{"id":122,"date":"2009-07-31T18:58:29","date_gmt":"2009-08-01T01:58:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bassic-sax.info\/version5\/?page_id=122"},"modified":"2025-06-28T10:32:41","modified_gmt":"2025-06-28T17:32:41","slug":"hammerschmidt","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bassic-sax.info\/version5\/vintage-saxes\/european-made-saxes\/hammerschmidt\/","title":{"rendered":"Hammerschmidt in Burgau, Germany"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

Updated 2025<\/h5>\n

Hammerschmidt saxophones are truly an enigma wrapped in a paradox. On one hand some models are arguably the most intricate and beautiful of the mid-century German saxophones. On the other, some are, at their best, something best left to adorn your studio wall. Which do you have? How can you tell?<\/p>\n

This Hammerschmidt saxophone update has been years in the making. As much as I have criticized the brand publicly, these vintage beauties still hold a total fascination to me\u2014and yes, I even still own one.<\/p>\n

So buckle up, and get ready to have the full Hammerschmidt experience. I am willing to bet you will not find any source like it online, or yes, even hardcopy.<\/p>\n

 <\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Company history<\/a><\/td>\nAltos & tenors only<\/a><\/td>\nCompany today<\/a><\/td>\nLate model Klingsons<\/a><\/td>\nThe earliest saxes<\/a><\/td>\nKlingsor vs. Klingson<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/a>Company history<\/h2>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Karl Hammerschmidt Tenor Serial # Unknown Source: Vatera.hu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was in 1873, that Martin Hammerschmidt (1846 – 1920) founded his company in Watzkenreuth. This workshop located near Sch\u00f6nbach, in the Egerland region\u2014located in the Czech Republic today\u2014primarily made clarinets.<\/p>\n

According to the company’s website<\/a>, in 1910, Martin’s son Karl Hammerschmidt, took over his father’s business and expanded the company’s production to include recorders, flutes, saxophones, as well as woodwind accessories.<\/p>\n

It should be noted here that it is unknown when exactly\u2014or even if\u2014Hammerschmidt made their own saxophones in Watzkenreuth. It is possible that they made the occasional one-off horn, but ordered special ones as stencils from other known saxophone manufactures. <\/p>\n

Two very well-respected, German saxophone historians (G\u00fcnter Dullat and Uwe Ladwig 1 <\/sup>) both note that saxophones from these early days were likely stencils ordered from FX H\u00fcller and Kohlert. (Evidence of this stencilling will be shown below.)<\/p>\n

In 1934, Karl turned over the family business to the third generation of Hammerschmidts: his 6 sons. Willi, Erwin, Walter, Alex, and Otmar had all learned the trade of woodwind instrument maker. Also in 1934, Otmar was put in charge of managing a brand new retail store that was opened in Karlsbad. (A spa town in the west Bohemia region of what is now the Czech Republic.)<\/p>\n

During WWII business activities and production were reduced to a bare minimum. After the war, nationalization forced the Hammerschmidt family out of West Bohemia, and like other musical families like the Keilwerths, the Hammerschmidts moved to West Germany in 1945, to start up their business anew.<\/p>\n

The Hammerschmidt brothers settled in Burgau, located in the Swabian part of Bavaria, and immediately began rebuilding the company\u2014and where it still operates today. It is in this location, that we know categorically that Hammerschmidt did build its own alto and tenor saxophones.<\/p>\n

According to Uwe Ladwig, saxophone production in Burgau, Schwaben ran for approx. 30 years: from 1952-82.2  <\/sup>According to company statements, Hammerschmidt permanently employed  around seven to ten saxophone makers, who manufactured everything themselves from the body to the finished instrument. Only small items such as posts were purchased. (More on that under features.)<\/a><\/p>\n

Hammerschmidt only made alto and tenor saxophones<\/h3>\n

From circa 1952  to 1982 Hammerschmidt made its own alto and tenor saxophones in Burgau. It is these Burgau-made saxophones that are the main focus of what follows, since they make up by far and away the majority of saxophones carrying the Hammerschmidt name.<\/p>\n

