I’ve owned a Pierret saxophone for over 30 years—ever since I was given a C. Jeuffroy Concerto Model alto by a fellow whose family owned a music store. Indirectly that alto is the reason for my going down the road of vintage saxophone research. That’s why when my tech told me about a Pierret tenor that he had in on consignment, I was interested.
Like my alto, this Pierret tenor is stamped C. Jeuffroy. Interestingly enough, the C. Jeuffroy horns that I have seen for sale on places like eBay and craigslist are mostly from Canada. We know that C. Jeuffroy was a music store in France that ordered saxophones from Pierret. Based on the number of C. Jeuffroy saxophones that have appeared for sale in Canada, and the common features that all of them have shared, my suspicion is that someone (a dealer?) brought a boatload of these saxophones over from France in the late 1920s or early 1930s.
The Pierret tenor that I bought through my tech is a Modele D’Artistes. The sax had belonged to a music teacher who passed away, and his daughter brought his old instruments to David to sell. Although in desperate need of an overhaul, the sax is in very good condition for a horn of its vintage. This was obviously a very well taken care of horn, and still has many of its original bits and pieces (some of which I didn’t photograph).
At this point the horn is barely playable, but even its current state you can tell it has a wonderful, warm, dark—lots of core tone—French sound. It sounds exactly like you would expect a French tenor from the 1930s to sound like. I really would like to have David overhaul this Pierret tenor for me at some point down the road. At the moment however, I have nowhere to play it. Overhauling it, and having it just sit in its case doesn’t make sense either. So unfortunately this baby will be waiting for a while yet, before it is restored to its former glory.
Pierret Tenor, C. Jeuffroy, Modele D’Artistes
Horn Specs
- Manufacturer: Pierret
- Store Front Name: C. Jeuffroy
- Model: Modele D’Artistes
- Serial #: 36XX
- Finish: Silver plated
- Features: Spatula Front F key and Nail File G#
I have seen one other Modele D’Artistes, and that one was in Ontario. The new owner contacted me after he literally found the horn in a garbage can. Interestingly enough, that horn’s serial number is nearly identical to mine.
I do have a page on Pierret saxophones on my website. If you’d like to find out more about the brand, check it out.
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