[scat67]

I have a Pan American piccolo that I can't find much information about except a couple of catalogs referred to in the Library of Congress...and the University of South Dakota National Music Museum. I was wondering if anyone can help...

It's a metal piccolo with "Pan American" "Made in Elkhart, Ind. USA" written on it. There's a number that I can somewhat see (have to dig out the magnifying glass to get the rest of it...) that reads "2781-D (maybe) -L" stamped on it. (The USD listing is a "38-P-2175-D-L", so I'll have to magnify the beginning of the number on mine to see what it says...38-P is the model; 2175 is the s/n--I'm thinking the one I have may be a later version of this piccolo, but don't know for sure...here's the link anyway: http://www.usd.edu/smm/Flutes/Conn/ConnFlutesChecklist.html#PanAmericanP)

Even if you know of another link I can use for more reseach, I'd appreciate it! Thanks in advance...

 

[bruce bailey]

The Conn Loyalist site is good. Yours is a Low pitch Db piccolo and not in C as normal. Pan-American was Conns other line.

 

[scat67]

Great Thanks!

That helps a lot! I'll check out the Conn Loyalist site and see what else I can dig up--so far the years look about right for when I guessed it was made. Anyone else with more?

S.

 

[scat67]

Now I'm Confused!

I found the Db info on the Conn Loyalist site, but then I checked the serial number listing for woodwinds and the years for s/n 2781 are 1897-1898... Hmmmm...

 

[bandmommy]

Conn and Pan American have seperate lists. Good luck finding one though. I still can't get a year of manufacture on my Pan Am sax.

 

[scat67]

Good Luck with your hunt, too...

I might actually have to find a real library that has access to Jstor, which shows some info on Pan American instruments... The only other place to access that I've seen is the Library of Congress, but there's LOTS of sifting to do there to find the Pan American catalogs from years ago and their server is really slow. Maybe a middle of the night job!

 

[bruce bailey]

One site says that you add 50,000 to the number and then use the Conn list but I find that isn't always the case. IF so yours would be from 1919 and that may be correct. I think Pan=Americans started around 1915-16 and I know they ended in 1955. The lowness of your number would make 1919 a good guess. As far as value, it isn't much. Silver plated Conn Db piccolos rarely go over $150 in mint condition. The P-A flutes were 2-piece until the late 30s and are pretty decent. I have a P-A Db flute that has soldered tone holes and a satin silver body similar to the saxes. A really good player. I think I have about 20 Conn flutes and one is a model 100-O which is all sterling with a B foor, C# trill and original case. From my 40 years of collecting Conn flutes, I think it may be the only one existing.

 

[scat67]

WOW Great!

I know the person who played it would've started in the early 50's, and he probably would've gotten it secondhand then.

Great info! Don't really care about worth; but it's good to know that the insurance doesn't have to be upped. There's not many, if any, vintage instrument people in my area so the info here is IT.

Thanks again & good luck with your collecting!