Posted by Lee Stofer on December 17, 2003 at 08:41:29:
In Reply to: Pan American Sousaphones posted by Bill V. on December 16, 2003 at 23:59:38:
Some years ago I was told by a Conn factory representative that the Pan American line was started in 1919, but I think that 1899 would be closer, as I've owned a 1901 Pan American Eb tuba, according to the best documentation I could come up with.
I was further told that the Pan American line was discontinued about the time that Conn was pressed into wartime good production in the 1940's. If you check serial numbers, there were a couple of years where they only made 250 instruments or so.
Aside from the ferrules and engraving, they were identical to Conns. Your Pan Am had a leak somewhere if it didn't play well.
Lee Stofer