Serial Number of a Conn 88HCL

Post Reply
plondoe
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Jul 08, 2022 8:32 am

Serial Number of a Conn 88HCL

Post by plondoe »

I have a Conn 88HCL and I can't seem to find a readable serial number on it anywhere. I can find one on the handle of the slide, but its seems to be a code that ends B3520. Is there any way for me to find the serial number? It is post-Elkhart and my trombone teacher seems to think it's 80's or 90's, although I'm not sure why.
User avatar
BGuttman
Posts: 6295
Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2018 7:19 am
Location: Cow Hampshire

Re: Serial Number of a Conn 88HCL

Post by BGuttman »

CL stands for Christian Lindberg. It's his twist on the 88H. The horns first appeared when your teacher says.

Newer Conn serials are somewhat enigmatic. I hope somebody else chimes in. Some should be 6 digits, but there were 8 digit ones that included letters.
Bruce Guttman
Merrimack Valley Philharmonic Orchestra
"Almost Professional"
Tboorer
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Mar 01, 2024 6:12 am

Re: Serial Number of a Conn 88HCL

Post by Tboorer »

plondoe wrote: Fri Jul 08, 2022 8:37 am I have a Conn 88HCL and I can't seem to find a readable serial number on it anywhere. I can find one on the handle of the slide, but its seems to be a code that ends B3520. Is there any way for me to find the serial number? It is post-Elkhart and my trombone teacher seems to think it's 80's or 90's, although I'm not sure why.
I don’t know how it could be 80 or 90s if it’s a CL conn. He didn’t develop that model until the late 90s
User avatar
Hamby86
Posts: 12
Joined: Mon Jan 15, 2024 7:49 pm
Location: Lexington, KY

Re: Serial Number of a Conn 88HCL

Post by Hamby86 »

I got mine and at the time assumed it was a very new model in September of 2000
User avatar
harrisonreed
Posts: 5165
Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 12:18 pm
Location: Fort Riley, Kansas
Contact:

Re: Serial Number of a Conn 88HCL

Post by harrisonreed »

There have been a ton of threads lately with folks trying to date early 2000's 88Hs to as far back as 1919. We should make a new rule: "if you don't know when your 88H was made, the linkage is mechanical, and the bell just says "USA" it was made between 2000 to 2010. Rejoice"

The CL2000 valve has the number "2000" in it because that's the year it officially came out. The prototype was a bit earlier than that, but only Lindberg had that horn.

There was the 88HY artist in the 90s that had Lindberg's name on it in a cursive script. But the 88HCL is from 2000 or later. Here is the UMI catalogue from 1997, with the 88HY listed as the CL model:

https://web.archive.org/web/19970625135 ... #Trombones

The serial number is going to be on the main bell cross brace. The engraving is not deep, so it might have rubbed off.
User avatar
tbdana
Posts: 664
Joined: Sat Apr 08, 2023 5:47 pm

Re: Serial Number of a Conn 88HCL

Post by tbdana »

My 88HCL is from 2000 and it has the CL valve with "patent pending" stamped on it. So that tells me it's a fairly early one. I doubt there were any much before that.
User avatar
Burgerbob
Posts: 5068
Joined: Mon Apr 23, 2018 8:10 pm
Location: LA
Contact:

Re: Serial Number of a Conn 88HCL

Post by Burgerbob »

harrisonreed wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 4:40 am There have been a ton of threads lately with folks trying to date early 2000's 88Hs to as far back as 1919. We should make a new rule: "if you don't know when your 88H was made, the linkage is mechanical, and the bell just says "USA" it was made between 2000 to 2010. Rejoice"
Can we sticky this somewhere?
Aidan Ritchie, LA area player and teacher
User avatar
Hamby86
Posts: 12
Joined: Mon Jan 15, 2024 7:49 pm
Location: Lexington, KY

