Hi All i have just won a Pan American Alto on eBay, I believe they are basically a Conn, but have no idea what the difference may be if any. Am I in for a big surprise. Any feedback much appreciate.
Ir's a Pan American, not a Conn.....think of it this way: General Motors makes Cadillac and Chevrolet....a Chevrolet is not a Caddillac.....and all the wishful thinking in the word wil not make a Chevrolet a Cadillac
Thanks Steve what prompted the buy, is I heard from a well respected sax player/tech ( Conn guy) here in the UK that his Son ( great player) plays and mostly prefers his Pan American , so I thought it was worth a punt. Considering the price I paid , only $200 for what looks like a horn with a lot of promise. My main Tenor is a 10M.
It seems a little untimely to be asking about this horn after you've already bought it. $200 is a decent sounding deal, but if it needs significant repairs it could put you underwater on its value. But you will be the ultimate judge of whether you like it and think it's a good deal or not.
You'd asked earllier about the plating-in-a can stuff. It works only if the surface is perfectly smooth. Getting a whole saxophone prepped to where it would work would take a huge chunk of your life.
What is a good deal. A cheap Chinese import would cost a bit more, that is brand new and plays straight out the box. but it is not what I want. It is costly to have a full overhaul, but I'm hoping that is not the case. Fingers crossed.
Most likely the cheap Chinese import will not play straight out of the box. Any decent NEW student alto will run about $1000 give or take 15%. If you're paying significantly less than that then, you're probably taking your chances. That being said, price is rarely the best indicator of quality. There are plently of overpriced instruments out there too. Do your research and get second opinions!!!
Agree price is not a bench mark for quality. The varied eBay prices for Vintage horns is testament to that. As far as cheap Chinese imports are concerned, they have their place. I found if you try a few ( which is the only way) you can find an instrument that plays freely and in tune.( for less than £250) If you want that type of instrument. But I just sold my Custom YAS 855 that also plays freely and in tune with superior build quality, because I preferred an old 1928 Chu Berry Alto. The ergos are not anyway near the Yamaha, but I can live with that.
I have a Pan American alto in my collection. My understanding is that Conn marketed their older instruments under the Pan American label, just as Buescher did with Elkhart and Martin did with Indiana. Also, King used Cleaveland.
The Pan Ameican may not have all the bell and whistles as the older Conn, and possibly the workmanship may not be quite as good. But they are generally pretty decent horns.