{"id":50518,"date":"2021-08-10T08:56:11","date_gmt":"2021-08-10T15:56:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bassic-sax.info\/blog\/?p=50518"},"modified":"2024-06-26T17:35:00","modified_gmt":"2024-06-27T00:35:00","slug":"beware-fake-keilwerths-made-in-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bassic-sax.info\/blog\/2021\/beware-fake-keilwerths-made-in-china\/","title":{"rendered":"Beware: Fake Keilwerths made in China"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Definitions<\/a><\/td>\nConsequences<\/a><\/td>\nFake Keilwerths<\/a><\/td>\nFake Shadow Tenor<\/a><\/td>\nCompare & Contrast<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Necks<\/a><\/td>\nFront Views<\/a><\/td>\nLeft Hand & Palm Keys<\/a><\/td>\nG# Lever Mechanism<\/a><\/td>\nRight Hand & Palm Keys<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rolled Tone Holes<\/a><\/td>\nBell<\/a><\/td>\nLeft Side<\/a><\/td>\nCases<\/a><\/td>\nExtra Real Shadow Pics<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
More Counterfeit \/Knockoff Keilwerths<\/a><\/td>\nCounterfeit SX90R Alto<\/a><\/td>\nCounterfeit SX90R Shadow Alto<\/a><\/td>\nCounterfeit SX90R Shadow Tenor<\/a><\/td>\nKnockoff SX90R Tenor<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Not Just Pro Model Horns Are Copied<\/a><\/td>\nCounterfeit EX90 Series III Alto<\/a><\/td>\nKnockoff ST90 alto<\/a><\/td>\nConcluding Thoughts<\/a><\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\"counterfeit<\/a>
A counterfeit Mark VI soprano sax being sold today on the site where counterfeits and knockoffs are a dime a dozen: AliExpress<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By now most educated saxophone shoppers are aware of fake Selmers, Yamahas, and Yanis being sold all over the Net. This is why it shouldn’t come as a surprise that fake Keilwerths are also being made\u2014in likely many of the same factories.<\/p>\n

Admittedly, I was somewhat surprised to see these fake Keilwerths when I first heard about one on Sax on the Web a few weeks ago. Why? Because quite frankly I didn’t think that JK horns would have enough of a draw to be worth the effort to counterfeit them. However, upon sober second thought, I guess it was inevitable that someone would try to make an illegal buck from JK’s hard work over the past century, and their high price tags today.<\/a><\/p>\n

Definitions<\/h3>\n

I thought it would be helpful here to get some definitions cleared up. So let’s look at the terms commonly used in the world of fake goods. <\/p>\n

According to online brand protection company Red Points<\/a>, here are some definitions to keep in mind. <\/p>\n

Knockoffs, AKA replicas<\/h5>\n

These are goods that are close copies of the original. However, they are NOT passed off the the real deal, and don’t bear the trademark of the original. Most often replicas carry a different stamp or logo, which is sadly often very similar to the original. Since they make no claim to be the authentic item, they are not straight up illegal\u2014at least not at first.<\/p>\n

Counterfeits<\/h5>\n

These are goods produced to deceive the buyer into thinking that they are buying the real thing. These goods are cheap, substandard items sold under the trademark or brand name, without the brand owner’s authorization. Selling counterfeit items is illegal in many countries including the the US and Canada. <\/p>\n

A core feature of counterfeit goods is that there is always the malicious intent to deceive and mislead buyers into believing that the product is authentic when it is actually the exact opposite. They are passed off as the genuine product. Therefore, counterfeit goods violate the trademark and other intellectual property rights of the owner of the authentic brand.<\/p>\n

Source: Red Points<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/a>A victimless crime? No, no it is not.<\/h3>\n

I can’t think of the number of times I have seen discussions in saxophone discussion boards in which players argue that it’s OK to buy these cheap horns\u2014either knockoffs or counterfeits\u2014because [insert excuse of choice here]. Quite frankly, it makes me question the ethics of a great many of people out there. <\/p>\n

Both knockoffs and counterfeits have serious consequences for individuals, companies, and even the environment<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Counterfeits are manufactured illegally, and therefore those producing them are not required to comply with safety and production standards. Since knockoffs and counterfeits are produced with inferior materials to reduce costs as much as possible, trademark owners can suffer both financial and reputation damage by having these cheap goods passed off as the real thing. This can trickle down to the workers in the authentic factories suffering financial hardships as well. <\/p>\n

Then of course there are the secondary victims<\/em> if you will: People who inadvertently buy counterfeit goods thinking they are buying the authentic, high-end item. When they find out that they indeed have a fake, what do they do? Do they hang the fake sax on the wall and call it art? Or do they then pass the horn to yet another unsuspecting buyer?<\/p>\n

So as you can see, in the end there is nothing victimless about these cheap knockoff or counterfeit items. <\/a><\/p>\n

Getting back to the fake Keilwerth saxes<\/h3>\n

Now that we are clear on the definitions, let’s take a look at some of these knockoff and counterfeit Keilwerth horns that are for sale and compare them to the originals. If you know what you are looking for, the fakes are usually quite easy to spot. <\/p>\n

Keilwerth has made life very easy by providing an online catalogue of their saxophones<\/a> that can even be downloaded for reference. Additionally, larger photos of their saxophones can be found on their website<\/a> as well. <\/a><\/p>\n

Fake Keilwerth SX90R tenor<\/h3>\n

Just over a month ago I noticed discussion about this counterfeit Keilwerth Shadow on Sax on the Web. A member had bought it at his local brick and mortar store, but then began to wonder if the horn wasn’t a fake. A few photos posted to the forum later, and he got the answer he was really didn’t want to hear: It wasn’t a real JK horn at all.<\/a><\/p>\n

Compare & contrast a counterfeit JK Shadow tenor to a real one<\/a><\/h3>\n
Fake<\/h5>\n
\"tenor<\/a>
Here is the neck of the fake SX90R Shadow tenor that was recently purchased by a SOTW member. The store had it on consignment. Source: eBay.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Real<\/h5>\n
\"tenor<\/a>
This is what a real SX90R Shadow neck looks like. Source: Kessler & Sons Music<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
What’s different?<\/h5>\n