Conn bass sax/bis key?

'Sanyone know when Conn started putting the bis key on their bass saxes. Before that time, was the side Bb the only Bb, or did 1x1 work too.

(The search begins - a bass sax will be mine)

I have a Conn stencil lacking Bis key. 1x1 works.

If you find a Conn stencil serial number list, I'll tell you how old mine is. Good luck. The same serial numbers seem to be on PanAm / LyonHealy / and perhaps many or all stencils... but nobody seems to have a date chart on them.

I owned a Martin (Conn stencil) from 1921 that has a bis key.
I now own a Conn 1921 that doesn't. This doesn't automaticly mean that they started doing this in 1921. I might have been an extra option for customers who wanted it.
Side Bb works as does 1 + 1
All bass saxes during this time were handmade, there was no general rule how they were equiped.
I also own a conn bass 1940, that's the very best of all 32 basses I tried.

So - they were all made to order?

have a conn bass sax for sale

Bayviewcondos, if you are serious about selling it you may want to register and place your ad HERE (please click)

I have a Conn (Pan American) from year 1914 (the year before Conn took over Pan American. It has the Bb bis and the 1+1 works as well. By the way: The tone is much softer than later verions.

Regards

Hans