\"Klingson <\/a>
Klingson alto # 04913 Source: jlarriola on eBay.ca <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Klingsor <\/a>
Klingsor tenor #? Source: jlarriola on eBay.de <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

If you ever see any soprano or baritone saxophones from this era bearing the Hammerschmidt name, these were made by the Julius Keilwerth company in Nauheim. (Another company that was nationalized, and forced to relocate out of Bohemia.) <\/p>\n

ngg_shortcode_0_placeholderIt is worth noting that in 20 years of researching Hammerschmidt saxophones, I have seen exactly 1 soprano, and 0 baritones. Apparently these JK horns were not that common when compared to the alto and tenor varieties.<\/a><\/p>\n

The Hammerschmidt company today<\/h3>\n

Today the Hammerschmidt<\/a> company is still a family-run business with the fifth generation of family members fully trained as woodwind instrument makers running the company in both Germany and Austria. Although they stopped making saxophones in 1982, their clarinets are still highly in demand by symphony and orchestra players all over Europe. <\/a><\/p>\n

Late-model Klingson saxophones<\/h3>\n
\"\"<\/a>
alto & tenor Klingson saxes from online Hammerschmidt catalogue. Source: https:\/\/web.archive.org\/<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Long after Hammerschmidt stopped its own saxophone production production in Burgau in 1982, horns with the Klingson name stencilled on the bell were sold by the company through their website. These Asian-made imports bearing the company’s name first came to my attention in October 2008, when I created the first iteration of this Hammerschmidt page.<\/p>\n

However, as of this latest update (2025) all references for saxophones have been removed from the Hammerschmidt website. <\/p>\n

Here is an example of one these generic Klingson saxophones that, to my eye anyway, is pretty much indistinguishable from any other Taiwanese or Chinese-made sax on the market. To get an idea of what these things sold for new, I found this 2010 price list through the Wayback Machine<\/a>. (And yes, they were priced like student horns.)<\/p>\n

Alto 98173<\/h5>\nngg_shortcode_1_placeholder\n

<\/a>Early sources & examples of Hammerschmidt saxes<\/h2>\n

As noted above, the majority (all?) of they earliest saxophones bearing the Hammerschmidt name were stencils ordered by the company from F.X. H\u00fcller (and more than likely from Kohlert). Although Kohlert examples are not that plentiful, F.X. H\u00fcller horns are easy to find, and most are engraved with the name Klingson. Here are a couple of fascinating, nearly antique, F.X. H\u00fcller-made Klingson horns that give you an idea what they looked like. (For more info on these F.X. H\u00fcller-made Hammerschmidt horns, please see F.X. H\u00fcller.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Klingson tenor 21617<\/h5>\nngg_shortcode_2_placeholder\n
Klingson alto 23045<\/h5>\n

ngg_shortcode_3_placeholderThis copy of a Klingson page from an antique music catalogue accompanied the sale of the above-shown tenor. Unfortunately the size is quite small. However, you can still make out enough of the details to see that the saxophone in the line drawing was indeed a F.X. H\u00fcller. <\/p>\n

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

<\/a>Klingson? Klingsor? What’s the difference?<\/h2>\n

That’s an excellent question, and not necessarily a simple one to answer. The simple rules are as follows:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. If a saxophone was made for Hammerschmidt (stencilled) by another company, it was branded a Klingson.<\/li>\n
  2. On the other hand, if a saxophone was made by Hammerschmidt itself, the saxophone was branded a Klingsor. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Of course their are A LOT<\/strong> of exceptions to this second rule.<\/p>\n

    By reviewing well over 100 vintage saxophones made by Hammerschmidt itself<\/em>, ranging in serial # from 032 to 04913 to date, I noticed that there are many saxophones engraved Klingson<\/strong>\u2014the latest being serial # 04913.<\/p>\n

    Why are some of the latter ones made in Burgau engraved Klingson? Don’t know. I am planning out to reach out the company to see if they might be able to shed some light on their saxophone-making history. My hope is that many of the lingering questions I have will be answered by Hammerschmidt itself. At this point, like the brand itself, the model name\/engraving seems to be an enigma.<\/p>\n

