Intro
To keep things simple, I’ve broken down the Graslitz-made Keilwerth saxophones into two sections: Those made prior to circa 1939, and those after. This page deals with the post circa 1939 saxophones.
It was in 1939 that Julius Keilwerth released their Die vier Könige – The four Kings catalogue, which introduced their redesigned models. For a quick and dirty ID of the horn in question, look at the bell keys. If they are on the right, it was made after JK’s redesign of the saxophones. If the saxophone in question has split or left-sided bell keys*, then it is a pre-redesign horn.
NB. *Not to be confused with the first Nauheim-made Keilwerth saxophones that also had left-sided bell keys. Therefore, you have to check the serial number, logo, and other features—such as presence of rolled tone holes—to determine that you’re dealing with a Graslitz-made Keilwerth, and not a Nauheim-made one.
Die vier Könige – The four Kings
Circa 1939, the Julius Keilwerth company published a new catalogue that introduced its new line of improved saxophones: the four Kings. What makes these new horns immediately recognizable are their new, right-sided bell keys.
Therefore, regardless of serial number, I am positing that if a Graslitz-made Keilwerth has right-sided bell keys, it is indeed one of the new, vier Könige.
The new models were now named as follows:
- King
- The New King
- Toneking I
- Toneking Solo
I have translated the above text out of the original German for you, and inserted some photos and links to illustrate features.
“Toneking Solo” Solistenmodell
Finish: Luxury model with the most perfect, finest features
- Keyed from low Bb to high F
- Special front F key
- Fast, secure, never failing octave key
- B & C trill keys (side Bb & C keys)
- Double Bb key for left and right index finger (allows for 1 & 1 Bb playing)
- Plate1 for a new low Bb
- G# key connected to C#, B, Bb (articulated G#)
- F#-G# trills
- G-G# trills
- Chromatic F# key
- Fork Eb
- C-D trill key for right index finger
- Easy operation of G# with all other notes
- With the placement of the low B & Bb keys on the right side of the bell, the key action is quieter, and doesn’t disturb the keys’ correct action
- Microtuner
- Fine, speciality mouthpiece
- Guard on the chromatic F#
- Stronger bow guard
- 27 MOP key touches
- 7 MOP rollers
- Drawn & rolled tone holes
- The best pads with metal ring and lead inlays
- Guaranteed rust-free screws
Toneking Solo Tenor # 14160 Modell Soloist
“Toneking 1 Modell 1”
Finish: Complete model
- Keyed from low Bb to high F
- Special front F key
- Fast, secure, never failing octave key
- B & C trill keys (side Bb & C keys)
- Double Bb key for left and right index finger (allows for 1 & 1 Bb playing)
- Plate1 for a new low Bb
- G# key connected to C#, B, Bb (articulated G#)
- F#-G# trills
- G-G# trills
- Chromatic F# key
- Fork Eb
- C-D trill key for right index finger
- Easy operation of G# with all other notes
- With the placement of the low B & Bb keys on the right side of the bell, the key action is quieter, and doesn’t disturb the keys’ correct action
- Microtuner
- First class hard rubber mouthpiece
- Stronger bow guard
- Improved guard on the chromatic F# key
- 15 MOP key touches
- 7 rollers
- Drawn & rolled tone holes
- The best pads with metal ring and lead inlays
- Guaranteed rust-free screws
Toneking Tenor #16431 Modell 1
“The New King”
- Keyed from low Bb to high F
- Special front F key
- Fast, secure, never failing octave key
- B & C trill keys (side Bb & C keys)
- Double Bb key for left and right index finger (allows for 1 & 1 Bb playing)
- Plate1 for a new low Bb
- Combined G# key
- F#-G# triller (this one has me somewhat stumped)
- G-G# triller
- Chromatic F# key
- Easy operation of G# with all other notes
- The G triller, as well as the connection of C#-G#, B-G#, and Bb-G#, are exclusive features of this instrument.
- The B & Bb key operate on rollers.
