1941 Conn 30M "Connqueror" tenor saxophone, s/n 304418. In 1935 Conn introduced the Connqueror line as the artist version of its professional saxophones, with the 30M tenor sitting above the already legendary 10M. The 30M was never a stock item. It had to be specially ordered from the factory, and Conn built only about one 30M for every hundred 10M's made. Production ended when the factory converted to war work in the early 1940s, so the entire run lasted less than ten years. That makes the 30M one of the rarest professional American tenors of the golden era, and it is easily the most mechanically advanced saxophone Conn ever built.

The body and bore are the same as the 10M, so you get the same fat, spread, room filling sound that made the 10M famous. What sets the 30M apart is everything on top of that body:

Permadjust system. Nearly every key linkage has an adjustable screw, so regulation is set with a screwdriver rather than relying on corks and felts that compress and drift over time.

Sterling silver key touches. The palm keys, side keys and both pinky tables are inlaid with solid silver, so everywhere your hands land is either silver or pearl.

Redesigned left hand table. The G#, C#, B and Bb cluster is completely different from the 10M, with a rocker mechanism and adjustment screws that make the low register keys lighter and more positive under the fingers.

Improved octave mechanism. A faster, smoother octave key design than the standard 10M of the same year.

Rolled tone holes. This is a prewar horn, so it has the rolled tone holes that Conn players prize for pad life and a soft seal.

Heavier engraving. The 30M received Conn's deluxe rose mat engraving rather than the standard 10M pattern.

This sax just received a full mechanical overhaul prior to sale from Pecknel Music in Greenville, SC. They used flat riveted resonators, similar to what this sax originally came with. The horn seals from top to bottom and the 30M table, which feels wonderful when it is in proper adjustment, is set up the way it should be.

Like many horns of this era, the lacquer is not original. That is the trade off that makes this horn more affordable. Original lacquer 30Ms in clean condition have climbed well out of reach for most players. You still get exactly what you expect from a 1941 Conn tenor: warm, dark and resonant at low volume, and huge when you push it.