{"id":42814,"date":"2014-09-26T13:37:33","date_gmt":"2014-09-26T20:37:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bassic-sax.info\/blog\/?p=42814"},"modified":"2024-06-16T08:49:40","modified_gmt":"2024-06-16T15:49:40","slug":"original-catalogue-pages-of-sax-shaped-things","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bassic-sax.info\/blog\/2014\/original-catalogue-pages-of-sax-shaped-things\/","title":{"rendered":"Original Catalogue Pages Of Sax-Shaped “Things”"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the most popular sections of my website is the Sax-Shaped “Things”<\/a> portion, which features everything from simple plastic children’s toys to high-tech wind controllers. The toys and instruments featured in that section of Bassic Sax span nearly a century of our instrument’s history.<\/p>\n

I regularly get emails from the owners of vintage or antique saxophone-shaped musical instruments and toys asking about their history. Sadly, for most of these instruments and toys the history is long forgotten, and often very little is known.<\/p>\n

A few days ago I decided to dig through some of the numerous digital versions of catalogues that were sent to me from a fellow in Europe. Low and behold I found some very interesting pages in a 1930 Jedson & Mastertone catalogue.<\/p>\n

For your research and viewing pleasure I now offer up the following vintage sax-shaped “things”, just as they were originally listed. (Please note that the prices are in British pound sterling.)<\/p>\n

Sax-Shaped “Things” as the were listed in a 1930 catalogue<\/h2>\n

The Weiss Fluta \u2013 A blow accordion that looks like a Hohner Organette<\/a><\/h3>\n

\"1930<\/a><\/p>\n

The Weiss Fluta (# 2712) looks pretty much identical to the Hohner Organette<\/a>. Based on the spelling, Weiss Fluta, I’m guessing that this instrument is also from Germany.<\/p>\n

The Jazzophon<\/a><\/h3>\n

\"1930<\/a><\/p>\n

John E. Dallas & Sons Ltd.’s catalogue spelling error aside (there was no “e” at the end of Jazzophon), Calura’s saxophone-shaped kazoo<\/a> must not have sold all that well. To date I have only come across one for sale on eBay.<\/p>\n

What’s worth noting on this and the following page is that Swanee\u2014the makers of the famous slide sax\u2014also made a number of other instruments and toys. Unfortunately not all of them are illustrated.<\/p>\n

The Swanee Slide Sax<\/a> and a bunch more Swanee Stuff<\/h3>\n

\"1930<\/a><\/p>\n

BTW, notice the price of the Model A Swanee Sax. According to this UK Govt. website<\/a>, the \u00a32 10s 0d from 1930, would be worth \u00a383.55 in 2005. My, how these little gems have appreciated. They regularly sell upwards of \u00a3400 on eBay.<\/a><\/p>\n

The Saxie<\/a> and The Saxette<\/a><\/h3>\n

\"1930<\/a><\/p>\n

Although the John E. Dallas & Sons Ltd.’s catalogue lists the Saxie and the Saxette as the same instrument, to my knowledge they were always made by different companies. While the Saxie<\/a> was made by the French company Couesnon, the Saxette<\/a> was the brainchild of music teacher Elver Joseph Fitchhorn, who had the instrument manufactured through the Saxette Company in his native Delaware, OH.<\/p>\n

Sax-shaped Harmonica<\/h3>\n

\"1930<\/a><\/p>\n

The information on No. 7651 was found on page 74 of the catalogue. It is as follows:<\/p>\n

“Strauss” Sax-mouth Organ<\/strong>, 28 reeds, with nickelled [sic] Saxophone attachment .. .. dozen \u00a32 4 0<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I have not seen any of these Struass harmonicas for sale, but this La Traviata<\/a> and this Radio harp<\/a> have appeared for sale in the past few years. The story about the saxophone-shaped bells can be found on the Radio harp page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Lots and lots of toy sax-shaped “things”<\/h3>\n

\"1930<\/a><\/p>\n

This four-valved, sax-shaped toy (No. 7914) is described in the page below…<\/p>\n

\"1930<\/a><\/p>\n

The valved-instruments shown in the two pages above, are perhaps those which I get the most requests for information about. I have quite a few of these on my website already (check out the Toys with Valves on this page<\/a>), and many more in my photo archives that I just have to find time to write about\u2014including the Simplex Saxophone. BTW, I’m sure the Simplex Saxophone, which is actually a blow accordion, looks like the Hohner Sax<\/a> by design, and not by fluke.<\/p>\n

Since I have not yet had a chance to create a page on the Simplex Saxophone, here are some pics of the instrument…<\/p>\n