[CHIVELEGS]

A bit of complex parentage for this one apparently. According to the Bassic Sax blog, it was made for a Dutch retailer (Schenkelaars) to export to North Africa by B&S using some Keilwerth parts. I'm waiting for it to get back from my repairer qas the pads were almost all shot to hell. It needed a bit of work just to get all the keys straight and working, the neck was slightly bent and the brace had become unsoldered, the neck cork has perished along with the rubber bumpers, the Low A needed rebuilding (with a part from a Dremel bit!) and the case was as much use as a chocolate teapot and smelled pretty rank. All this considered, I got it for a great price for a B&S Blue Label bari and I think it'll end up a keeper.

 

[soybean]

Congratulations!

 

[JayeLID]

It's an interesting one..it really looks like a straight-up Keilwerth-made low A.

Does it read Schenklaars ?....which would be interesting because almost ALL Schenklaars horns use a traditional pinky table, NOT the usual JK table of the time.

Can you post a clearer photo of your pinky table ?

Not certain B&S would have had involvement in this, though ...although I defer to Helen. That would mean Keilwerth had a business relationship with B&S, who then had a business relationship with Schenklaars.

I always thought the JK-Schenklaars relationship was a direct one, no third party (?)

 

[lostcircuits]

Whatever it is, it's a great find and probably well worth whatever you paid for it!

 

[CHIVELEGS]

Definitely says “Schenkelaars” but as it’s currently being re-padded I can’t take any photos. The best I can do is this pretty poor photo from the original seller. I’ve since fixed it so the pinkie keys no longer look quite so appallingly wonky

 

[CHIVELEGS]

Here's the latest update from the repair shop. Stripped and ready for a repad. Offset holes and absolutely atrocious pads clearly visible. Here's hoping it will blow nicely, got a few gigs coming up so will be great to have a comparison to my Couf Superba II low Bb.

 

[silver-sax]

Is there serial number on this horn?

 

[sax0naut]

I can’t imagine a collaboration between Keilwerth and B&S, because when Keilwerth used this (ugly looking) tonehole-cages and when B&S did built the Blue Label the manufacturers were located in concurring political systems and countries.

 

[BrianMitchellBrody]

It's an interesting one..it really looks like a straight-up Keilwerth-made low A.

Does it read Schenklaars ?....which would be interesting because almost ALL Schenklaars horns use a traditional pinky table, NOT the usual JK table of the time.

Can you post a clearer photo of your pinky table ?

Not certain B&S would have had involvement in this, though ...although I defer to Helen. That would mean Keilwerth had a business relationship with B&S, who then had a business relationship with Schenklaars.

I always thought the JK-Schenklaars relationship was a direct one, no third party (?)

My understanding also is that B&S was not involved with JK during the period before the Berlin Wall fell. I do believe JK assisted them after the fall of the wall and helped them get started manufacturing saxophones which as you know they did only for a short time after modernizing the B&S line of horns with 2001 and Medusa.