1970 Conn 16E Mellophonium in the key of F and Eb. Made in Elkhart, Indiana. 

WOW, that is crazy. They are still around here and there. I’m sure you got lots of strange looks when they saw you playing that horn. You don’t see too many of these anymore. Thanks very much for watching.

I did the same thing, intonation isn’t great but Tone is gorgeous

I really appreciate that. Glad you enjoyed it.

Sounds like you have a nice collection of horns. This horn is definitely quite awkward to hold. I would hate having to march with it for a long period of time. I don’t think the counterweight does much good. But I’m not as young and strong, as I used to be either.🤣🤣 Enjoy playing your instruments. Glad you enjoyed watching the video. Thanks very much.

Thanks very much, I really appreciate it. Glad you enjoyed watching the video.

Thank you very much. I’m glad that you enjoyed watching the video.

@@brassfromthepast5149 thanks to you, you are a fantastic trumpet player, I admire and respect you infinitely 🙏😊😊.

That is cool. They were many around back then and many bands used them. Thanks very much for watching.

Thank you very much and thank you for watching.

That is great news. I believe that he will really enjoy marching band. It is very rewarding to be in a marching band. Not only do you have to memorize and play the music but you have to be able to do all the formations. He may eventually begin to try some other brass instruments. Most other brass instruments with valves are easy to pick up and play except for the differences in mouthpieces and the way that the horn plays. As far as the closeness of each interval. A French horn is much harder to play than a trumpet because the intervals are much closer together and harder to find. However a euphonium is easier to play because the intervals are further apart but the mouthpiece is much larger. And then of course you have the trombone which is totally different because it has a slide. And that is almost like learning a totally different kind of instrument. But it sounds like your scout is definitely hooked on playing the trumpet. And that is great. Thanks again for watching.

I don’t know if it was a very good tune to prepare for Easter but I’m glad that you enjoyed it.

@@brassfromthepast5149 I wish you a good preparation to Easter and, a very Happy Easter too.

They show up on eBay pretty often.

You can find them on eBay every now and then. Just do a search for mellophone or mellophonium. Thank you very much for watching.

Thank you very much. I’m glad that you enjoyed watching the video. It does sound great on a saxophone but I thought it would be interesting to play it on this funny looking horn. Thanks for watching.

It does seem like it is a combination between those two. Maybe this is the result of a trumpet/ French horn marriage, ha ha.🤣🤣 But this is a very unique instrument all its own. Thanks so much for watching.

One thing that might be better for this is a "solo horn" - essentially a bell-forward alto horn. All these instruments are so absurdly rare, though...

Horn player here. It is possible to put a horn adapter in any instrument with a trumpet-size receiver. It makes the instrument a lot warmer, and, IMO, easier to keep in tune. You do lose the brassiness, and it won't have the trombone-esque zing that you hear in this video. I have a Reynolds concert mellophone and a Blessing marching mellophone. I use a trumpet mouthpiece for jazz (Reynolds) and marching music (Bach Megatone 1), and a horn mouthpiece (custom) for concert band and French Romantic piston horn music.

@@Bill_Oddie_Face_Mask The 16E has a cornet shank, which is too small to fit an adapter for a horn mouthpiece.

The Conn 1 mouthpiece that shipped with this horn is pretty horn-like, just with a larger diameter and wider rim. But the shape is quite similar to a horn mouthpiece. The 16E is pretty well obsolete. It is a bear to play in tune or above the staff. But it does have a unique sound, and I still manage to find uses for mine pretty often.

​@@benjaminbrockway5998 The 16E is not rare, as they were used by many high school and college marching bands back in the day. What IS rare is finding one for sale in good condition, as most that turn up are beat up old school instruments. But Conn made a ton of 16Es, they just aren't used for anything anymore as better instruments replaced them. As far as "bell-front valved alto brass instruments that aren't a marching mellophone" go, the 16E is by far the easiest to find.