My very first pro model sax was an all lacquer, late model, King Super 20 tenor. I only had it for a couple of years, when I had the opportunity to buy the Selmer Mark VI that I still own, and play as my main tenor.
Source: http://www.hnwhite.com/Saxophone%20Page.htm used with permission
I liked my King, and to this day I regret having had to sell it in order to get the VI. Worst part of all is, I don’t have any pictures of it. 🙁 The only thing I have to remember the horn by is the original case, and a case cover. My Selmer has lived in that Super 20 case for over 20 years now. I don’t know why I ever sold a horn without the original case, but whatever…
The other day, a member of the Woodwind Forum posted a link to a website that is owned by a member of the White family. I had not seen the site before, and in the words of the site owner:
When I started making this web site, my purpose was rather simple in that I wanted to tell the H. N. White story. Like many things in life, the purpose has evolved. After searching the Internet, I found that most web sites are designed with the highest quality but lacked depth. These web sites focused around either large collections of instruments or artists with little or no mention of what brand of instrument they played or the people who made the instruments. My goal is to develop hnwhite.com around three basic ideas. First, is to document the H. N. White Company history and be a resource of information. Second, is to tie famous artists to the instruments they played. And finally, to visually share a number of instruments that I have preserved for the sake of history. As with anything in life, there is always room for improvement and refinement. If the web site does not meet all of your expectations, please offer your suggestions for improvement.
This the only website developed and maintained by the H. N. White family.
www.hnwhite.com is an enormous site, and new content is added weekly.
The saxophone section of the site provides a comprehensive walk-through of the models of King saxes, descriptions, serial numbers, and a nice sampling of vintage ads from old catalogues.
Source: http://www.hnwhite.com/Saxophone%20Page.htm used with permission
If you have an interest in vintage King horns, you owe it to yourself to check out the site. (Actually I’m rather embarrassed that I wasn’t aware of it.) 😳 It is a really great resource, that is a valuable piece of history in the evolution of musical instruments in the 20th century.
