I make no secret about my preference for vintage saxophones. I would estimate that of the saxophone-specific articles written here since May 2008, approximately 75% of them are about horns made prior to the 1970s.
Besides my preference being for vintage saxophones, my predilections are towards European and American-made instruments. I do not have, nor do I plan to have, an Asian-made saxophone in my personal collection.
Call me a saxophone snob if you like. However, of the Asian-made horns that I have played, I’ve not been smitten by many of them. A couple have come close to inciting my G.A.S., but in the end, it didn’t happen.
That’s OK. Not all horns are for everybody. If they were, the world would be a very boring place, with many saxophonists sounding alike.
Having said this, I realize that Asian-made saxophones are an ever-increasing presence in the marketplace. Many of my readers—as well as my friends and colleagues—play horns made in Asia.
Since I like to stay current with what’s happening in the world of saxophones, I try to keep an eye out for information about Asian-manufacturers. Sometimes this information is not easy to find in the English language.
This morning I saw an article in Focus Taiwan, that writes about factory tours for the Lunar New Year. It seems that:
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has been urging people to visit tourism factories over the Lunar New Year to experience first hand how various products are made and used.
Source: Focus Taiwan
Among the factories that the article lists, is the Lien-Chang Musical Instrument Factory in Houli District in Taichung. Apparently the museum Chronicles the 65 years of Taiwanese saxophone production and export history, and features horns by Adolphe Sax, as well as Chang Lien-Chang—the man who is seen as the Taiwanese grandfather of the saxophone.
A quick Google search turned up the website for Lien-Cheng Saxophones. The story how these saxophones came about is actually quite an interesting one.
According to the company’s About Us page, as a young man, Lien Chang formed a jazz band with friends. A friend of his was the only one to have a saxophone, because the instruments were so expensive at the time.
Unfortunately the horn was destroyed in a fire. Lien Chang then decided to design a saxophone, and then manufacture the instruments for sale.
Chang’s first saxophone was produced in 1948, and after the first horn was sold, the Lien-Chang Musical Instrument Factory was founded. In 1977, Chang’s son took over the factory from his father. The company is now in the 4th generation of manufacturing saxophones.
Looking through the company’s saxophone offerings, I was surprised by the wide variety of choices in both models and finishes. With regards to the models however, I am unclear as to what the differences between them are.
For example, in alto models, Lien Chang offers 5 different ones, each in a variety of finishes. The descriptions for the most part are identical however.
There is only 1 horn that at first glance looks different. It’s key guards are more interesting, and aren’t Selmer-style. Also its finish is rather unique, and isn’t described anywhere on the company’s website, or in the catalogue.
Source: lcsax.com
The description for this alto reads:
Product Serial: A-705
Flat: E Flat
Range: Low Bb ~ High F#
Material: 65:35 Brass
Features:
- Authorized manufacture by ITRI/ Patent No.M291063
- Adjusted #C tone hole
- New mechanical structure/ Improved connection stick
- Genuine imported German-made blue needle springs: Rockwell hardness 56
- Genuine imported Italian-made waterproof leather pad and metal reflective piece
- Adjustable thumb hook
- Adjustable screw
Tenor offerings are nearly as plentiful, and just as confusing. There are 4 tenor models to choose from, and again, the descriptions seem pretty much the same.
Source: lcsax.com
The description for this tenor reads as follows:
Product Serial: T-604
Flat: B Flat
Range: Low Bb ~ High F#
Material: Cupronickel
Features:
- Genuine imported German-made blue needle springs: Rockwell hardness 56
- Genuine imported Italian-made waterproof leather pad and metal reflective piece
- Adjustable thumb hook
- Adjustable screw
If you’re a baritone player, you have only 3 models to choose from.
Source: lcsax.com
Don’t be looking to the company’s description for a great deal of information about this horn. Apparently they think they’re building a low Bb horn. (They really need to check their copy and paste for editing problems.) 😳
Product Serial: B-603
Flat: E Flat
Range: Low Bb ~ High F#
Material: 98% Red Bronze
Features:
- Genuine imported German-made blue needle springs: Rockwell hardness 56
- Genuine imported Italian-made waterproof leather pad and metal reflective piece
- Adjustable thumb hook
- Adjustable screw
And finally comes the horn that I liken to the Dachshund of the dog show world: the soprano saxophone. Like the dachsy, it might be among the smallest type of horn in the saxophone family, but it comes in the most varieties.
First we have the fixed neck soprano.
Source: lcsax.com
This horn is described like this:
Product Serial: SU-701
Flat: B Flat
Range: Low Bb ~ High F#
Material: Brass
Features:
- Genuine imported German-made blue needle springs: Rockwell hardness 56
- Genuine imported Italian-made waterproof leather pad and metal reflective piece
- Adjustable thumb hook
- Adjustable screw
Then there’s the straight soprano with the detachable neck.
Source: lcsax.com
This one is described like this:
Product Serial: S-601
Flat: B Flat
Range: High B ~ High F#
Material: Cupronickel
Features:
- Genuine imported German-made blue needle springs: Rockwell hardness 56
- Genuine imported Italian-made waterproof leather pad and metal reflective piece
- Adjustable thumb hook
- Adjustable screw
And finally there’s the curved soprano. Again, there are 2 types available—1 with left-sided, the other with right-sided bell keys. See for yourself how different, or not, the descriptions are.
Source: lcsax.com
This curvy with the right-sided bell keys is described like this:
Product Serial: SC-601
Flat: B Flat
Range: Low Bb ~ High F#
Material: Brass
Features:
- Genuine imported German-made blue needle springs: Rockwell hardness 56
- Genuine imported Italian-made waterproof leather pad and metal reflective piece
- Adjustable thumb hook
- Adjustable screw
The other curvy looks like this…
Source: lcsax.com
This soprano is described as follows:
Product Serial: SC-602
Flat: B Flat
Range: Low Bb ~ High F#
Material: 85% Red Bronze
Features:
- Genuine imported German-made blue needle springs: Rockwell hardness 56
- Genuine imported Italian-made waterproof leather pad and metal reflective piece
- Adjustable thumb hook
- Adjustable screw
The nearest that I can figure, is that the company offers what they consider student, intermediate, and pro level instruments. And that the various models of the different voices of horns, represent these different qualities of saxophones.
I am not 100% sure if Lien-Cheng Saxophones sells their instruments directly to consumers. Based on what I read on the website, it would appear that they do. However, since there are some ESL issues, it is not a given that all things on the website are as they appear.
One thing that is very much as it appears, is that Lien-Cheng Saxophones is very open to being contacted about their horns. Therefore, if you are in the market for an Asian-made saxophone, Lien-Cheng Saxophones might be worth checking out.
Perhaps one or more of you who come across this article, have some experience with Lien-Cheng Saxophones that you would care to share. If so, please comment. I’m sure others here would like to find out more about this brand of saxophones, which has a historical significance in the development of Asian saxophone manufacturing.
Something you might find interesting is a website I came across called, “The Golden Memories of a Saxophone in Houli.” Amongst other things, it has a listing of some of the manufacturers in the area. It’s http://webbbs.mingdao.edu.tw/~foo/www4/c5.htm