Re: Serial Number of a Conn 88HCL

Post by Hamby86 »

tbdana wrote: Sat Jul 27, 2024 11:29 am My 88HCL is from 2000 and it has the CL valve with "patent pending" stamped on it. So that tells me it's a fairly early one. I doubt there were any much before that.
Same on mine! Makes me wonder if the ones from this time period are better or more "special" than one made in the last few years. I honestly have no idea.
User avatar
harrisonreed
Posts: 5165
Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 12:18 pm
Location: Fort Riley, Kansas
Contact:

Re: Serial Number of a Conn 88HCL

Post by harrisonreed »

I think those have the heavy caps with the old dude's face on em, right? That's what makes them special. Also, I believe that some of the early ones had a slightly different rotor core material.
User avatar
tbdana
Posts: 664
Joined: Sat Apr 08, 2023 5:47 pm

Re: Serial Number of a Conn 88HCL

Post by tbdana »

harrisonreed wrote: Sat Jul 27, 2024 1:40 pm I think those have the heavy caps with the old dude's face on em, right? That's what makes them special. Also, I believe that some of the early ones had a slightly different rotor core material.
Yep. Came with 2 caps, and that big thick one is one of them.
User avatar
harrisonreed
Posts: 5165
Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 12:18 pm
Location: Fort Riley, Kansas
Contact:

Re: Serial Number of a Conn 88HCL

Post by harrisonreed »

Yeah it still comes with both, but if yours has some guy's face on it, it's relatively rare 😁

It changed to a floral pattern on both.
User avatar
Hamby86
Posts: 12
Joined: Mon Jan 15, 2024 7:49 pm
Location: Lexington, KY

Re: Serial Number of a Conn 88HCL

Post by Hamby86 »

Yeah I use the heavy cap with the face of CG Conn on it
User avatar
tbdana
Posts: 664
Joined: Sat Apr 08, 2023 5:47 pm

Re: Serial Number of a Conn 88HCL

Post by tbdana »

harrisonreed wrote: Sat Jul 27, 2024 2:17 pm Yeah it still comes with both, but if yours has some guy's face on it, it's relatively rare 😁

It changed to a floral pattern on both.

Mine has "some guy's face on it." (I need to polish it up.) So I guess it's relatively rare. :)


IMG_3541.JPG


And the serial number is found on the underside of the brace that holds the trigger.


IMG_3542.jpg


And my bell has a bunch of engraving on it.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
OneTon
Posts: 666
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2021 11:44 am

Re: Serial Number of a Conn 88HCL

Post by OneTon »

tbdana wrote: Sat Jul 27, 2024 3:05 pm
Mine has "some guy's face on it." (I need to polish it up.) So I guess it's relatively rare. :)
I don’t know if that valve cap will polish up. But the graham crumbs will come out for sure.
Richard Smith
Wichita, Kansas
User avatar
tbdana
Posts: 664
Joined: Sat Apr 08, 2023 5:47 pm

Re: Serial Number of a Conn 88HCL

Post by tbdana »

OneTon wrote: Sat Jul 27, 2024 6:11 pm I don’t know if that valve cap will polish up. But the graham crumbs will come out for sure.

LOL! :D Might have to call Roto Rooter for the graham cracker crumbs, but the valve cap polished up okay. It was just a little oil smeared on there.


IMG_3544.JPG
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
OneTon
Posts: 666
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2021 11:44 am

Re: Serial Number of a Conn 88HCL

Post by OneTon »

Nice. Now that we have a good picture of him, we can put it on a carton if milk and maybe find out who he is.
Richard Smith
Wichita, Kansas
User avatar
harrisonreed
Posts: 5165
Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 12:18 pm
Location: Fort Riley, Kansas
Contact:

Re: Serial Number of a Conn 88HCL

Post by harrisonreed »

Legend has it that it depicts either Jigsaw, from the Saw franchise, Hannibal Lector, or Thomas Edison. Or it's a really inaccurate drawing of Christian Lindberg.
AtomicClock
Posts: 337
Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2023 8:01 pm
Location: USA

Re: Serial Number of a Conn 88HCL

Post by AtomicClock »

Duh. His name is engraved right there. Pat Pending.
Post Reply

Return to “Instruments”