Conn "Connquest" 76A (1967)

Manufactured in 1967 by the world-famous C.G. Conn company in Elkhart, Indiana, this "Connquest" model 76A cornet bears the serial number K72976. While it stands as an excellent example of mid-century American school band instruments, it also represents a deeply personal chapter of my collection's history.

This very instrument is the horn that I played as a ten-year-old child. It serves as a direct, sentimental link to the early musical journeys that eventually inspired the creation of this collection.
While the cornet remains in good playable condition, the valve springs require a great deal of force to compress, giving the instrument an unusually heavy, stiff action. I recall that during my childhood, the valves were sluggish and did not pop back up smoothly enough. To fix the issue, my music teacher at the time either replaced the factory springs with heavier ones or physically stretched the existing springs to increase their upward tension. This modification kept the horn functioning throughout my youth, leaving a permanent physical trace of my early lessons.