{"id":7165,"date":"2013-12-06T17:35:23","date_gmt":"2013-12-07T00:35:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bassic-sax.info\/version5\/?page_id=7165"},"modified":"2021-01-04T10:40:53","modified_gmt":"2021-01-04T12:40:53","slug":"bs-aka-blue-label","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bassic-sax.info\/version5\/vintage-saxes\/european-made-saxes\/veb-blechblas-und-signal-instrumenten-fabrik-bs\/bs-aka-blue-label\/","title":{"rendered":"B&S AKA Blue Label"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"B&S<\/a>
Blue label alto saxophone by B&S Serial # ?. Source: Mark Wiseman.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It is pretty uncommon to have more information available on a company’s less expensive instruments, than on their better<\/em> ones, but such is the case with the B&S, AKA “blue label” saxophones. If you search for information on these vintage horns by VEB Blechblas- und Signal-Instrumenten-Fabrik, you are far more likely to come across articles and forum comments about the Weltklang, or even the Akustik saxes, than you are about the vintage B&S blue<\/em> label saxophones.<\/p>\n

To aid in navigation, I’ve added some links here for you to the various sections of this page. (Just click the “Back” button on your browser to bring you back to this set of boxes.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Creation of B&S<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/td>\n

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B&S-made Saxophones<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/td>\n

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Model History<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/td>\n

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Why \u201cblue label\u201d?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/td>\n

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Differences between B&S and Weltklang Saxes<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/td>\n

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Tone hole placement<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/td>\n

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Left pinkie cluster<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/td>\n

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High F#<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/td>\n

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Ribbed Construction<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Finish options<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/td>\n

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Horn descriptions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/td>\n

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Serial no. & model info<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/td>\n

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Further avenues of research<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/td>\n

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<\/a>The political reality for private companies in the DDR, and the creation of B&S<\/span><\/p>\n

As already noted on the Akustik<\/a> and Weltklang<\/a> pages, post WWII, independent companies were no longer the norm in East Germany. Government policy was to \u201cnationalize\u201d these private companies, and combine them together into organizational units called Kombinate. These publicly owned, national corporations were known as Volkseigener Betriebe (VEB), and were the legal form of an industrial enterprise in East Germany.<\/p>\n

This process of nationalizing private companies had been going on steadily since WWII, and on January 1, 1953, three existing VEBs were combined together to form \u201eBlechblas- und Signal-Instrumenten-Fabrik\u201d (B&S). A further four companies were added at different times, until in 1984, a total of seven VEBs were under the B&S umbrella. If you are interested in which those were, and when they were added, check out the VEB intro page of my site<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The iconic blue label on a Blue Label B&S tenor, serial # 1014. Source: eBay.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/a>B&S-made saxophones<\/span><\/p>\n

B&S only made the 4 standard types of saxophones: Bb soprano, Eb alto, Bb tenor, and Eb baritone saxophones. The company offered basically only 2 model ranges of saxophones: The simpler Weltklang engraved horns, and the somewhat better saxes designated B&S. In addition to the names that B&S used for its horns, they also stencilled for other companies, which resulted in a great many B&S-made horns, with a wide variety of names. Some of these names include: Akustik, Roth, Berg Larsen, Paul Beuscher, University, Sonora, and many, many others. Pete’s and my Bassic Sax Pix gallery shows many of these horn here<\/a>, here<\/a>, and here<\/a>.<\/a><\/p>\n

Model history<\/span><\/p>\n

VEB Blechblas- und Signal-Instrumenten-Fabrik made their simpler Weltklang saxophones starting in the early 1960s. Then in the middle of that decade, they added their B&S blue label<\/em> horns, supplying a somewhat better series for players to choose from. The B&S blue label<\/em> production was continued until 1998, when they were replaced by the 1000 series of horns.1<\/sup><\/p>\n

That’s correct, the replacement for the B&S blue<\/em> label horns was the 1000 series\u2014horns that are considered an intermediate level horn. It wouldn’t be until shortly after Germany’s reunification, that the company produced its first pro horns. The production of 2001 models began in 1991. Then shortly after, B&S attempted to get into the top tier of the pro horn market with their Guardala Model<\/em>, which was a variation on the 2001.<\/a><\/p>\n

What’s up with the B&S “blue label” name?<\/span><\/p>\n

“Blue label” was not a real model name, or even a designation that these horns were given by VEB Blechblas- und Signal-Instrumenten-Fabrik. Blue label<\/em> is a nickname for the model of saxophones that B&S built, which were simply called “B&S” by the VEB. The reason for the nickname is pretty obvious if one looks at the bell to body support brace on the alto, tenor, and baritone B&S saxophones. There is a blue enamel background for the B&S logo.<\/p>\n

