Conn Organ dating guide.
The model number is the map: first digit 3–8, 7xx/8xx = Artist/Classic, 650s = theatre.
Conn Organ is a separate story from Conn brass instruments — and its paper trail is thin: the old connorgan.com domain no longer resolves and there is no Wikipedia page. What survives is a practical model-number system: the first digit (3 through 8) scales the instrument, 7xx/8xx belong to the Artist and Classic lines that required separate tone cabinets, and the 650 series were three-manual theatre organs. Owner's manuals for Conn survive through the Raymon Brothers service center.
No model-by-model serial tables
Conn Organ never published serial charts — and no verifiable community table exists. This page is a working dating guide: era markers, plate location and component date codes. The general dating guide covers the component-code route.
Where the serial number lives
- Tag on the underside of the keyshelf, at the treble (right-hand) end.
Era markers
| Era | Years | What it means on the instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Model numbering | 1950s–70s | First digit 3–8: smaller to larger. 7xx/8xx = Artist/Classic (separate tone cabinets needed). 650/651/652/653 = three-manual theatre organs. |
Model catalogue
11 documented models — 7 with published production years (observed 2026-10-12). Years are catalogue-derived; models without published years are listed as placeholders.
| Model | Years | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| C.G. Conn Ltd. (Elkhart, Indiana) | 1875– | Company | founded 1875 as a band-instrument maker; first electronic organ, the 2-D Conn Sonata, in 1947 |
| Conn 2-D Sonata | 1947– | Console | Conn's first electronic organ |
| Conn 650 | 1970– | Theatre console | three-manual theatre organ; the 652 has newer MOS ICs than the 650 |
| Conn 580 Theatrette | 1972– | Theatre console | collector catalogue dates it 1972 |
| Conn 651 | 1973– | Theatre console | three-manual theatre organ, collector-dated 1973 |
| Conn 652 | 1978– | Theatre console | three-manual theatre organ: four ranks of tone generators, tremolo and 2-speed Leslie, 'one-man band' strummer with 22 rhythms |
| Conn 653 | 1978– | Theatre console | part of the 650 three-manual theatre series |
| Conn identification-plate location | — | Note | Conn often placed the identification plate on the bottom of the keyshelf at the treble end |
| Conn model-number system | — | Note | model numbers begin with 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8; 7xx and 8xx are the Artist and Classic lines; the smaller the first digit the smaller the organ; the 650 series (650/651/652/653) are three-manual theatre organs; 7xx/8xx required separate tone cabinets |
| Conn organ serial chart (honest no-data) | — | Note | no public Conn organ serial/date table found; dating runs on the model-number system and tech era |
| Conn tone cabinets (X-series pipes) | — | Accessory | documented 652 installations drive multiple pipe cabinets (X144/X145/X146, bass 255 type 201 with an internal Leslie) |
What it is worth
- Console organs trade locally; the Artist/Classic lines with their tone cabinets are the ones collectors look for.
Frequently asked
What does my Conn Organ model number mean?
Read the first digit: 3–8 scales the organ class. 7xx and 8xx are the Artist and Classic lines, 650s are three-manual theatre instruments.