing it.

Answer
OK, it seems like we took a very round about path to what it is that you are actually looking for.  So, the saddle is ok, and you just need a the waterkey itself.  It would seem that this part is common to the period, and not necessarily to that particular instrument.  So probably the easiest method to find one would be to locate a parts horn from the same time frame on eBay. If you guys have been in business that long, are you sure you don't an old box of parts removed from previous jobs that might contain one?