[olhonker]

Can anyone help me ! Need old Selmer part

I have & love more than my other tenor horns a 1930 Selmer Tenor "New Largebore" The Selmer factory lists it as a Cigar Cutter, but it is not, it is exact except for the octave mechanism. The only problem I am having is that since both low b flat & B natural pads are located on the left side of the horn, when I play my leg somehow seems to block or prevent the pads form opening or closing properly, I must rely on keeping the horn away form leg, but sometimes this is not practical. I remember seeing some write ups of a triangular type "gizmo" shield that attached to the outer pad attachments and somehow were easily attached and removed, thereby preventing the leg to make contact with the pads which are actually part of the lower bell. Anyone out there have any photos or diagramsI or even the gizmo itself?? Thanks for help, Bruce Brennan, [email protected]

 

[Dave Dolson]

Bruce: I've seen tenors like yours but never paid attention to the bell-pads' cage.

My Cigar Cutter alto has a similar design for the bell-pads' cage, but the cage that holds the triangular "protector" has four feet to it. Those feet are soldered onto the bell - one below the B tone hole, one above the Bb tone hole, one directly in front of the Bb tone hole, and the last one directly in front of the B tone hole.

The triangular thingy is hinged on the brace and swings over to clamp around a post on the horn's body, near the thumb rest.

Does your horn show evidence of those feet once being there? If not, I wonder if your horn had those installed when first made? Was that a factory-extra?

Have you checked Pete Hales' website (saxpics)? Maybe he has photos of a tenor or alto that shows the cage. I don't know where you'd come up with one of those, especially if your horn didn't have it in the first place. DAVE

 

[beezer]

The NLB tenor that I used to have had the same keyguards as yours olhonker, but a slightly later CC that I had was like the one that Dave Dolson describes. Maybe it was another difference between the CC and non CC models.
Cheers, Dave

 

[olhonker]

Thanks Beezere and Dave, I dont think my horn ever had the guard, I do emmeber seeing and readong a story about that guard that it was an add on, for exactly what my problem is, unless I never touch the leg with the horn I am fine, but once they come into contact it seems the leg,pants and wrinkles get somehow in contact with the B & Bb keys, yes the only protection on ech key is a four heavy wired piece soldered to the horn. I just thought I could see one of those triangular add ons and maybe rig something up similar. I have really gotten to love this horn, what response and sound ! Thanks for your help. Bruce Brennan

 

[potiphar]

FWIW my 1930 alto has the same cage as Bruce's and nothing remotely triangular, so presumably it was an extra (or not relevant to alto).

 

[AMASAX]

the clothing guard/protector you're referring to was added on during the early Super run, and is indeed, designed to keep clothing from interferring with the bell keys. Somewhere around the house here I have an early 1930s catalog touting this 'new' guard.

As I recall off the top of my head, it's triangle shaped, with two 'points' of the triangle attaching to the bell, and one point attaching to the body, just left & below of where one's right thumb goes.

Find some pics on ebay or saxpics site of Super altos/tenors and you'll see what it's all about.

And, btw, in regards to your Large Bore vs Super horn, Large Bore horns usually have the old style neck receiver soldered on, while the Supers have the newer/current reinforced style. Easy way to tell the diff, cuz as we all know, the serial number charts are all over the place on catching model changes.

 

[olhonker]

Amasax

 

[olhonker]

To my UK friends, thanks for your input, Beezer, did you get that handle from riding old time BSA motorcycles ?( had them in 50's) Potiphur, Maybe next time yor in nYC, we can meet up for sure to see Lovano. Amasax, Thanks for your museum knowledge of saxophones, I can see why almost 80 yrs ago an add on was offered by Selmer, I guess trousers haven't changed that much. But I think I'll just concentrate on not touching the leg and horn at same time. Case closed. Thanks all for you help. Bruce Brennan NY

 

[beezer]

To my UK friends, thanks for your input, Beezer, did you get that handle from riding old time BSA motorcycles ?( had them in 50's)

Olhonker, You are spot on with the BSA connection. Over the years I have had dozens of them ranging from my first in the fifties a C11, to a 1960 DBD34 which I had for 10 years reluctantly selling it about 5 years ago when I realised that modern roads are dangerous places for old motorbikes!
At one time I had 8 of them!
How the government here allowed the motorcycle industry to collapse as it did and let the Japanese take over is strange.
Funnily enough many of my musical colleagues are old bike fans.
Keep on honking!
Cheers, Dave

 

[AMASAX]

pic(s):

http://www.quinntheeskimo.net/Pics/SelmerSuper110207a11.jpg

from ebay auction:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Selmer-Super-Al...ryZ64455QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

actually, not a bad idea/implementation to fix the clothing problemo.

 

[AMASAX]

http://web.mac.com/seattlewoodwinds/Seattle_Woodwinds/Instruments_For_Sale.html

another pic, this a tenor. 1/3 way down the page, 'Selmer Super' horn for sale.

 

[potiphar]

Potiphur, Maybe next time yor in nYC, we can meet up for sure to see Lovano.

Sure thing, if we can persuade my daughter to stay in Manhattan for a bit!

 

[olhonker]

Jon, Hope your daughter stays for awhile................Beezer. I had DBD34 Gold stars too, bUT they were in lated 50's, I raced them on American half mile, Triumph Tigers too. Still riding (52 yrs) Now a Zuzuki Boulevard....... You must have gotten a pretty penney for your Goldstar, Here in US A good one would be $15.000-$20,000. Dollars. There is nothing like the pipe and head of a Gold star!! Bruce

 

[olhonker]

AMASAX, Thanks so much for those wonderful photos showing the "protector" on that old Sup[e Sax. I see what a great idea that was, but I think I will just get used to keeping the horn and leg apart. Not much for a horn that plays and sounds so great. Boy, if that horn could talk, made in 1930, and I got it from a friend now retired who used to own a music store, who bought it and a model 22 alto from an estate (the 22 is still for sale, in good condition too) The prior owner I understand played in the PIT his whole life on Broadway ! Again, Thanks so much to all. Bruce Brennan

 

[AMASAX]

One of the first horns I used in my 'career'(if one could call it that) was a silver tenor, #13936, which I now know was a largebore. Nifty horn, wish I still had it. Paid $300 at Irwin Burger's "Woodwind and Brasswind" on Taraval in San Francisco, back in Feb, 1975. Big chunk of money for me way back then(!)

The altos/baris/sop are so outmoded I really don't like them(and out of tune), but the tenors still hold up as good giggin' horns. Have a larger bore neck than later horns, can be very mellow, but still have some bite if using proper mthpce...

Btw, I didn't end up having much problem with no clothes protector, just something I got used to, playing without it.

 

[olhonker]

Thanks AMASAX for your comments, I agree, I used to hear a lot of negative things about models 22, 26 & CC, (Most dopn't know about a NLB New Large Bore) I guess Selmer at time was having a lot ofchange4s going on , including taking over from the Sax family. But It took some detective work to see what a NLB was, Thanks to you all in SOTW I got it firmly identified, Mine is ser# 13,091 and according to Slemer is a CC. But it is now well known that selmer was not accurate on their models to years. I have compared my NLB to other SSS (Selmer Super SDax'es as found that the diffence between the CC and NLB is the octave mechanism diffence, the NLB has conventional octave mech. Also, the main difference I learned is that the NLB has a separate LYre attachment from the neck tightner !! God, I'm going crazy with this subject, think Ill'' bail out now, Thanks to all. Bruce Brennan