I was looking through the old files in my computer this AM and came across a bunch of vintage saxophone and related instrument ads that people have sent me over the years. I thought I’d share some of them here.
The Buescher Tru Tone Baritone and Bass Saxophones:
Here was the Buescher’s “competition” at the time, the Conn 14M Bass Saxophone:
And check out the price of the 14M, only $235…Which according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis’s Consumer Price Index Calculator, would be $2895.20 in 2008 as compared to the original amount of $235 entered in 1925 (which I picked as an arbitrary year).
The sarrusophone was invented in the mid 1800s to compete with the saxophone as a replacement for oboes and bassoons. Although it did enjoy limited popularity for a while, the instrument has mostly faded into the history books.
In the early 20th century, Conn won the contract to produce contrabass sarrusophones for the military, and sold them as a replacement for the contrabass saxophones.
The Conn-O-Sax was, as the name would suggest, built by the Conn company, during the sax-happy 1920s. The horn was pitched in the key of F, and would be described as a mezzo-soprano that could be used as a substitute for the English horn, and is played like a saxophone.
I really like these 3 old Conn and King ads. Someone sent me them to me a while ago. I’d never seen them before, so I don’t know if they’re original, or what the story on them is.
These last 4 ads are for the Selmer Mark VI when they were first introduced. First note the improvements…
Then you gotta’ love the prices….
and prices….
and more prices….
Ah, the good old days….
