Couturier Curiosity

Read forum rules before posting.
Forum rules
When making a listing for large or expensive items, please include your budget and location. That will help you match with a seller that might have the item you are looking for
humBell
Posts: 2047
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 11:25 am
Has thanked: 218 times
Been thanked: 165 times

Couturier Curiosity

Post by humBell »

I still have not outgrown my Couturier Curiosity.

But no great hurry either.

I especially would like to see the trombone and its slide.


"All art is one." -Hal
humBell
Posts: 2047
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 11:25 am
Has thanked: 218 times
Been thanked: 165 times

Re: Couturier Curiosity

Post by humBell »

Bump.
"All art is one." -Hal
User avatar
bloke
Mid South Music
Posts: 19230
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:55 am
Location: western Tennessee - near Memphis
Has thanked: 3819 times
Been thanked: 4073 times

Re: Couturier Curiosity

Post by bloke »

Was he an honest-to-goodness manufacturer or - considering his locale - was Conn making that stuff for him...(??)

bloke "I know NO-THING !!!"

Image
humBell
Posts: 2047
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 11:25 am
Has thanked: 218 times
Been thanked: 165 times

Re: Couturier Curiosity

Post by humBell »

Other makes associated with A.E. Couturier are Holton, Lyon & Healy, and finally York. I want to say York has preponderance of association, but it has been a while since i poked round on. the interwebs for his history.

I like to point non-musicians at the Ghostbusters scene discussing how the tower got built when trying to explain Couturier to them...

"I guess they don't build them like they used to."
"They never built them like this..."
"All art is one." -Hal
humBell
Posts: 2047
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 11:25 am
Has thanked: 218 times
Been thanked: 165 times

Re: Couturier Curiosity

Post by humBell »

Looking over his horn-u-copia entry, helped develop cornets for Holton (New Proportion) , then York (Wizard), started his own company in 1916, and in 1924 Lyon & Healy bought 'em and continued making stuff until 1929.
"All art is one." -Hal
humBell
Posts: 2047
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 11:25 am
Has thanked: 218 times
Been thanked: 165 times

Re: Couturier Curiosity

Post by humBell »

Periodic reminder this is still a valid interest in mine of acquiring.
"All art is one." -Hal
User avatar
bloke
Mid South Music
Posts: 19230
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:55 am
Location: western Tennessee - near Memphis
Has thanked: 3819 times
Been thanked: 4073 times

Re: Couturier Curiosity

Post by bloke »

nearly 21" bell...
36" tall
(literally) tuned at the factory

Image
humBell
Posts: 2047
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 11:25 am
Has thanked: 218 times
Been thanked: 165 times

Re: Couturier Curiosity

Post by humBell »

bloke wrote: Wed Sep 29, 2021 10:08 pm nearly 21" bell...
36" tall
(literally) tuned at the factory

Image
My, what large upper bows, you have, grandmama!"

If i have to explain how come i am interested...
Image
Image
Image

And i am still kicking myself for not paying attention 4/5 summers ago when 2 trombones passed over ebay, and i didn't notice or think they were worth chacing until too late...
"All art is one." -Hal
User avatar
iiipopes
Posts: 1049
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 4:26 pm
Has thanked: 136 times
Been thanked: 186 times

Re: Couturier Curiosity

Post by iiipopes »

humBell wrote: Fri Nov 20, 2020 12:23 pm I still have not outgrown my Couturier Curiosity.

But no great hurry either.

I especially would like to see the trombone and its slide.
Is that anything like Sartorial Styling?
Jupiter JTU1110 - K&G 3F
"Real" Conn 36K - JK 4B Classic
humBell
Posts: 2047
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 11:25 am
Has thanked: 218 times
Been thanked: 165 times

Re: Couturier Curiosity

Post by humBell »

iiipopes wrote: Sat Oct 02, 2021 7:45 pm
humBell wrote: Fri Nov 20, 2020 12:23 pm I still have not outgrown my Couturier Curiosity.

But no great hurry either.

I especially would like to see the trombone and its slide.
Is that anything like Sartorial Styling?
But for brass players?

Good question.

I'll sleep on it...
"All art is one." -Hal
User avatar
iiipopes
Posts: 1049
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 4:26 pm
Has thanked: 136 times
Been thanked: 186 times

Re: Couturier Curiosity

Post by iiipopes »

Bad computer day. Please delete. Please allow us to delete our own posts when we get fumble fingers on the odd day.
Last edited by iiipopes on Sun Oct 03, 2021 3:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jupiter JTU1110 - K&G 3F
"Real" Conn 36K - JK 4B Classic
User avatar
iiipopes
Posts: 1049
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 4:26 pm
Has thanked: 136 times
Been thanked: 186 times

Re: Couturier Curiosity

Post by iiipopes »

Oops. Hit quote instead of reply. Please delete.
Last edited by iiipopes on Sun Oct 03, 2021 3:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jupiter JTU1110 - K&G 3F
"Real" Conn 36K - JK 4B Classic
User avatar
iiipopes
Posts: 1049
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 4:26 pm
Has thanked: 136 times
Been thanked: 186 times

Re: Couturier Curiosity

Post by iiipopes »

humBell wrote: Sat Oct 02, 2021 10:24 pm
iiipopes wrote: Sat Oct 02, 2021 7:45 pm
humBell wrote: Fri Nov 20, 2020 12:23 pm I still have not outgrown my Couturier Curiosity.

