 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: karlbonner82
Date: 2010-04-24 07:14
I found a Craigslist ad for a $70 clarinet (A Conn Pan-American) and of course was not expecting much. And I definitely was not going to buy it without at least some evaluation of the horn's condition. Luckily I'm very good friends with a clarinet player and he offered to check it out. He said that for $70 it would be insanity not to buy it, and that it was almost every bit as good as his Yamaha 20 - one of the better plastic models according to many. So I bought it, and so far it seems to be working quite well for me!
Now I am skeptical of the idea that it's on par with the "really good" plastics such as the Vitos and the Buffet B-12s. And it could be that my friend's Yamaha 20 is not in perfect functional condition, at least not compared to a new specimen. So there could still be considerable room for improvement within the plastic microcosm - something that might be important further down the line if I end up playing outdoors or in noisy gigs a lot. (Or anything else where the horn would run the risk of being damaged or stolen). If you must use plastic for pragmatic reasons, it makes sense to have a top-end plastic instrument rather than a cheap one.
But the Conn I do have is definitely not a bad student clarinet. It should keep me busy long enough until I go for a better plastic horn as well as a good wood one.
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2010-04-24 09:18
The Pan American Zyloid clarinet you have is likely the same clarinet that later became the Conn 16N after the Pan American brand was phased out.
Unlike today's plastic clarinets, the plastic used for these is quite heavy and dense, giving the clarinet a solid, hefty feel. The instruments have a dark, rich tone which I rather like.
The major caveat with Pan American clarinets is that the keywork on SOME of them (including the 884N that I own) was not durable forged nickel-silver as found on today's clarinets; the softer keywork can rather easily get bent out of shape, and wear can be a major issue. Personally, I wouldn't be willing to put up with that potential ongoing headache of a plastic clarinet with soft keywork when plastic Vitos, Bundys, and Yamahas with sturdy forged keywork are so readily (and inexpensively) available.
If your Pan Am has sturdy keywork, sounds good to you, plays in tune, stays in regulation, and is a good ergonomic fit for your hands...congratulations, you've already won the battle of finding the right plastic clarinet for you. Instead of making a lateral move to another plastic horn, invest the money instead on a top-quality mouthpiece and a good overhaul of your Pan Am. Cheers!
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2010-04-24 14:33
Handle it with care. The keys are definitely "pot metal," which breaks easily and can't be soldered back together. In particular, use plenty of cork grease and touch only the body and perhaps the bottom pads when putting the instrument together and taking it apart.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2010-04-24 18:09
I keep my Pan American in a Gard soprano sax gig bag. A fully assembled clarinet with mouthpiece and cap fits perfectly inside, eliminating the need to assemble/disassemble the instrument and risk bending the keywork.
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Author: karlbonner82
Date: 2010-04-24 21:45
The cork at the top of the top joint is rather tight even when greased, and I worry that some time I'll damage a key or pad by twisting the top joint too hard when trying to remove the barrel.
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Author: cearnsh
Date: 2010-04-25 18:36
The keys on the Pan American Zyloid clarinet are not necessarily pot metal. Some of the keys on mine were badly bent but straightened without problems. This may not be true of all of them however!
That said, it is some of the most uncomfortable keywork that I've ever come across...
Chris
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2010-04-25 21:54
My 884N is uncomfortable as well and seems to be made for players with big hands. The RH tone holes are widely spaced; maintaining proper hand position to cover them without also accidentally venting the trill B/F# trill makes the pinky keys awkward to operate.
I suppose if I get an Albert someday, it'll feel something like my Pan Am.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2010-04-27 10:05
"The cork at the top of the top joint is rather tight even when greased, and I worry that some time I'll damage a key or pad by twisting the top joint too hard when trying to remove the barrel."
The judicious and careful use of a nailfile on the cork can soon fix this. Don't overdo it, and make sure you work all round the joint.
Tony F.
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2010-04-27 22:10
Ken Shaw wrote,
>>Handle it with care. The keys are definitely "pot metal," which breaks easily and can't be soldered back together. In particular, use plenty of cork grease and touch only the body and perhaps the bottom pads when putting the instrument together and taking it apart.>>
He's so right. My 1957 Conn Director (grenadilla) also has those keys. I played that instrument from grade school through high school. In high school, I broke one of the right-hand pinkie key levers over the crow's foot during normal use. I wasn't exactly Gorilla Woman or Xena, Warrior Princess, either -- I have very small hands, I was a late developer and I was literally a 90 lb. weakling at the time. No way should I have been able to snap off a key lever, but I managed it. Probably the key gradually got metal fatigue from constant use. The local repairman hand-made me a replacement.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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