    \n

    1<\/sup> Uwe Ladwig. Saxofone: Ein Kompendium<\/em>. Fifth edition, 2017, p. 176
    \nG\u00fcnter Dullat. Faszination Saxophon: Der Saxophonbau Auf Destschsprachigem Gebiet<\/em>. First edition, 2016, p. 187
    \n2 <\/sup> Ladwig, p. 176<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n
    Tone holes<\/a><\/td>\nSoldered\/bevelled<\/a><\/td>\nDrawn\/rolled<\/a><\/td>\nKey guards<\/a><\/td>\nWire<\/a><\/td>\nFlat cups & arm attachment<\/a><\/td>\nPlexiglas<\/a><\/td>\nMetal<\/a><\/td>\nWhich is better?<\/a><\/td>\n\u00abBack to p. 1<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    Hammerschmidt saxophone features<\/h2>\n

    Buckle up. There are A LOT, and I do mean a lot of things we see that Hammerschmidt put into their saxes. Klingsor\/n saxophones were chocked full of features. Even their simplest version (Version C), was  not a cheap horn per say, and offered quite a bit in the features department.<\/p>\n

    So let’s take a trip back to the company’s heyday of saxophone production. We’ll look at what the Klingsor\/n horns are, and why some versions are as spectacular as they are. <\/a><\/p>\n

    Tone Holes<\/a><\/h3>\n

    Soldered & bevelled<\/h4>\n

    The very earliest Klingson saxophones the company built had soldered and beveled tone holes like those we see in Martin saxophones. <\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a>
    Soldered & bevelled tone holes on Klingson tenor #052. Source: jlarriola on eBay.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    <\/a>Drawn & rolled<\/h4>\n

    It didn\u2019t take very long however, and Hammerschmidt was making saxophones with rolled tone holes. By serial # 01xx this was a consistent feature, although isolated horns were seen with rolled tones holes under #0100 as well (alto #055).<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a>
    Drawn & rolled on Klingson #? Source: imsupport on eBay.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    <\/a>Key guards<\/h3>\n

    Without a doubt on of the things that makes Hammerschmidt Klingsor\/n saxophones stand out from the rest of their contemporaries, are the Plexiglas key guards that some versions had. However, the Plexiglas guards were only one of the features that were offered. Before Plexiglas we saw much prettier ones\u2014IMHO anyway.<\/a><\/p>\n

    Wire key guards<\/h4>\n

    The wire guards that Hammerschmidt put on its earliest horns are in to my eye, the prettiest of all the key guards the company ever made. They are also arguably the most beautiful key guards of their era. Call them eyebrow key guards, or ornate wire, or whatever you wish, these are truly a beautiful piece of art. <\/p>\n

    Type 1 Wire – alto <\/h5>\n
    \"\"<\/a>
    Type 1 wire guard on alto. Source: klarinette10_0 on eBay.de<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    Type 1 – tenor<\/h5>\n

    This is the same guard as the alto above, but the bell keys are further apart, so there is no eyebrow formed between the low B and Bb key cups.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a>
    Type 1 key guards on a tenor Source: jlarriola on eBay.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    Type 2 Wire<\/h5>\n
    \"\"<\/a>
    Type 2 wire guard. Klingsor tenor #0100. Source: custom_92ranger on eBay.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    <\/a>Flat key cups & arm attachment<\/h4>\n

    Something that made the very earliest Hammerschmidts stand out is not only their unique wire key guards, but also the way the key arms were attached to the flat key cups. I have so far only seen this in 4 horns, and all have been under the serial #0100. <\/p>\n

    These flat key cups are only seen on altos and tenors with Type 1 & 2 wire keys, and all 3 examples above illustrate this feature.<\/p>\n

    Type 3 Wire<\/h5>\n
    \"\"<\/a>
    Type 3 wire key guard. The Garcine alto #0426 . Source: musicalinstrumentcity on eBay.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    <\/a>Plexiglas key guards<\/h4>\n

