French Vito Quality

[honkytone]

I've read through this entire board and can't really find a definitive statement about the quality of the Vito saxes made in France, preumably by Beaugnier. I'm thinking particularly of the modern keywork type like this one at USA Horn:
http://home.comcast.net/~honkytone/vito.jpg
Are these top quality, heavy horns, more or less on a par with Buffet and the other premium French makers of the day? As compared, say, with the Olds Parisian horns, which I think were also made at Beaugnier--decent horns, but definitely in the lightweight student/intermediate category. Are these Vitos the real deal?

[bkiser]

My experience with vintage French horns is pretty limited, but I do have a Noblet which is very similar to the horn in the pics except for the left pinky cluster. Its a good horn overall. The action is very light and mine is very open, so it can feel a bit awkward. Dont expect the fluidity of a Selmer or the quickness of SuperDynaction. That being said...the sound is the real deal! It will project and wail with anything I have played. If you are spending good money on one, make sure all the pads are good. They are thinner than any modern ones I have seen and might be hard to find good replacements.

[knighttrain]

I have not seen or played a French Vito made as recently as the one in the photo, but my earlier French Vito (Beaugnier) is indeed of much heavier construction than my Parisian (and almost any other alto for that matter). From the looks of the USAHorn photo, Beaugnier doesn't seem to have scrimped on quality in later years. Also, from my readings, the Parisian was actually made by Pierret, not Beaugnier.

[T.S.]

I owned two French Vitos, a tenor with SML like switchable articulated g# and left hand bell keys, and a 70's vintage "Duke Artist" alto. Both were excellent horns that I wish I still had, particularly the alto that had a lush and warm sound that was great.

[smitty]

Well, I happen to have a good amount of info on french made vitos, through years of blood sweat and tears of research. For some reason the picture wont pull up on my computer, but what I can tell you is that french made vitos were awesome built horns. Depending on when it was made, however, it may or may not be a Beaugnier made horn, because the beaugnier factory shop was closed up in the mid to late 60's and lebalnc started having the vito line built by yanagisawa as well as their kenosha factory. I would imagine yours has a selmer style pinky cluster, which if it is french made, it was probably built by selmer for leblanc, being that like I said the beaugnier factory closed in the 60's and none of the beaugnier made horns had selmer style pinky clusters except for maybe some of the leblanc system horns. Well at any rate a french made vito is a pro horn not like the imitation yamaha junkeer student models. let me know what serial number is and some details of the construction, maybe i can date it for you.

[The A Train]

Smitty-
I copied that pic to my computer awhile back becouse I have a french made vito that looks just like it. You can see the one honkeytone refers to here:
LINK REMOVED


The alto I own has a serial #17580..what can you tell me about it and where it might have been built?

[jmartin]

Medusa Man, that link has pop-ups.

[bkiser]

The French Vitos that usahorn has in stock are definitely drool-worthy. I have a Beaugnier Noblet which has an absolute killer sound. The action doesnt come close to a well-regulated Selmer (SBA and later, anyway) or any average modern horn, but the sound is fantastic. The upper register just SINGS and can get just the right amount of edge. Altissimo pops! I bought the horn off of Ebay and it caused me to send my new R&C off to Tenor Madness. I realized something HAD to be not quite right with it when the $250 Ebay horn outplayed it.

Although Rampone horns are considered to be large-bore, my Noblet is larger at the tenon than my R1 Jazz.

[The A Train]

Medusa Man, that link has pop-ups.


???..I tried it and the only thing that pops up for me is the picture. If I knew how to attach a picture right on the thread I wouldn't have to use an alternative file host. Any suggestions for future uploads?

[vito]

Medusa Man,
1)go to www.photobucket.com and create an account (takes about 30 sec), and upload you picture.
2) Then reply to this thread and when you ready to put picture in click a button which looks like an envelope (when you put your browser on tom it will say "insert image") - new window will pop up and will ask you to link to an URL on the web.
3) From your http://www.photobucket.com/ account copy url address with your picture and insert in a new window and you are done!
And no more :bsod:

Vito

[The A Train]

Thanks vito..let's try this again...http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j271/Medusaman/vito.jpg...there we go!


Thanks again vito!

[The A Train]

Smitty - Would do you know the build year of my french built alto -serial 17580 or not?

[smitty]

MEDUSAMAN,

Sorry for not getting back sooner. I dont check this forum very often. If it didnt have a selmer style pinky cluster I would say mid 60's, but to my knowledge beaugnier didnt make any like it. I would say that it is made for leblanc by another french manufacturer. I could be wrong though. By the way, Beautiful horn!

