Obviously a contract instrument, but which maker?

[imperialbari]

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie ... 0563266214

Structure like a Conn 28K, but the ferrules, some stays, and the throat volume don’t match the Conn 28K.

Is it a disguised Pan American?

Klaus (not bidding)

[SousaSaver]

There is no link and no image...

[imperialbari]

Sorry for my silly error. I had placed the auction link within the IMG brackets. Just corrected it.

This kind of error happens for some of us. My own remedy, if I am curious enough, is to quote the faulty posting. That very often gives the nature of the error away, and also often gives access to the source link.

Klaus

[imperialbari]

The elements puzzling me were:

The curved stays

The non-contoured body-knee ferrule

And the elaborate small stays in the slide area

The two first ones didn’t scream Conn to me, and there is a discrepancy between the minimalist ferrule and the turned stays (which maybe really are cast, which would make them cheap enough to use on a discount instrument).

We had a Pan American Eb sousaphone up a couple of years ago, which Wade identified:

Pan American Eb sousaphone 3P.jpg

But that photo was not taken from a very telling angle.

Digging a bit deeper into my old disks I found this photo collage, which tells more:

Pan American USC Eb sousa.jpg

Not feigning ignorance, as I can remember a lot of the 6000+ instruments represented in my gallery, but certainly not all. And Pan American is one of the brands not entirely clear to me. As I read the context, it was Conn’s own low end label.

The 26K and 28K Eb sousaphones both are quite robust for Eb basses. almost up in the size of the Besson 981, and certainly with a broader sound than the old B&H Imperial Eb compers with its 15" bell. I certainly see the production benefits of sharing the bell set-up with the 14K, but these old Pan Americans may still have been more relevant for school bands.

Klaus

[Brown Mule]

American LaFrance Co-----------maybe Helicon under contract for catalogue!

[Dan Schultz]

American LaFrance

A firetruck?

[Brown Mule]

Seagraves,co, Pierce Co, and American LaFrance Co all produced catalogues 60 and 70 years ago with all types of contracted fire man related items. Winchester Arms Co even marketed Winchester flashlights and pocket knives in catelogues------why not market Conn contracted Helicons with" firemen "written on it to firemen to relieve them from the boredom of a checker board game. Wouldn't advise going Bear hunting with only a Winchester flashlight though.----------USAQC never made a Tuba but letters are all over their Tubas.

[Dan Schultz]

Seagraves,co, Pierce Co, and American LaFrance Co all produced catalogues 60 and 70 years ago with all types of contracted fire man related items. Winchester Arms Co even marketed Winchester flashlights and pocket knives in catelogues------why not market Conn contracted Helicons with" firemen "written on it to firemen to relieve them from the boredom of a checker board game. Wouldn't advise going Bear hunting with only a Winchester flashlight though.----------USAQC never made Tuba but letters are all over their Tubas.

There was a day when virtually every business, police station, fraternal organization, and firehouse had their own band. Every once in a while a 'stencil' instrument surfaces with an unfamiliar name on it.