    Hammerschmidt is only one of two European companies that was putting Plexiglas on their saxophones. Keilwerth of course made the famous angelwing key guards out of the same kind of material. However, for whatever reasons, Hammerschmidt guards appear to have held up better in the long. (I am guessing it has to do with their design, but that\u2019s neither here nor there at this point.) <\/p>\n

    Both the tenor and alto had 3 Plexiglass guards: low Eb, low C, and a larger guard for the right-sided low B and Bb keys.<\/p>\n

    Plexiglas alto<\/h5>\n
    \"\"<\/a>
    Plexiglas key guards on Klingsor alto #? Source: balkolino on eBay.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    Plexiglas Tenor 1<\/h5>\n

    With only 1 exception I have seen so far, the tenor sax Plexiglas key guards were identical to those we see in the alto. <\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a>
    Plexiglas tenor guard 1 on Klingsor #33xx. Source: chrismati017 on eBay.de<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    Plexiglas tenor Type 2<\/h5>\n

    This very early Plexiglas key guard on tenor #0128 is shaped differently than what was to come later. Despite their different shape however, the bow and bell keys are still covered by 2 separate guards, which makes them completely different than JK\u2019s angelwing. <\/p>\n

    The below-shown tenor is the only Hammerschmidt saxophone I have ever seen with with shape of Plexiglas key guards. Was it simply an prototype? A custom order? Or have the original guards been replaced?  <\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a>
    Plexiglas tenor key guard Type 2 on Klingsor #0128 Source: eBay.de<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    <\/a>Metal key guards <\/h4>\n

    The sheet metal key guards were identical in shape on both the alto and tenor. I have not seen any variances in style in design. As with the Plexiglass guards, the low Eb, C, and B & Bb were covered by key guards.<\/p>\n

    Sheet metal alto<\/h5>\n
    \"\"<\/a>
    Sheet metal key guards on Klingsor alto # 01893. Source: Quinn-The-Eskimo-Vintage-Horns on eBay.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    Sheet metal tenor<\/h5>\n
    \"\"<\/a>
    Sheet metal key guards on Klingsor tenor #3987. Source: R-Inghilterra-Strumenti-Musicali on eBay.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    <\/a>Which were better? Plexiglas or sheet metal?<\/h3>\n

    Based on what I have seen in reviewing well over 100 Hammerschmidt-made saxophones from Burgau, it would appear that when the company made the switch away from ornate wire guards, both Plexiglas and sheet metal guards were used on horns simultaneously. Although in the early days sheet metal was mostly offered for their stencils horns like the Silvertone that they made for Sears, by Klingsor alto 01055, sheet metal guards were a standard feature on approx. half of the Klingsor\/n saxophones that they produced. <\/p>\n

    As a matter of fact, in the 1961 company catalogue I was sent years ago, Hammerschmidt writes the following on their saxophone page:<\/p>\n

    \u2026verdecter Klappenschutz aus Plexiglas oder Metall\u2026<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    In English this means:<\/p>\n

    \u2026key guards made of Plexiglas or metal\u2026<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    This was just a line in a description. The key guards were not listed as an upcharge like the high F# or mircotuner was. In my estimation, Hammerschmidt saw both as the same, and likely developed them for a specific market (American) where Plexiglas wasn\u2019t as popular. This was something that JK did as well. The metal version of the angelwing was originally designed for horns destined for export to the American market. <\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n
    Catalogue from 1961<\/a><\/td>\nFinish options<\/a><\/td>\nEngraving styles<\/a><\/td>\nNeck styles<\/a><\/td>\nNeck issues on some<\/em> horns<\/a><\/td>\n\u00abBack to page 2<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    <\/a>Hammerschmidt Klingson catalogue No. VIII from 1961 3<\/sup><\/h2>\n

    Before we go too much farther down the features list for Klingsor\/n saxophones, it is worth it to (re)visit the vintage catalogue that lists the entire Hammerschmidt lines from 1961. Although I am only going to discuss the saxophones here, the catalogue in its entirety is available to view on Bassic Sax Pix.<\/a> <\/p>\n