However, not all B&S saxophones had a blue enamel bell to body support brace. Some were made with the entire badge in a gold finish. For example, here is the bell to body brace on B&S tenor #3661…<\/p>\n

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B&S tenor sax # 3661 Source: silver-sax on eBay.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At this stage I am not clear on what differences\u2014if any\u2014exist between the blue and gold label B&S horns. I have a couple of theories, and others have been put forth by owners\/players of both blue and gold label horns. However, theories are not facts, and nothing in any of the printed literature that I have found to date, explains these horns with a gold bell to body support brace. As a matter of fact, these horns do not seemingly officially exist at all. Huh, go figure… More about this at the end of this page.<\/a><\/p>\n

What are the differences between B&S and Weltklang saxophones?<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Tone Hole Placement<\/span><\/p>\n

In Saxophone: Ein Kompendium<\/em><\/a>, Uwe Ladwig refers to a discussion he had with Gerhard Lederer. 2 <\/sup>Lederer worked for B&S for 30 years, including a 13-year stint as the Divisional Director of Saxophone Production. According to Gerhard Lederer, the main difference between the Weltklang and B&S saxophones was their tone hole placement.<\/p>\n

Like the vintage saxophones of Martin, Conn, Buescher, et al, Weltklang saxophones had inline tone holes<\/a>. This meant that they had the main tone holes in their body tube arranged in a line, one under another<\/a>. FYI, even pre-Mark VI Selmers<\/a> had inline tone holes.<\/p>\n

B&S saxophones, on the other hand, had their main tone holes offset. This means that their right hand tone holes were closer to the player\u2019s hand, thus making the horn more ergonomic. This is something that Selmer introduced in their Mark VIs, and what we continue to see in most modern saxophones to this day.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately I don’t have a B&S body tube sans keys that I can show you, but Matt Stohrer<\/a> was kind enough to provide me with the following photo of Mark VI low A alto. The photo does show how the tone holes for the right hand are closer to the player’s hand, and not inline with those above.<\/p>\n

\"offset<\/a>
Offset tone holes on a 1966 Selmer Mark VI low A alto. Source: stohrermusic.com Used with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/a>Left Pinkie Cluster<\/span><\/p>\n

Another area in which the B&S blue label<\/em> saxophones differed from their less expensive Weltklang cousins, was in the refinement of the left pinkie clusters. On the B&S saxophones, the G#\/C#\/B\/Bb keys were coupled together…<\/p>\n

\"B&S<\/a>
Coupled left pinkie cluster on B&S “blue label” alto, serial # 2057. Source: sheila888west<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"B&S<\/a>
Coupled left pinkie cluster on B&S “blue label” alto, serial # ?. Source: Mark Wiseman, The Little Sax Shop<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Whereas on the Weltklang saxophones, the keys operated by the left pinkie were not coupled together.<\/p>\n

\"Weltklang<\/a>
Less refined left pinkie cluster on Weltklang tenor, serial # 4902. Source: saxophon-spezialist on eBay.de<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/a>Keyed to high F#<\/span><\/p>\n

The alto and tenor B&S blue<\/em> label saxophones were usually keyed to high F#, while the Weltklangs were only keyed to high F.<\/p>\n

\"B&S<\/a>
Clear shot of high F# key mechanism on B&S “blue label” alto, serial # ?. Source: Mark Wiseman, The Little Sax Shop.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/a>Ribbed Construction<\/span><\/p>\n

The final area in which B&S blue<\/em> label horns differed from their cheaper Weltklang brethren, was in their construction. B&S saxophones had their posts attached to the body via ribs…<\/p>\n

\"B&S<\/a>
Ribbed body construction on B&S blue label alto, serial # 2057. Source: sheila888west.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Weltklangs on the other hand, utilized post to body construction, meaning that the posts are soldered directly to the body tube, and not to brass plates, AKA “ribs”, like can be seen above.<\/p>\n

\"Weltklang<\/a>
Post to body construction of Weltklang tenor, serial # 3975. Source: altes24 on eBay.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Which type of construction is better? Well that depends on who you talk to. Keilwerth obviously thinks for their saxophones non-ribbed is, since their new horns do not use ribs<\/a>. On the other hand, until the Series III baritones came out, modern Selmers traditionally have come decked out with ribbed construction<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For an interesting read on ribbed versus non-ribbed construction, check out Dave Kessler’s article titled: “Ribbed” Body Construction for Saxophones \u2013 What is it?<\/a><\/p>\n

Finish Options<\/span><\/p>\n

According to a 1980s brochure titled Metallblasinstrumente, Instrument aus der DDR<\/em>, B&S blue<\/em> label saxophones came in the following finishes 3 <\/sup>:<\/p>\n