 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: gRAHAM
Date: 2000-09-23 03:44
Hello,
What do you all think about conn clarinets. Especially the older vintage ones.
Graham
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Author: Dee
Date: 2000-09-23 12:01
Conn clarinets, unlike the saxophones, were never anything special. The student line (Pan American) had poor intonation and their top of the line instruments were mediocre. However they had a nice big, rich sound and a good player could control the intonation though it was more work than it was worth.
The construction on their student lines was also second rate. They used short screws with set screws to keep them in place where the better makers would use longer screws or long rod screws in the assembly. Sometimes the keys were made of "pot metal" and were prone to being bent or broken. Pot metal keys are unrepairable if the do break.
If you want an older, American made instrument, look for Penzel-Mullers or Prueffers.
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Author: Lelia
Date: 2000-09-23 12:01
I'm the original owner of a 1958 wooden B-flat Conn Director. It was sold as an intermediate clarinet. It's okay -- not really a good instrument. It has fairly poor intonation. I got used to compensating and was able to play it in tune, but I didn't realize just how much I was compensating until I bought better instruments as an adult. The Conn family had sold the company by the time my clarinet was made, and these later Conns were made to lower standards than the real C. G. Conns. Even the older vintage Conn clarinets (made before the mid-1940s) don't have the high reputation of the saxophones. (I also own several C. G. Conn saxes from the 1920s that are first-rate.)
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Author: Lelia
Date: 2000-09-23 12:06
Dee and I were posting at the same time -- yes, she's right about the mechanical description of these clarinets. I forgot to mention that I broke one of those cast pot-metal keys on my Conn, back in high school. A terrific repairman hand-cast a replacement key for me, because repairing the old one was impractical. He sold his labor for too little, IMHO! Today I avoid buying used clarinets with those types of keys. They're usually pretty easy to spot because they have numbers cast into the bottoms of the key touches. These are easy to see on the flat undersides of the right hand pinkie keys.
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Author: Mark P.
Date: 2000-09-23 14:14
I have a 1921 Conn ALbert system clarinet made out of hard rubber. I had it overhauled last year and the intonation is pretty decent. At least I think it is because I'm so busy thinking about the different fingerings instead of tuning when I play it! I notice that it has more resistence than my Selmer 9* and I can't get as large a sound with it.
This is a high end Albert with extra keys and rings.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-09-23 14:27
I do second the above re: Conn clarinets, except for my prized 1920's C Clarinet, Boehm, plastic [H R ?], what tuning I have to do is fun!! I have a 1940-50 wood Conn bass cl,[to low E !!] Double reg. keys, a good player but not as resonant as my Selmer! I have played a Conn Bari Sax of that vintage and have a standing offer to buy it, great and it fits my hands!! I did a bit of work on back on a Pan Am laminated [colorful!] cl, my recollection was that it was quite well in tune [one of a few??]. LUCK, Don
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Author: mark weinstein
Date: 2000-09-24 02:56
The 424N and the 444N are highly thought of by many people. These are large Bore instruments with a BIG sound. Not for everybody, but they are very nice. Similat I think to some of the large bore Selmers. I own a 424N that Steve Fowler renovated and I like it a lot. mw
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Author: Nate Zeien
Date: 2000-09-25 16:16
Yes, most of them are as posted above - barf. However, Conn did make some good clarinets too. Some of their higher end metal clarinets are sought after, (by people who actually like metal clarinets). I have heard of a double walled Conn metal clarinet that is supposed to be spectacular. I have played some of Conn's pro metal clarinets, and these can have a lot better tone than a Vito. There are a few good Conn clarinets, but there are also a lot of potential lamps out there, too. -- Nate Zeien
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Author: Dave
Date: 2000-09-25 20:06
how come no company out there can get everything right? well cept for selmer. I mean I love my conn alto dearly, but I hear these bad reviews of their clarinets. I mean selmer even goes as far as to make awesome brass instruments. Oh well, it's not my problem. I know the feeling of metal, I play a silver HN White, like Lester Young had played. And this is a beauty, I've only played two other metals that rival my HN White, those being a Conn, and a selmer.
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Author: Lelia
Date: 2000-09-26 14:51
I doubt that any company well ever get *everything* right for every customer. Clarinet intonation will always involve compromises, since we're using one set of holes to play two different basic registers plus altissimo. Also, people's preferences vary. Some people find it easier to lip up a flat tone than to lip down a sharp tone, and vice-versa. Some people play in big bands with lots of brasses, outdoors, while others play chamber music at home. Some people play jazz, some play klezmer, some play classical, some play pop. Some people are beginners, while others have played for many years. No one clarinet, mouthpiece and reed will satisfy everyone's needs. Part of the fun of investigating "obsolete" clarinets is the chance to see how manufacturers of the past handled the built-in limitations and strengths of the basic design.
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