 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2010-07-10 04:44
I just picked up a clean, low-mileage Pan American 58N ebonite clarinet from a thrift store. It needs an overhaul, but it's functional enough as is for a test play. I quite like the feel of the horn, as well as what I'm hearing from it. It should be a nice stablemate for my beloved Lyrique.
Are there any caveats to be aware of with the vintage Conn/Pan Am hard rubber horns? My 58N has sturdy nickel-silver keywork instead of the dreaded pot metal. Judging from the keyposts, oval logo, and other details, the 58N looks like a rebadged Conn, rather than a cheap entry-level Pan Am.
Also, my usual technician is currently unavailable. Are there any techs here accepting work and familiar with vintage Conns?
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2010-07-10 12:41
As far as I know, all of the Pan Americans are student models. The one very strong caveat with all rubber clarinets is: Never leave them exposed in sunlight or a hot environment. They'll turn greenish on whatever side is exposed to the sun and they can warp badly. I've seen rubber clarinets so warped that they're banana-shaped. Even the bell will slightly flatten so that the opening is oval instead of circular.
The Pan Ams I've seen have a stabilizing metal sleeve inside of the upper section, and most hard rubber clarinets have such a sleeve -- but it doesn't altogether prevent heat warping, as I've observed in many Humpty Dumpties exposed on tables at outdoor summer flea markets. When the keys heat up, they can sink right into the key holes and distort them. There's no cure for this kind of damage. The clarinet will never play in tune again.
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: jbutler ★2017
Date: 2010-07-10 13:10
To my knowledge Conn didnt' have a seperate factory for the Pan Am line. I know that the Conn and Pan Am saxes were built on the same line side by side. This was confirmed years ago in a conversation with a former Conn factory worker turned repair tech. The only difference was the Pan Am saxes didn't have the rolled tone holes. I have a Pan Am sax that is the same as a 12M and can't tell a bit of difference between it and the Conn version except for the aforementioned tone hole difference.
I would therefore conjecture that the Pan Am clarinets were also built on the same line as the Conn clarinets.
John B
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Author: GLHopkins
Date: 2010-07-10 14:10
Did all Conn clarinets of that era have pewter keys? Even the "pro" models?
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2010-07-10 17:57
Not all the vintage Conns had the pot metal keys. My 58N has nickel-silver keywork, but my 884N has the soft metal keys. While I've been able to avoid bending up the keywork, worn keywork has been an issue with the 884N. Mine has been overhauled recently, but needs further swedging and a re-regulation.
For the record, Pan Ams fall into three categories:
1. Entry-level instruments designed from scratch as Pan Americans. These were the horns Pan Am is most famous for, and include the Cavaliers. When the Pan Am division was phased out, many of these became the Conn Director line.
2. Discontinued Conn models reintroduced as Pan Americans, most notably saxophones. These become Pan American's step-up models, such as the 884N. I suspect the 58N is also in this category.
3. New engineering ideas were sometimes introduced on step-up Pan Americans, and if the ideas succeeded out in the field, were later transferred to the mainline Conns. Experiments with the wrap style of trumpets and cornets are the most common example of this.
It's a shame many people dismiss this marque entirely, assuming all they ever made were student-level horns. Some of the Pan Ams are quite interesting and play well.
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