Author: Brent
Date: 2000-01-27 17:14
All of these that i have seen are Pan American brand (division of Conn earlier this century). I have one of these which i purchased on ebay for $135. My interest was primarily cosmetic--it's a very attractive instrument. The wood is solid, not veneer, but it appears to be a laminate--that is, start with a 2" thick hunk of plywood and cut it into billets, then machine into the clarinet body.
The wood can delaminate and that will cause what appears to be a crack in the body of the instrument. Mine has one such in the lower joint. It has been reglued and i added a ring to help hold it together.
It is a student quality instrument, and not a great one at that. It is horribly out of tune, especially in the altissimo range. It is not particularly easy to play (my hands are used to the 10G and the keys just don't lay right for me) and also does not blow as freely as a good professional instrument.
Brent
Don wrote:
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Hello,
I have recently seen several Conn Pan American "propeller" clarinets. They are beautifully-figured medium brown veneer-over-plastic (I think) from the late '40's (again, I think).
I am looking for *any* information on these instruments: comments on construction, quality, value, history, availability/rarity, desireability, etc.
Thank you!
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The Clarinet BBoard
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