Couesnon (1920)

Couesnon Série SO No. 4 A Cornet
Archived Collection Piece: This instrument is no longer held in the physical collection.

This B♭ cornet, manufactured by the prominent French workshop Couesnon & Cie. in 1920, is another representative of the manufacturer that ignited my passion for vintage brass collecting. Given that a Couesnon cornet was the catalyst for my entire collection, instruments from this Parisian firm always hold a special interest for me. This specific specimen appears to be a Série SO No. 4 A model, which effectively functioned as their basic student-grade instrument but upgraded with a convenient double water key configuration.

Acoustically, the cornet arrived in functional, playable condition, though it suffered from a completely frozen main tuning slide due to decades of oxidation. In a tragic turn of preservation events, while I was attempting to loosen the stuck slide, the brass succumbed to mechanical stress, and I accidentally warped the tubing entirely beyond repair—sending this particular piece to an untimely "brass heaven." Because it was structurally compromised, the instrument was subsequently removed from the collection, though its tragic final chapter remains a memorable part of my archival records.

It's leadpipe found a new life on my Kessels Den Haag cornet.