 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: fwolfejohnson
Date: 2008-10-17 17:46
I have two clarinets, one with a partial known history and the other of which is a complete blank. The first clearly identifies itself as a Conn Pan-American. However, since I had some work done on it, the repairman was able to verify that this is NOT a violin veneer wood. The unusual color goes all the way through the horn and is rosewood. Secondarily, there exists a serial number. All of the resources I have read about the Conn say that they do not ever have serial number or that they're preceded by a letter. The number on mine is a 13000 series (I don't remember the exact serial and it's still in the shop). Both main pieces have the same serial. My grandfather bought this clarinet for my mother to play in the 1960s on a trip to New Orleans and it was old when he bought it.
The second one simply says "Lyceum" on the bell. It's a wood instrument with silver plated keys and trim (you can see where use has worn it away). It too has a serial number but I've been unable to locate any company by that name (it says it was made in France). I have no idea how old this one is, as it was gotten from an auction.
If anyone can help me figure this out, I'd appreciate it. I can provide pictures of the second horn if needed and if you're willing to wait I can provide pictures of the first as well.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2008-10-17 20:10
The letter followed by a number is the Model number, not the serial number. All Conns I've seen do have serial numbers. I am curious as to how the tech determined that the "rose" color goes all the way through the wood. I assume the plywood Pan Ams have the same color on the bore as on the exterior....but that doesn't prove that the color "goes all the way through". I'm not a Conn expert.
I guess Lyceum means "school".
Bob Draznik
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2008-10-18 18:10
"Lyceum" does mean "school." Bob, my experience agrees with yours: every Conn I've ever seen (I woen several and I've seen a lot of them) has had a serial number.
I assume the identification of the wood is correct, since a repairman has worked on it, but a word of warning to people who might run into these clarinets at flea markets and so forth: be careful. I've seen a couple of mid-20th century Conn PanAms made of a substance that appeared to be propeller wood or rosewood but was really elaborately wood-grained and colored plastic. This was some of the most convincing faux-wood I've ever seen. The only place where I could tell for sure it was plastic was on the ends of the tenons. Just to make matters more confusing, these models were also made in solid wood and in laminated wood.
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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Author: BobD
Date: 2008-10-18 19:03
Conn lists one model as having been made from Zyloid and I have no idea what that was. I have heard of some clarinet having been made from "celluloid" but have never seen one of these either. Conn also lists some clarinets having been made from "ebonite" and some from "tempered ebonite". I assume these are hard rubber horns. Some of the old Ebonite bowling balls had a swirly pattern that could resemble wood in some ways.
Bob Draznik
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2008-10-20 12:30
I don't know what "Zyloid" was, either. I don't think the faux-wood clarinet I described was hard rubber. It felt too lightweight for rubber and didn't have the smell. I'm pretty sure it was plastic.
These old hrd rubber bowling balls sell for nearly nothing at East Coast flea markets, btw. Some of them do look like wood. They also come with green, yellow, red, orange, blue or purple swirls that couldn't be mistaken for wood. My husband has cut up a few of the more luridly-bright ones for his hobby of making fancy fountain pens. They're very hard rubber, tough to machine on a lathe, and might make interesting mouthpieces if (a *big* if! -- I don't know about this!) they're not toxic. Some of the bowling balls have the swirly pattern all the way through. Others have a layer of the patterned hard rubber over plain black hard rubber.
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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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2008-10-20 14:03
I had a mp with Zyloid printed on it, will see if I can find it. It was included with a Conn Bb. Believe it to be another name for a hard[ened] rubber. I suggest a Search of our archives and will do so shortly. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2008-10-20 20:22
While wondering about Zyloid, I made a Google search re: Zyloid clarinet, and WOW, found "The Conn Loyalist" website/listing of [many] Conn cl model #s, [new to me] one of which was Director Zyloid ----, so some info is out there. Possibly a "trademark" search of Z, would give composition ?? Could the "Loyalist" site be included in our "How Old is My", info/search Mark/GBK? Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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