One of my favourite pastimes is looking through collectible and curio shops. I’ve found some of my most treasured collectibles in those places. During my many forays into these shops I’ve seen a lot of old saxophones. Most of them have been junk, but a couple have come home with me because of their uniqueness or outstanding playability.
When I happened across this photo from Nate Higgins, I was immediately drawn to its main subject: a dusty, old alto saxophone sitting amongst a bunch of other old-looking things, including a red, white, and blue painted oak barrel.
Old Saxophone
Photography by: Nate Higgins Source: Flickr
Because I couldn’t make out what brand of horn this is, I took the original photo of Nate’s and applied the same settings of the unsharp mask in Photoshop that I apply to my own pics. Although the photo is clearer, the engraving on this old saxophone is still not entirely readable.
The name starts with a “Kin…”. Obviously the horn has no front F key; no bis Bb; and split bell keys. It appears to be silver plated with a gold wash bell. Beyond that I am stumped. Anyone got any ideas as to what this sax is?
Since Nate Higgins has his Old Saxophone photo as part of his Cincinnati Museum Center album, it’s a pretty safe bet that this old alto is on display in the museum as part of one its exhibits. Interesting… I wonder what that particular display is all about.
Regardless what the display is, I find it interesting that an old saxophone that I might pass up at a curio or collectible shop, or yes, on eBay—especially on eBay—might find a new home as part of a museum exhibit. That kinda’ makes sense. Because let’s face it, if we saw a Selmer cigar cutter sitting in that mess, it would just seem wrong. :up:
Theo,
This horn looks as though it MIGHT have had a Bis key at one time. Looking closely at the keycup, there seems to be damage where the Bis would have been soldered on. If so, it could be a New Wonder stencil. The characteristic pearl rollers are there. A shame we can’t see the low-C keyguard.
~SaxCatz
Tristan,
That sounds reasonable.
With a bis key it could be a Conn new wonder stencil with the name Kingston.
The grainy picture makes the keys look clunky and it is difficult to see this type of detail. 😯
The lyre position of the Conns change to this side with the new wonder.
The new wonder has a bis key.
The Conns before the new wonder do not match because of the position of the lyre.
The Conns from the new wonder do not match as they have a bis key.
This makes It something different from a Buescher, King, Conn, Martin, Couturier, York.
A nice riddle.
The kippered herring barrel is a give away for a Dutch identity.
Good catch on the bis key. I didn’t notice that. I also did a quick check of the pics I have for US horns. 1890s Conns had a bis. 1912 Buecsher has a bis. 1912 King had a bis. 1919 Martin has a bis. So do early Yorks and Couturiers. I haven’t done too much with Holton, but they probably follow the same pattern. That feature’s a bit harder to track if you go into the 19th century.
I did a brief Google for “Kessels,” which you also mention. There’s a really old one for sale on eBay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-ALTO-SAX-made-by-M-J-H-KESSELS-Tilbourg-Netherland-about-1880-/251864292961) and there’s also a Kessels Passier museum at http://www.kesselspassiermuseum.nl, which has pics of a couple Kessels instruments. I can’t quite tell if the curved soprano they have pictured has a bis or not — bad angle, for purposes of this thread, at least — but it does only have single-side bell keys and the engraving is different. I searched Horn-U-Copia’s list of horns and also can’t find a similar engraving on the brasswinds listed. It’s closest to the 7219 tuba listed there. I also checked http://iremus.huma-num.fr/marques-instruments-musique and found no listing. However, I think the reason why I didn’t find anything is because the horns they list are too old. So, I’m willing to accept “Kessels” as the manufacturer.
Again, good find. I love finding new sax manufacturers.
For my it is was a guess, triggered by the barrel with the Dutch colors.
It fits in a Dutch tradition, the first catch of herring of the year
and there are not that many Dutch saxophone brands starting with a K.
I have seen the Kessels saxophone quartet on a festival but could not remind all details.
This summer I will visit the museum to snoop in some old brochures and look how this brand developed in time. Details will follow.
In the mean time;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcH3B-kGaqo
It’s a Kingston. They were stenciled by both Conn & Martin; but that is all that I know.
Kessels? The largest Dutch musical instrument factory around 1900 in Tilburg?
Doubtful, Hector. King horns would have “domed” key cups. You can see a really nice example on Helen’s picture gallery @ http://bassic-sax.info/4images/categories.php?cat_id=1547.
I can see the one tonehole and it doesn’t look beveled, so that shoots down Martin and EA Couturier. I think someone could argue for York, Conn, or Buescher. I tend not to think Buescher because they used a single pearl “button” for the G# on horns that old. That leaves you with York or Conn. If we’re talking American made, of course.
The position of the lyre suggests Conn more than York, so that’s what I’d assume. It’d be a stencil, of course.
It’d be nice if it was a King horn, though. They were made in Cleveland for a very long while.
King alto sax late 20,s G# in the back .