- With the placement of the low B & Bb keys on the right side of the bell, the key action is quieter, and doesn’t disturb the keys’ correct action
- Strengthened bow guard
- Hard rubber mouthpiece
- MOP key touches
- Rollers
- Drawn and rolled tone holes
- Pads with metal ring and lead inlays
- Guaranteed rust-free screws
The New King Tenor #16408
NB: this particular saxophone is likely one of the last saxophones made and sold by JK in Graslitz.
“King” Modell III
- Keyed from low Bb to high F
- Fast, secure, never failing octave key
- B & C trill keys (side Bb & C keys)
- Double Bb key for left and right index finger (allows for 1 & 1 Bb playing)
- Plate1 for a new low Bb
- Combined G# key
- F#-G# trills (this one has me somewhat stumped)
- Chromatic F# key
- Easy operation of G# with all other notes
- With the placement of the low B & Bb keys on the right side of the bell, the key action is quieter, and doesn’t disturb the keys’ correct action
- Microtuner
- Hard rubber mouthpiece
- Strengthened bow guard
- MOP key touches
- Rollers
- Drawn and rolled tone holes
- Pads with metal ring and lead inlays
- Guaranteed rust-free screws
King Alto #13398 Modell 3 – conventional side keys
King Alto #13881 Modell 3 – crescent-shaped side keys
Variations
Not all Keilwerth saxophones produced after their Die vier Könige catalogue publication were identical. If we draw the line and say that from that point onwards all JKs had right-sided keys, then we still see variations. The following is a partial listing of what I’ve seen to date.
King Imperial # 94XX
- This is a real headscratcher. Is this a one-off? A custom build?
- Did Julius try the eyebrow key guards first, and then Max decided to run with them on some of his Pure Tone Trade Mark horns first, and then famously the Hohner Presidents?
- Or is this a transitional horn of sorts?
- Whatever it is, so far it is the only one of its kind that has popped up.
Toneking Solo #12418
This Toneking Solo is a real head scratcher. If it hadn’t come directly from Gerhard Keilwerth’s shop in Nauheim, I wouldn’t know what to make of it. It is clearly missing most of the features that make a Solo Modell a Solo. It had just been restored in his shop, and he described it like this in January 2011 on eBay:
JULIUS KEILWERTH Es-Alt Saxophon TONEKING SOLO, Seriennummer: 12 418, Baujahr 1938, gebördelte Tonlöcker, sehr gut erhalten, keine Beulen oder Dellen. Korpus ohne Lack, matt gebürstet, Klappen poliert. Generalüberholt, neue Polster mit Metallresonatoren, neue Federn, Filze und Kork. Komplett mit neuem Koffer.
Helen translate says:
Julius Keilwerth Eb alto, Toneking Solo, serial # 12418. Built in 1938. Rolled tone holes. Very well maintained. No dings or dents. Lacquer-free, brushed matte body with polished keys. Fully overhauled. New pads with metal resos, new springs, felts, and cork. Comes complete with new case.
The Solo features the above alto is missing include:
Key Guards & Right Palm Key Shapes
- Some models still had cage wire key guards in the beginning.
- By far and away most horns has conventional-shaped right palm keys. However, some had oval-shaped ones.
- Over time, these key guards evolved into the one-piece variety with felt bumpers, like the ones used today.
Finishes, Features, & Modells
Once again in an effort to make things easier to track, I have broken things down into two charts: one for finishes and the other combining finishes with features/models/Modells.
