Conn Vertical

[Jim]

Dear Fred:

In 1966 when I went to work for the C G Conn Co. in Elkhart Indiana,
the Janssen Piano Co. of NY was owned by Conn and was making some
pianos with the Conn name.  They were primarily C F Stein designed
C scale pianos.  Within 2 year Chuck Walter and I had designed a
completely new spinet piano which bore the name Conn.  We also
designed and built the prototype C-48 console which became the
Walter piano when Chuck bo't the piano division (minus the name)
for a song.  He did get the name Janssen and made quite a few pianos
with that name until he was ready to introduce the Walter piano in
'78 (I think).  In the meantime the Kimball piano co eventually
acquired the remains of the division of Conn and made some pianos
which were of the Kimball design.  These bore the name Conn.
I have no knowledge of what has happened to the Conn piano name
since Kimball had it.

Jim Coleman, Sr.

On Wed, 8 Jan 1997, FRED W TREMPER wrote:

> A few days ago I tuned a Conn vertical.  The customer bought it off the back
> of a truck; apparently the original owner was not able to make the payments
> and the bank repossessed.  The wholesaler bought the paper from the bank
> and pedalled it on an itinerant schedule.
>
> I have to admit I was very favorably impressed by the instrument.  I
> have tuned about three of them over the years and was well pleased with
> the outcome.
>
> I would like to know more about the manufacturer.  Does anyone have
> information on it?
>
> Fred
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Fred W. Tremper, RPT
> Morehead State University
> Morehead, KY 40351
> f.trempe@morehead-st.edu
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>