    Since this is in German, I will translate the salient sections for you below. I am only going as far down the page as finishes. If you want to know about their cases, case covers, MPs, reeds, and other accessories, you\u2019ll need to use a translation program of your choosing if you can\u2019t read it. \"\ud83d\ude09\" <\/p>\n

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

    And translated into English it says:<\/p>\n

    Version A:<\/strong> range from low B to high F, newly constructed, patented, triple automatic octave key, version A \u2013 which ensures an easy response of the middle octave from D to G.<\/strong> Solid construction and beautiful design; light, comfortable fingering; wonderful sonority; drawn, rolled tone holes; seamless body; key guards made of plexiglass or metal; first-class material. Special high (front) F mechanism; Bb, C and D trill keys; double Bb for the right and left index fingers; plate* for a new Bb; new, articulated G# key; G#-G trill key; chromatic F# key; easy linkage of G# with all other notes; fork Eb key for the right middle finger; 8 rollers; 22 mother-of-pearl inlays; protective bracket for Bb-Bb and D# key; needle springs made of the finest steel wire; flawless ringed pads with moisture protection; rubber mouthpiece; neck strap; mute, swab and screwdriver.<\/p>\n

    53 Eb alto  54 Bb tenor<\/p>\n

    Version B:<\/strong> like version A, but without double E-flat key for right middle finger and D trill, 9 mother-of-pearl inlays<\/p>\n

    55 Eb alto  56 Bb tenor<\/p>\n

    Version C:<\/strong> like version B, but without high F mechanism and G-G# trill, 7 mother-of-pearl inlays<\/p>\n

    57 Eb alto  58 Bb tenor<\/p>\n

    surcharge for high F#<\/p>\n

    surcharge for microtuner<\/p>\n

    a) gold lacquer<\/p>\n

    b) nickel plated, or gold lacquered, with nickel plated keys<\/p>\n

    c) quadruple half-matt silver plated, gold plate inner bell, engraving burnished<\/p>\n

    d) quadruple sand-matt silver plated, gold plated inner bell engraving burnished<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    \n

    * The term \u201cPlatte\u201d is a real mystery. I have no idea what they are referring to. It means plate<\/em>. I have carefully looked at the Hammerschmidt\u2019s design for the Bb keys, but can\u2019t find anything involving a plate, disc, or sheet. I also spoke to Dave Gsponer, owner of Matterhorn Music, who is a Swiss national from the German part of Switzerland. He couldn\u2019t figure it out either. If anyone reading this can ever tell me, please let me know<\/a>. Thank you. <\/a><\/p>\n

    Hammerschmidt Klingsor\/n finish options<\/h3>\n

    As the brochure noted above, in 1961 there were 5 finish options available. Let\u2019s take a quick look at what these look like.<\/p>\n

    Gold lacquer<\/h4>\n

    Klingsor alto #01919<\/h5>\nngg_shortcode_4_placeholder\n

    Nickel plated<\/h4>\n

    Klingsor tenor #04345<\/h5>\nngg_shortcode_5_placeholder\n

    Two tone \u2013 gold lacquer with nickel plated keys<\/h4>\n

    Lafluer alto #033xx<\/h5>\nngg_shortcode_6_placeholder\n

    Half-matt silver plated with gold plated bell<\/h4>\n

    Klingsor alto #04756<\/h5>\nngg_shortcode_7_placeholder\n

    Sand-matt silver plated with gold plated bell<\/h4>\n

    Klingsor tenor 01236<\/h5>\nngg_shortcode_8_placeholder\n

    <\/a>Engraving styles<\/h3>\n

    While pouring through literally thousands of Hammerschmidt saxophone photos for this massive update, I learned A LOT about their various features, including their cosmetic things like engraving. Here I am really going to focus mainly on the main styles of engraving that appeared on the Klingsor\/n horns, and not on the stencils they made for other companies. If I do mention a stencil, it is because the Hammerschmidt name or logo appears in the engraving. <\/p>\n

