The New JK Saxophones Now In Production
The New JK Saxophones Now In Production

The New JK Saxophones Now In Production

I happened across an interesting post on SOTW this morning. Julius Keilwerth, I’m assuming the company, unless SOTW has opened up its membership to ghosts, 😉  posted that:

KEILWERTH Saxophones are IN PRODUCTION and available NOW!!

check out www.facebook.com/keilwerthusa

company logo, Julius Keilwerth saxophones, Keilwerth USACuriosity got the better of me, and I clicked on Keilwerth’s facebook page. I didn’t know what I’d find.

What I found were the same models that Keilwerth was selling prior to its sale to Buffet. The photos page on facebook shows:

Alto, tenor, and bari versions of the SX90R – Shadow Series
Bass version of the SX90
7 different finish options for the SX90R alto
7 different finish options for the SX90R tenor
An article about the SX90R Vintage tenor
As well as some generic photos of JK saxes, and unnamed people with JK saxes

Ever since JK was sold to the Buffet Crampon Group in August 2010, I haven’t really known what to expect. Would they continue with their SX series of pro horns? Would production continue in Markneukirchen, as they said it would in their original press release?

The Buffet Crampon Group, headed by Antoine Beaussant, is acquiring all the assets of the German manufacturer Schreiber & Keilwerth, which had filed for insolvency in March 2010.

The new Buffet Crampon Deutschland GmbH will continue the W. Schreiber & Julius Keilwerth brands which are part of the European musical heritage.

The area of Markneukirchen has a long tradition in musical instruments manufacturing. The modern factory at Markneukirchen has a capacity of 50.000 instruments per year. Its integration into the Buffet Crampon Group will save more than 140 jobs.

BTW, did everyone know that JK was being made in Markneukirchen, and no longer in Nauheim? I had heard some parts were being made there, but I didn’t realize all production had been moved there. However, I think there was a lot about the former Schreiber & Keilwerth company that wasn’t widely known.

company logo, Julius Keilwerth saxophones, Keilwerth USARegardless of where in Germany JK is now made, it is nice to know that saxophone production in the country in not entirely dead. For a country that at one time produced some of the world’s prettiest, and most innovative saxophones, Germany lost a lot over the past 70 years.

Saxophone economics have not been kind to European horn manufacturers in general. It can be argued that German saxophone manufacturers suffered even more, due to the country’s division after WWII. The East/West split, and the loss of innovative firms like G.H. and F.X. Hüller, Oscar Adler, et al, all contributed to Germany (West) having only a couple of firms, immediately post WWII.

And while Kohlert only had a couple of great models after its relocation to Germany after WWII, the Julius Keilwerth company flurished. However, they stood alone as Germany’s premier saxophone manufacturer. Smaller companies like Dörfler & Jörka and Hammerschmidt did build saxophones, but these were not, and are not considered on par with JK horns.

…this is just my blog. My “real” website is www.bassic-sax.info. If you’re looking for sax info, you should check it out too.There’s lots there!
 

4 Comments

  1. Pete

    Amusingly, I sent Helen a PM on things Keilwerth right before I saw this post.

    The major part of the Keilwerth announcements on Facebook & SOTW was that the EX model is discontinued. The EX, depending on when you bought one, was either assembled by or wholly produced by Amati, so that’s not a big deal. There wasn’t specific info on the ST, the student horn produced in ROC. As student horns are the big money-makers, it makes you wonder a bit as to what Keilwerth will decide to do with that model.

    I’m still in the “wait and see” mode for this new incarnation of Keilwerth. One would think that if they can stick to just doing pro horns, they should have good business: hey, they’re good horns.

    Of course, you might want to look into the statement that the Shadow models have slightly different keyword than the other SX90s. I also wonder if the CX90 is going to stick around.

  2. sam netherland

    once again thanks for your info on the market for new products i still prefere the older horns but keep a open mind on ne ones.helen you and your blog are the greatest.thanks hope you are in good health,im still hanging in there :saxy: yuor sax bud
    sam

  3. Kumar Molligoda

    News about JK was available to SOTW members.There was much comment about JK appearing on Face Book.But it was stated that the reason for JK to do so was that Face Book had a large young audience segment which JK wanted to reach.With the sale of JK, the TONE KING Brand was discontinued. I own a KEILWORH Tenor but made by brother MAX for HOHNER. 50 years old now and still in fine condition.It’s heartening to know that JK will continue to be made in Germany and not re-located to China .

    1. Hi there Kumar. Sorry for the late reply… You’ve likely given up by now… Hope not though…

      Well JK can Facebook all they want, but I’m not sure that that’s going to sell them any more saxophones. The younger crowd seems to be more often drawn to Asian brands like P. Mauriet, Cannonball, and the likes. Whatever… I’m not seeing the attraction, but I’m thinking that the price point has something to do with it.

      Bottom line: European horns cost more because workers don’t get exploited and paid pennies per hour to work in unsafe conditions. I’m not saying that all Asian saxophone factories are exploiting workers, far from it. However, whenever we buy über cheap anything, we are contributing towards the exploitation of the world’s poor.

      As far as your Hohner President goes, I have one of those as well. Mine is from 1961. It is a wonderful horn, but very different from my JK Toneking from 1957. Max and Julius built very different horns.

      That’s what I love about vintage: horns were very different from each other. They weren’t just cookie cutter copies of Selmer, or each other. I really like the individuality that each of my vintage tenor possesses, and how different they sound in core and overtones.

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