But no great hurry either.

I especially would like to see the trombone and its slide.
Is that anything like Sartorial Styling?
But for brass players?

Good question.

I'll sleep on it...
Case in point: in high school, our marching band used the upright tall fake fur headdresses. A friend convinced our director to get floppy hats in the school colors to prevent, er, um, either wardrobe or instrument malfunctions, and one of the band mothers made them. When we graduated, we passed them down to the next players. Later, when I marched in Marching Mizzou, we had corp helmets that actually dented the sousaphones. I convinced the band director, again, to let us go to the bookstore and buy floppy caps in the matching black and gold.
Last edited by iiipopes on Sun Oct 03, 2021 3:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jupiter JTU1110 - K&G 3F
"Real" Conn 36K - JK 4B Classic
User avatar
iiipopes
Posts: 1049
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 4:26 pm
Has thanked: 136 times
Been thanked: 186 times

Re: Couturier Curiosity

Post by iiipopes »

Oops. Bad computer day. Please delete duplicate post.
Jupiter JTU1110 - K&G 3F
"Real" Conn 36K - JK 4B Classic
User avatar
Three Valves
Posts: 4604
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 4:07 pm
Location: The Land of Pleasant Living
Has thanked: 812 times
Been thanked: 500 times

Re: Couturier Curiosity

Post by Three Valves »

Floppy Caps??

Not a beret??

I hate berets!!
Thought Criminal
Mack Brass Artiste
TU422L with TU25
1964 Conn 36k with CB Arnold Jacobs
Accent (By B&S) 952R with Bach12
The Fourth Estate is the Fifth Column
User avatar
bloke
Mid South Music
Posts: 19230
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:55 am
Location: western Tennessee - near Memphis
Has thanked: 3819 times
Been thanked: 4073 times

Re: Couturier Curiosity

Post by bloke »

I ain’t afraid…

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... id=9220065

humBell wrote: Mon Jun 28, 2021 6:24 am Other makes associated with A.E. Couturier are Holton, Lyon & Healy, and finally York. I want to say York has preponderance of association, but it has been a while since i poked round on. the interwebs for his history.

I like to point non-musicians at the Ghostbusters scene discussing how the tower got built when trying to explain Couturier to them...

"I guess they don't build them like they used to."
"They never built them like this..."
humBell
Posts: 2047
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 11:25 am
Has thanked: 218 times
Been thanked: 165 times

Re: Couturier Curiosity

Post by humBell »

When there's something strange
in your tuba neighborhood
who ya gonna call?
"All art is one." -Hal
Heavy_Metal
Posts: 336
Joined: Sat Aug 15, 2020 5:23 pm
Location: Baltimore, MD, USA
Has thanked: 53 times
Been thanked: 94 times

Re: Couturier Curiosity

Post by Heavy_Metal »

humBell wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 7:23 am When there's something strange
in your tuba neighborhood
who ya gonna call?
Alexander!
Principal tuba, Bel Air Community Band
Old (early 1900s?) Alexander BBb proto-163
1976 Sonora (B&S 101) 4-rotor BBb
1964 Conn 20J/21J BBb (one body, both bells)
1970s Marzan Slant-rotor BBb
~1904 York 3P BBb Helicon
Old Alex Comp.F, in shop
humBell
Posts: 2047
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 11:25 am
Has thanked: 218 times
Been thanked: 165 times

Re: Couturier Curiosity

Post by humBell »

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... 776469214/

Image

I may try to track this down...

If i am going that way anyway.

Alas, i am not a facebooker (i have not been booked for facing?) which may be make it more difficult.

But they do exist, and usually can be identified at a glance due to the lack of parallel tubing in valve circuits.

Still would really like a trombone. Or an Eb for that matter.

Will come to you eventually. (Safe bet there aren't very many other options)
"All art is one." -Hal
humBell
Posts: 2047
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 11:25 am
Has thanked: 218 times
Been thanked: 165 times

Re: Couturier Curiosity

Post by humBell »

Shoot, i am slow to notice when things change...
Forum rules
When making a listing for large or expensive items, please include your budget and location. That will help you match with a seller that might have the item you are looking for
Location: Mainly New England, ranging into NY on a regular basis, but i promised to pick up a tuba from the bay area a friend is holding for me (to make sure say hi when i'm around)
so anywhere generally in between is fair game.

Um... Budget... Yeah.

I guess i'd target $300 for a trombone/baritone (though far more motivated by a trombone, as i have found a baritone) but could be talked into higher. tubas... $650 for an Eb and $1k for a BBb. (and helicons definitely count) and these are basically functional (or close to it) but suffering the ravages of time with minimal dignity. Something in good condition, i could see enticing more from me...

And i would say it isn't quite like i have funds set aside for these, so i may be slow to jump (like-wise if i get a flood of offers, i may end up comparison shopping) until like a sailor on shore leave i go tuba crazy.

Er. Al that said, perhaps i shoulda treated this like the old style want-ads where i paid by the word.

That meet the cordial request of the rules?
"All art is one." -Hal
Post Reply