    Klingson<\/h4>\n

    To date I have catalogued 5 different Klingson engravings. <\/p>\n

    \"Klingson <\/a>
    Klingson Type 1 alto #055 <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
    \"Klingson <\/a>
    Klingson Type 2 alto #04913 <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
    \"Klingson <\/a>
    Klingson Type 3 tenor #052 <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
    \"Klingson <\/a>
    Klingson Type 4 tenor #? <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
    \"Type <\/a>
    Type 5 Klingson bell engraving. No serial # on horn. Source: <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

    Klingsor<\/h4>\n

    To date I have catalogued 7 different Klingsor engravings. <\/p>\n

    \"Klingsor <\/a>
    Klingsor Type 1 alto #0319 <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
    \"Klingsor <\/a>
    Klingsor Type 2 alto #01548 <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
    \"Klingsor <\/a>
    Klingsor Type 3 tenor #0100 <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
    \"Klingsor <\/a>
    Klingsor Type 4 alto #4756 <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
    \"Klingsor <\/a>
    Klingsor Type 5 tenor #? <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
    \"Klingsor <\/a>
    Klingsor Type 6 alto #01913 <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
    \"Klingsor <\/a>
    Klingsor Type 7 engraving Alto # 04729 <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

    Notable stencils<\/h4>\n

    The stencil engraving on these horns is interesting because they break from the norms.<\/p>\n

    1. Alto #032 is one of the first saxes built by Hammerschmidt. The reason it is listed in the stencil list is that the name Josef Hammerschmidt & S\u00f6hne appears on the bell. In all the research I have done on the Hammerschmidt brand, the name Joseph is not one that is listed anywhere. Furthermore, Neustadt, Aisch is located in a different part of Bavaria than Burgau is\u2014where Karl Hammerschmidt & S\u00f6hne was located. <\/p>\n

    So who was this Josef Hammerschmidt and his sons whose name was engraved on the bell? How was he related to the rest of the Hammerschmidt family of instrument-making fame? No clue. Yet again the word enigma pops up. In nearly 20 years of researching the brand, it is worth noting this is the only Josef to ever appear in relation to musical instruments.<\/p>\n

    2. The second stencil is interesting because of all the Silvertone stencils that Hammerschmidt made for Sears that I have seen, all had the conventional Silvertone engraving on them that Sears ordered from all companies from Buescher to Keilwerth\u2014except for this one horn. Tenor #01xx features almost all the regular Silvertone engraving, except the company put their logo on the bell as well. (Wonder how that went over at Sears when it arrived at the distribution centre? \ud83d\ude09 ) <\/p>\n

    3. The third stencil is a great example of a Version A with all the bells and whistles sans a high F# and microtuner neck. The ordering company spared almost no expense, but couldn’t escape Hammerschmidt’s hammer. \ud83d\ude09 <\/p>\n

    \"Alto <\/a>
    Alto #032 <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
    \"Tenor <\/a>
    Tenor #01xx <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
    \"La <\/a>
    La Sete alto 01814 Source: farnaway on SOTW <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

    <\/a>Neck styles<\/h3>\n

    By reviewing literally thousands of Hammerschmidt saxophone images I have collected over the past 20 years, I found that the company’s neck design changed: A LOT.<\/p>\n

    Now before we go down the rabbit hole of how the company changed the way the necks were made, and how that impacted on the intonation of some<\/em> of the Hammerschmidt-made saxophones, let’s just look at the obvious, external differences of these various necks.<\/p>\n

    In total I identified 7 different styles of Hammerschmidt necks. <\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Plain brace with old style ring\n
        \n
      1. Plain brace with ridge and old style ring<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
      2. Man in the moon brace with old style ring<\/li>\n
      3. Fin brace with modern style octave key<\/li>\n
      4. Fin brace with old-style ring<\/li>\n
      5. Fin brace with old-style ring and microtuner<\/li>\n
      6. Plain brace with ridge and more modern octave key<\/li>\n
      7. Ornate brace with ridge and more modern octave key<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nngg_shortcode_9_placeholder\n

        A few notes about these neck types<\/h4>\n