Alt saxophone York Grand Rapids Michigan USA
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Welcome to the forum. Try the search at the top of this page. There have been a ton of threads on the topic that will provide you with lots of information and opinions.
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Ok..thank you
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It's not. It's a "York Made York".
Well, it's a genuine York (flanged soldered tone holes) and it's keyed to high F. I can't tell if there's a front F key. It has no lacquer, unknown if it ever did, and someone's had an unsuccessful go at it with Brasso.
I would expect that all the pads corks and felts need replacing and some additional unknown mechanical work.
After that you would have a horn that would probably be an OK but not great player and worth very little (like $500 max in full playing condition in the US).
I would expect that all the pads corks and felts need replacing and some additional unknown mechanical work.
After that you would have a horn that would probably be an OK but not great player and worth very little (like $500 max in full playing condition in the US).
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PM sent, Andrei.
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It's a real York.
That isn't where the serial number is usually placed.
Bringing it to good playing condition might exceed its current market value, but it will play/sound as good as any other saxophone it's age.
York horns may not be as well known as Conn, Buescher, Martin, etc... But they are well made and every bit their equal..
That isn't where the serial number is usually placed.
Bringing it to good playing condition might exceed its current market value, but it will play/sound as good as any other saxophone it's age.
York horns may not be as well known as Conn, Buescher, Martin, etc... But they are well made and every bit their equal..
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Actually... @Andrei83 ...is there a serial # below the thumb hook also ? If so, can you post a photo of that ? York factory had a very distinctive font they used on serial #'s.
Also a photo of the bell engraving ?
I am not certain this is not a stencil, actually.
Note the soldered-on bell toneholes.
Also, interesting keywork of lower stack...G# trill key then a double-touch at the low D which I think would be a Fork Eb key, although I have never seen a Fork Eb where there were 3 touches at the E and D combined.
Also a photo of the bell engraving ?
I am not certain this is not a stencil, actually.
Note the soldered-on bell toneholes.
Also, interesting keywork of lower stack...G# trill key then a double-touch at the low D which I think would be a Fork Eb key, although I have never seen a Fork Eb where there were 3 touches at the E and D combined.
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A better view of the bell tone holes on a York, Grand Rapids Michigan horn.
My inexperienced eye says it's 'correct'.
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From the key shapes I'd say early to mid 20s. No front F. Probably plays OK, with good tone; mechanism is probably more clunky than the Buescher or Conn of the same era. I see a lot of things like minor bent keys, weird pad heights that probably mean missing corks. Need to get all that brass polish off it.
What it needs is a complete disassembly, thorough cleaning inside and out, fix any mechanical issues, replace all pads corks and felts, and regulate. I wouldn't be surprised to find a few broken springs or frozen screws that require work.
If this has sentimental value to you, it can be made into a player. If not, there are better choices to get a playing saxophone into your hands. If you have good mechanical skills and want to learn about saxophone repair, it would be a reasonable choice, as long as you make efforts to first do no harm.
What it needs is a complete disassembly, thorough cleaning inside and out, fix any mechanical issues, replace all pads corks and felts, and regulate. I wouldn't be surprised to find a few broken springs or frozen screws that require work.
If this has sentimental value to you, it can be made into a player. If not, there are better choices to get a playing saxophone into your hands. If you have good mechanical skills and want to learn about saxophone repair, it would be a reasonable choice, as long as you make efforts to first do no harm.
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OK thanks...the C spat key on many a York-York is often elongated some, which is why I was witholding judgment as to whether this was actually made at their plant or not. Absence of the serial # under thumbhook is also unusual.
But I ain't got nuthin', really...details are not Buescher-esque nor any other American maker....so early York-York is a reasonable guess.
Everything Turf said above. This has little market value, here in US in overhauled shape it could only fetch $300. It's old, 1920's possibly even a tad earlier. As a DIY repair patient, appropriate. As an everyday player, most players would say 'no'.
Interesting horn fro a tech geek perspective, especially those 3 touches at the lower stack...very unusual. It appears the 'top' D touch fingers a typical D, and the bottom D touch fingers a Fork Eb (?) Redundant bit of engineering there, I wonder if there was a mod done to it at some time ....
But I ain't got nuthin', really...details are not Buescher-esque nor any other American maker....so early York-York is a reasonable guess.
Everything Turf said above. This has little market value, here in US in overhauled shape it could only fetch $300. It's old, 1920's possibly even a tad earlier. As a DIY repair patient, appropriate. As an everyday player, most players would say 'no'.
Interesting horn fro a tech geek perspective, especially those 3 touches at the lower stack...very unusual. It appears the 'top' D touch fingers a typical D, and the bottom D touch fingers a Fork Eb (?) Redundant bit of engineering there, I wonder if there was a mod done to it at some time ....
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Thank you for info
I think that's not intended as a key touch but as the bridge between two pad cups. I have seen pearls used this way on old sopranos sometimes.
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Not sure what you mean by a 'bridge' or what the bridge would function as - but note, there already is an armature coming off the D cup which closes the E cup...the armature is at 12 o'clock on the D cup.
This is what I am seeing, based on pic #1 in OP and then pic #3 in reply #12.
The E pearl touch is soldered on to the E keycup, like a normal E pearl is (but not the way a typical E pearl on a typical EbFork mechanism is designed).
On the D cup, there is the large pearl touch soldered on to the cup at around 10 o'clock - I don't believe the underside of that pearl touch actually touches the E cup.
Then below that, there is a second D pearl touch which is independent from (i.e. not soldered onto) the D keycup.
The second touch's spine/arm extends behind the D keycup.... and I am assuming this links to the back-door Fork Eb assembly. So it is the lowest pearl touch on the stack which engages (i.e. closes) the EbFork key....thus producing a D tone.
That is what I am seeing.
So, if that is correct (correct me if that seems not to be how the mechanism is set up)...
....this means this particular horn operates the Fork Eb NOT by the RH 1down-2open-3down fingering which is typical....where it is the E key fingering open which determines the Fork Eb....
...but rather the Fork Eb on THIS horn is engaged by a fingering which is:
1down-2open or down-(upper touch)3down-(lower touch)3untouched.
Whenever the player depresses the D cup's upper touch (with 1-F depressed, and 2-E either depressed or open), it produces an Eb.
So...to play a D, instead of an Eb, the player must bypass the D cup's upper touch and use the D cup's lower touch. But to again play the Eb Fork note, player must switch to the D cup's upper touch....which is why it is a touch, I would posit.
So the the only way to produce a D on this stack is by pressing the lower D touch..the only way to produce a ForkEb is by depressing the upper D touch.
If I have this right...that's an odd Eb Fork mechanism....player needs to switch between 2 ring-finger touches to switch between D and EbFork.
I think you're right about the keywork design. Very weird and troublesome to use, compared to the standard fork Eb. Zooming in I also see a regular style bridge behind the mystery 5th pearl so it's not what I was saying. I wonder if there was a patent on the fork Eb that York was trying to design around? Could it be intended to put the little finger up there for trills?
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