Horn-u-Copia's Display of Makers

1925--. After his double cup mouthpieces became popular, John Parduba discontinued making trumpets.

• 1892 John D. Parduba (1870-1946) emigrates to US from Austria; he was born in Kromeriz (from 1900 census; other census records say 1894 and 1898)
• 1900 living at #219 E. 10th St., Manhattan, instrument maker, son William is newborn in June (census)
• 1901 granted patent #673,027 for a keyed zither
• 1905 son John Jr. (1905-1997) is born in the Bronx in January
• 1908-1910 John is president of the Euterpean Pianola Co., #309 Broadway, NY & #219 E. 69th St. (city directories)
• 1909 granted patent #895,107 for a keyed instrument; he is listed as an Austrian citizen living in the Bronx
• 1910 living at #596 St. Ann’s Ave., Bronx; musical instrument manufacturer (census)
• 1915 John is said to have started making custom mouthpieces (Klinefelter, 2014); home at #596 St. Ann’s (Polks)
• 1916 granted patent #1,197,058 for a disk key change valve
• 1918 John is said to have opened his original shop at 3rd Ave. and 87th Street in New York making trumpets, cornets, and mouthpieces
• 1919 son William dies at age 17; John leases a loft at #1545 3rd Ave., NY
• 1920 John Parduba, musical instruments, #1545 3rd Ave.
• 1929-1940 Harry Glanz (1896-1982) is said to have used a Parduba trumpet at this time (Klinefelter, 2014)
• 1930 still at #506 St. Ann’s Ave., John & John Jr. are both listed as musical instrument mechanics c.1932 moves shop to #140 W. 49th St., NY
• 1935 granted patent #2,018,738 for double-cup mouthpiece design filed in December, 1933
• 1940 living at #2410 Davidson Ave., Bronx; same house in 1935; both Johns listed as musical instrument repairers (census); business listing at #140 W. 49th St., John Parduba & Son
• 1946 John Parduba & Son, #140 W. 49th St. (telephone book)
• 1997 John Parduba Jr. dies in Blauvelt, NY
• c.2002 Parduba mouthpieces now made by A&G Music in Oakland, CA; Dick Akright
• 2017 Parduba mouthpieces are made in Arizona, a division of Conn-Selmer

Most examples of Parduba’s work are his mouthpieces patented in 1935. Originals are said to have hand-stamped lettering while those made after the name was sold are machine stamped.

Trumpets are labeled with ‘J. Parduba, New York’ so would probably pre-date the ‘Parduba & Son’ era which may have started in the 1920s. The earliest trumpet has serial #5237 (photo 3, page 1) and has ‘Patent July, 1910’ which probably refers to the pitch change loop patented by York. Trumpet models are ‘Inspiration Extra Special’ (#7564, photo 5) and ‘Supratone Extra Special’ (#48,884, photo 3 this page). They all share the same basic design with forward 2nd valve slide, single tuning slide brace, and 1st slide finger ring. Used Supratone as a tradename.

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