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1908 C.G.Conn Perfected Wonderphone vocal cornet in C, Bb, and A - High and Low Pitch

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Vintage Horn Catalog
Unmarked 4 Allen Valve SARV Bb Cornet
Unmarked Stölzel Valve Bb/A/G Cornopean
1872-1878 Courtois Bb Tenor Valve Trombone
1874 Boosey/Distin Eb/C Soprano Cornet
c.1875 Lehnert Centennial Eb Alto Valve Trombone
c.1902 Buescher Mfg Co True Tone "Epoch" Cornet
1907 Conn 5 Valve Double Bell (Pryorphone)
1908 Conn Wonderphone C/Bb/A Cornet
c.1913 York & Sons Perfec-Tone Bb/A Cornet
1914 Conn Artist's Small Bore Bb Tenor Trombone
1914 Conn Eb Alto Horn
c.1918 Couturier Bb/A Conical Bore Cornet
1920 Boston MIC Bb/F Double French Horn
c.1925 Lyon & Healy "Couturier Model" Bb Tenor Trombone
c.1925 Lyon & Healy C/Bb/A Trumpet
1926-1930 Conn 10L Bb Bugle
1930 Holton "hatbox" Mellophone
1931 Holton "hatbox" Horn in F

 
  

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Portion of 1910 Postcard from Vintage Cornets

The "vocal" version of the Wonderphone cornet has markings etched on each valve slide for positioning in C, Bb, and A.  The leadpipe slide is used for changing between high and low pitch.  This horn is silver plated brass with a gold wash bell.
 
Although it is only an "S", or small bore, this cornet both plays and works so well that I have no idea why Conn built Wonderphone cornets for only a handful of years at the beginning of the twentieth century.
 
In the first photo it is shown outfitted for C in high pitch.  The second shows a Bb configuration in low pitch.  I found this instrument in the basement of a music store in central New Jersey.