[steven scarpa]

I bought a Beaugnier Alto number 5576. Does anyone know how to vintage this instrument? Any sites or experts you can reccomend?

Steve

[Hurling Frootmig]

Here's my take on the tenors.

The action is decent - about on par with vintage American saxes. It doesn't have the snap to it that you get out of a Selmer and it doesn't feel quite as quick as a vintage Buffet SDA or DA but it's very useable.

The key positioning is not very good. It's better than a Conn but does not fall under the hands like a Mark VI. You could get used to it in a short period of time but there's a lot better horns out there in terms of this area.

The tone was what I would term french. Maybe I would term it Generic French. It didn't have the wonderful mid-range of a Mark VI or the darkness of a great Buffet.

Overall, I would say the example I played was a competent horn. Not great but very passable. It had some quirks and honestly I didn't spend enough time with it to make anything more than a first impression judgement. Like any horn you really have to spend some time with them before you really know what they can and can't do. The one I played didn't make me want to spend the time though.

[daddywagsmusic]

So, I might be buying one of these in the bari category... is it just pretty much that no one really knows about these "Made In France" Vitos? This one I found has an amazing sound and the keys are pretty work able - I would see myself making risers and possible try to alter some of the keys, and the neckstrap ring HAS to be moved! It also needs cleaned, probably repadded (although after a tweak, its all sealing, but has some adjustments that need to be made all over the horn, but it does seem to have an even scale, so thats very promising), and needs a new case once that is all done, but I can see a lot of potential. Seems like this horn was build REALLY well, and the brass feels like Buffet or Selmer brass from that era - if we are guessing mid-60-ish... I can't find a serial number on it anywhere except "345" stamped upside down on the twisted part on the top of the bari (not the neck... but the curved neck reciever... the correct term is not hitting me) AND ITS LOW Bb - I LOVE THAT!!!

Any one else have one of these or had? Any tips? clues? advice?

[Tryptykon]

I had a soprano that I bought from Saxquest that impressed me enough
to seek out a tenor; sold the soprano a couple of years ago to Honkytone.

The tenor has potential but could use a new neck as the stock one has
been pulled down at some point(child-owned).

[scsax]

honkytone - you might want to e-mail http://www.doctorsax.biz/index.htm As best as I can tell she is the expert on all things Beaugnier/Vito

She was very helpful with helping me ID my horn's heritage

[goodsax]

Honkytone's question was asked 2-1/2 years ago. I think he's learned a lot about Vito Beaugnier horns since then. I bought my Vito Beaugnier tenor from him last year.

[scsax]

Honkytone's question was asked 2-1/2 years ago. I think he's learned a lot about Vito Beaugnier horns since then. I bought my Vito Beaugnier tenor from him last year.

Thanks that was helpful

[AhCheung]

Honkytone's question was asked 2-1/2 years ago. I think he's learned a lot about Vito Beaugnier horns since then.

while others -- referring to Honky's initial post -- have discovered that the Olds Parisians (Pierret made), esp. the early ones, are good stencils of a pro model of the 1950s.

[smilinfu]

I have a "Duke" bari, that I am wrestling with. I love the tone,very smooth dark and warm. I hate to say this, but it does strike me as "Selmerish". Top end stays strong, and while I would not call it a screamer, the tone breaks up nicely when I need to push it. Seams like good construction (for the most part), it seams to weight about twice as much as the Zephyr I was playing before. As others have said the keywork is not world class, but is completely usable. The left hand pinky was very odd at first, pushed off to the side and slanted up, like a selmer, but even more. After I got used to them it was fine, and even kind of nice.

The down side is the intonation is beyond funky, worst I have ever heard, the octave Ds are more than a half step apart with every mouthpiece I have used. There is a chance the neck I have is not original, so this may be the fault of the neck.

Still I like the tone so much, I have been willing to put up with this.

My only other complaint is the semi-circle bell brace is made of strong metal, but by nature of the fact it is a semi circle, means it can get bent a little easier than usual.

[daddywagsmusic]

I have a video of me playing my Vito Beaugnier Bari at my website - www.bradwagner.net - under the blog section - just got the horn and took it on a gig to try it out when this video was taken. The video is bad quality - it was all black from a dark club, so I made it white washed to you can at least see shadows, but the audio works well. I love this horn. By the way - this is with a Phil Barone neck and a 120/2 rubber Berg and some Alexander NY reeds.