What is the serial number ? I have a "Duke" alto which looks just like yours. Serial 19075. Plays really good.

 

I'm not at home right now. But it clearly says Special. I assume special=duke ?
On the other hand I've seen specials that don't have the egg shaped spatula ....

Beaugnier is the brand with most design changes however with consistent quality

 

I own a 38 tenor and a 39 alto. The big mechanical difference between the 38 and 39 is in the octave thumb key. The 39s have the modern Selmer style thumb whereas the 38s have one more similar to a Balanced Action. Also they have different pinky clusters. The 39 will have one metal roller on it.

 

Yours looks to be a 38 but can't tell with out seeing the pinky cluster. If it has one more similar to the old Keilwerths then it would be neither a 38 or 39 but the older 37

 

Pinky cluster tenor:

Pinky cluster alto :

 

Both are 38s

 

According to Kim at doctorsax.biz, "Special" doesn't necessarily indicate anything abut the keywork, etc, and usually only indicates something about the engraving or lacquer.

 

I am not convinced. Special seemed to be used for saxophones that had left side tone holes from serial number 1047 up through serial number 1819 and then the special perfect started some time around serial number 3600. at least 2 of the special perfects had micro tuner necks.

The note from 1246A "Vito Special only 2 bell keys on the left side... C# is on the right side"

so does your sax have its right hand palm/pinkie F# tonehole on the back or on the right side?

 

The Vito "Special" alto I own is on Kim's website, s/n B1032; it has the F# key on the right side.
S/N only a little outside the range you indicate. As far as I know, the "Special" part of it is the lacquer, which has a name but I can't remember it right now.
It's like a frost gold

 

I am picking up a Vito Duke 38T tenor tomorrow. I great condition - but probably needs a total overhaul anyway. Very excited to se if it is as good as some claime.

 

i have a 'special perfect' alto with a completely different-looking pinky cluster from any above. i must say that the beaugnier is a well-kept secret. what an amazing sax, with a fluid, smoky tone and (as everyone notes) great altissimo. i'm still COMPLETELY confused about the vito/leblanc/noblet connection and will have to stick with beaugniers marked 'beaugnier' until someone leads me by the hand.

 

......the beaugnier is a well-kept secret.

Let's keep it that way

 

There are so many models and variations of french made vitos, noblets, rever, leblanc, beaugnier etc.... we are all confussed

how about posting a photo of the pinky cluster?

 

http://s148.photobucket.com/user/peterpick/media/beaugnier 16 table.jpg.html

http://s148.photobucket.com/user/peterpick/media/beaugnier 17 switch.jpg.html

whole bucket: http://s148.photobucket.com/user/peterpick/library/beaugnier special perfect

 

mistermeshmass,

When I tried to take a look, all i received was "Sorry this person moved or deleted this image"

 

I have played my Vito Duke now for quite some time, and trimmed and tuned it to be a very very good tenor sax. Love the big sound and quite free blowing and the altissimo is easier than on most horn. They should be good. I have done a bit of research and SML was partial owner of the Beaugnier plant. Same springs as SML same style mechanical keywork layout... so very good sax for very little money

 

If it helps, I have a Special Perfect (serial 6xxx) tenor. The left hand pinky table is similar to a Conn 10M and it has a micro-tuner neck.

 

So what's the difference between a Special and Special Perfect??? Hmmmm....

 

I'm patiently waiting for the right deal to pop up on one of these, really great value from what I understand. I'm ok with people going out and buy intermediate quality horns for far more and leaving these available for so cheap!

 

My tenor looks just like mistermeshmass's alto in post #15.

 

I've owned an "Americana" Alto (in 2002), Model 38 Tenor (bell connected at pinky table), and a Model 38 Alto (bell keys linked at the key cups). They were very good saxes. Owened the Model 38 Alto for 5 years (it replaced a Selmer Mark VII I was having troubles with). Only went to a Yanagisawa A880, because it was like the VII marrying the Model 38! The best of both worlds!

 

I had a model 38 alto that sounded great, but I didn't like the feel of the L hand pinky table because of the L sided bell keys. I probably would have gotten used to it over time, but it also went out of adjustment too often for my comfort, so it was sold on.

 

Left side bell keys would not have been a model 38. Those were the "Americana", Model 35 "Semi-Rationale", Model 36, and Model 37.

 

I need to make a small correction. My Special Perfect tenor, serial 6074, has the older style touches for the octave key touch: a pearl button for the thumbrest and a pearl button for the octave key touch. On the other hand, my Revere tenor, with only a slightly higher serial number (6414) has the same octave key touch shown in mistermeshmash's post #15. I guess they made a change along the way. My Revere should have been stenciled by Beaugnier in '57-'58.

 

so, what is the difference between a tenor vito serial number 5XXA and a serial number 2xxxx that said it is made in France? It seems the one in france has a lot more fancy engraving, but no duke or special...

any thoughts

 

well that is the question? I run a spread sheet trying sort out serial numbers and features.

My hypothesis is..... that there was a factory .... actually go look down the Saxophone Makes and Models--> Other--> A-J --> Beaugnier, G. Leblanc & Vito Beaugnier and read one of the history threads...

this factory made at least the bodies for several brand names. That bodies from this factory had a consecutive serial numbers independent of the brands..

So how fancy the sax was or how many features it had... the serial numbers are mixed together.

I expand my theory further by suggesting that serial numbers that ended with the character "A" were assembled in Wisconsin (the saxophones with serial numbers ending or preceding the serial number in the character "B" or preceded by the character "V".

that itself is a mouthful. The idea is that US assembled brands may have modified the serial number by adding a character.

Have I passed along the idea that there might be a core serial number that came out of the "Beaugnier" factory and that if the saxophone was assembled in the US an extra letter was added?

Keep in mind that this is a theory only backed by rumor and speculation and hopefully documented by the spreadsheet (including a lot of the different features) at

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet.../spreadsheets/d/1zFsKqgJJzjUV0wK4_ymk7qk3cj0pvHx4_stnzbyYwk8/edit#gid=736264149

have fun,

Fremont

 

I just stumbled on a very interesting Beaugnier serial number study (in French):

http://luthiervents.blogspot.com/2018/12/beaugnier-suite.html?m=1

The author distinguishes a first series until 1941 and then a second series starting from 1941. A few of the serial numbers seem to have a reliable date (from warranty cards or sales slips).