Finish Chart
| Finish | Description |
|---|---|
| O | Polished brass |
| L | Gold lacquered |
| I | Nickel plated with gold plated inner bell |
| II | Semi-matte silver plate with gold plated inner bell |
| III | Sanded, semi-matte silver plate; with burnished silver plated keys & parts; gold plated inner bell |
Models/Modells/Finish options Chart
| Die vier Könige - JK catalogue late 1930s | Toneking Solo/Solist Model | Toneking 1/Modell 1 | The New King | King/Modell III |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Available Finishes | ||||
| Soprano | O, L, I, II, III | O, L, I, II, III | Not in cataglogue | O, L, I, II, III |
| Alto | O, L, I, II, III | O, L, I, II, III | O, L, I, II, III | O, L, I, II, III |
| Tenor | O, L, I, II, III | O, L, I, II, III | O, L, I, II, III | O, L, I, II, III |
| Baritone | O, L, I, II, III | O, L, I, II, III | O, L, I, II, III | O, L, I, II, III |
If you compare/contrast the Julius Keilwerth saxophones before the and after the introduction of the four Kings circa 1939, some things are immediately apparent:
- A number of finish options have completely vanished, and a new, less expensive lacquer option became available.
- Gone were: Silver III and both Gold plates
- Added was: Gold lacquer
- Bass saxophones are no longer listed. I am not sure what’s up with that, since they were always available only as custom orders. Were they no longer accepting orders at all? Or were they simply omitted out of the catalogue.
- Much like the finishes, a number of models were been discontinued, while others have been renamed.
- The most basic L and IV models were dropped altogether. (As was presumably the never-mentioned V.)
- The Modell 3 became the King.
- The Modell 2 became The New King.
- The Model 1 became the Toneking I
- The Modell Soloist became the Toneking Solo
Confused yet? In an effort to make things a bit easier to understand, I created this genealogy chart that tracks how the Graslitz horns evolved, and how they turned into the modern horns we can buy from Keilwerth today.
What Keilwerth did and didn’t make
- Unlike many of his regional competitors of the time, Julius chose not to build French-style horns.
- JK horns were instead American-style, larger bore saxophones. (A practice that is continued to this day.) As a matter of fact, the Modell II of the day, carried the secondary name Amerikanisches Modell (American Model), which is a bit misleading, since all of JK’s horns were, in fact, American models. They only differed in finish and features.
- The Julius Keilwerth company never did make any C-pitched tenor saxophones, or C melody saxophones.
- They also didn’t make any high pitch horns.
- All vintage Julius Keilwerth saxophones were tuned to A=440.
- There is no record of Keilwerth making any contrabass saxophones or sopranino saxophones.
- Keilwerth bass saxophones were, and continue to be, American-style (long wrap), and not the short wrap (French style) that Selmer makes.
Before & Immediately After WWII
Before May 1945, when Amati was created through a forced merger of all regional competitors, approximately 20,000 saxophones had been built in Graslitz.
After the Keilwerth company was taken over in 1945, the family was forced to leave Graslitz. Each person was only allowed to take 50 kg (110 lbs) of luggage on the train with them. Unlike many musical instrument makers, who settled in the Bavarian towns of Bubenreuth, Neustadt/Aisch, Waldkraiburg, and Geretsried, or in Württemberg’s, Winnenden, Julius opted for Nauheim.
The next page of the Julius Keilwerth company story will pick up in 1947, when the company started its new business in Nauheim.
Pictures Of Early Keilwerth Horns
For photos of old J.K. horns, I would suggest either Pete Hales & my gallery, or Saxpics. If you know of any other good Keilwerth galleries, please let me know.
If you have any photos that you would like to contribute, please reach out to me. Thank you.
This information was sourced from numerous hardcopy books, music journals, and other verifiable sources. As usual, I want to thank Uwe Ladwig for so generously allowing me to use his research, and very much appreciate the trust he has shown by allowing me to do my own translation.
Primary sources include:
Saxofone: Ein Kompendium, Uwe Ladwig. 5th Edition. 2017
Faszination Saxophon: Der Saxophonbau Auf Deutschsprachigem Gebiet, Günter Dullat. First Edition. 2016.
1 The original word “Platte” is one of those German words that has a multitude of translations. Not being a tech, I did check with Swiss native, and German speaking, David Gsponer, the owner of Matterhorn Music. He was no wiser than I was, and opined that without seeing one of these saxophones in person, it is impossible to know exactly what was meant by the original German word.
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