[Tessyann]

Good evening everyone, I found a brass ACME Master in a house I just bought. I haven't seen any discussions on this sax and I'm not to educated on saxophone. Can anyone tell me anything about them. I do know that the neck has the same serial number as the base , which reads. 22820.

 

[Reet McVouty]

Good evening everyone, I found a brass ACME Master in a house I just bought. I haven't seen any discussions on this sax and I'm not to educated on saxophone. Can anyone tell me anything about them. I do know that the neck has the same serial number as the base , which reads. 22820.

Not sure about your horn, but I believe that old saxophone master, Wile E. Coyote played one ...

https://bassic-sax.info/blog/2008/acme-saxophones/

 

[Manitou]

at the top of this page is a google custom search box - if you put acme master in there you will get multiple results. if you don't find what you need, add some pics to this post and folks can share opinions.

 

[milandro]

indeed

https://forum.saxontheweb.net/gtsea...ch&siteurl=www.saxontheweb.net/&ref=&ss=0j0j1

Anyway they may be French (or Italian) stencils.

https://www.ebay.nl/itm/174172685652

I tend to think that if the SN has 4 digits and is vertical it is an Italian made Santoni (this one on ebay looks like one of those)

 

[whaler]

They left that behind on purpose.

 

[Tranechaser]

Junk

 

[rzzzzz]

"Beep Beep!"

 

[JayeLID]

Junk

Absolutely not 'junk' if it is one which is commonly considered a "Malerne stencil" (note Milandro's earlier post - as to the question of how "Malerne" IS a Malerne stencil, vs. it being Santoni ...who likely was a parts source for many European factories).

Anyways, without photos to tell us what it looks like (hint, hint)...and whether Alto or Tenor....hard to say for sure.

BUT, given it was FREE....and whether Santoni or Malerne it is a well-made and good sounding instrument...and assuming it is not in abused condition....it deserves better than a wall-hanger fate. If an Alto worth perhaps $100 in project shape, if a Tenor perhaps $200-250....regardless.

 

[turf3]

Absolutely not 'junk' if it is one which is commonly considered a "Malerne stencil" (note Milandro's earlier post - as to the question of how "Malerne" IS a Malerne stencil, vs. it being Santoni ...who likely was a parts source for many European factories).

Anyways, without photos to tell us what it looks like (hint, hint)...and whether Alto or Tenor....hard to say for sure.

BUT, given it was FREE....and whether Santoni or Malerne it is a well-made and good sounding instrument...and assuming it is not in abused condition....it deserves better than a wall-hanger fate. If an Alto worth perhaps $100 in project shape, if a Tenor perhaps $200-250....regardless.

These kinds of instruments pose an interesting conundrum, especially when a non-player comes into the ownership of one.

Assuming it currently would need pads and corks and adjustment to be playable, its current market value is near zero. Once put into playable condition, its value will probably be lower than the cost of the work to do so. Yet, once it's in playable condition it is a perfectly functional instrument. For a player with repair skills, a free or near-free off brand horn like this can make a good backup or second instrument; a lot better than the el cheapo Chinese horns all over Ebay. (That's what my back up tenor is, a Mexi-Conn I repadded and regulated myself.)

It seems there ought to be - and maybe there are - organizations that could take things like this and make them usable as a charitable contribution, maybe taking a loss on the repair work, but offering poor kids a chance to play something of reasonable quality in good playing condition.

 

[Guto]

I have one of these Malerne tenors. Mine is stenciled to Evette Schaeffer, but looks exactly the same as on the pictures from Milandro. Note the tulip shaped key guards hole. Mine has a tulip engraved on the bell. I payed $300 for it a couple years ago in playing condition. It feels a little clunky but it does have a nice sound. My son has been using it at his school band.

 

[JayeLID]

These kinds of instruments pose an interesting conundrum, especially when a non-player comes into the ownership of one.

Assuming it currently would need pads and corks and adjustment to be playable, its current market value is near zero. Once put into playable condition, its value will probably be lower than the cost of the work to do so. Yet, once it's in playable condition it is a perfectly functional instrument. For a player with repair skills, a free or near-free off brand horn like this can make a good backup or second instrument; a lot better than the el cheapo Chinese horns all over Ebay. (That's what my back up tenor is, a Mexi-Conn I repadded and regulated myself.)

It seems there ought to be - and maybe there are - organizations that could take things like this and make them usable as a charitable contribution, maybe taking a loss on the repair work, but offering poor kids a chance to play something of reasonable quality in good playing condition.

Well...my biz apparently regularly takes a loss on the repair work, so I am halfway there :dazed:

But +1 to everything Turf said.

Basically, for either a player or non-player who wants to perhaps start (or give the horn to someone they know who wants to start)....in this situation I generally say....if the repair work can be kept to around $300, maybe $350 tops....have it repaired and you will have a respectable sax.
No not exactly lightning-quick in the key response, but that is balanced out by a truly beautiful tone and a very good, substantial, reliable build. And for a $300-350 investment, not a bad one (one can buy a model far, far worse for that $).

If the investment in it gets more than that, then one can argue as the owner of one, they can get $100-200 as-is....so, perhaps better to sell as-is and take that $ and put towards a different used horn.

 

[lostcircuits]

No not exactly lightning-quick in the key response, but that is balanced out by a truly beautiful tone and a very good, substantial, reliable build. And for a $300-350 investment, not a bad one (one can buy a model far, far worse for that $).

And who exactly can take advantage of a lightning-quick key response anyway? I mean, outside of this forum?
So the tone and the build quality by far outweigh the presumed lack of agility and I am sure Charlie Parker would have only smiled and play the hell out of it anyway

 

[Arundo Donax]

I have one of these Malerne tenors...

First time I've ever seen pearls on the key guards. Nice.

 

[Tranechaser]

Well...my biz apparently regularly takes a loss on the repair work, so I am halfway there :dazed:

But +1 to everything Turf said.

Basically, for either a player or non-player who wants to perhaps start (or give the horn to someone they know who wants to start)....in this situation I generally say....if the repair work can be kept to around $300, maybe $350 tops....have it repaired and you will have a respectable sax.
No not exactly lightning-quick in the key response, but that is balanced out by a truly beautiful tone and a very good, substantial, reliable build. And for a $300-350 investment, not a bad one (one can buy a model far, far worse for that $).

If the investment in it gets more than that, then one can argue as the owner of one, they can get $100-200 as-is....so, perhaps better to sell as-is and take that $ and put towards a different used horn.

So it needs more $$ in work than it's worth, meaning it has a negative value. It's junk.

 

[JayeLID]

So it needs more $$ in work than it's worth, meaning it has a negative value. It's junk.

Perhaps to those with very myopic views of things....and/or who fail to read others' posts thoroughly.

Because those who would have done so, would have noted that the values I had noted were for 'project' horns. Therefore the statement "needs more work than it is worth"...is....incorrect. Because (as we know), it isn't a matter of "what it's worth" as a non-player, but rather what it'd be worth as a player.

As the market values of one in decent playing shape with no major 'issues' are around $250-350 Alto, $425-550 Tenor.

...Next ...one would have surmised that - as it HAS market value even as a project horn - 'junk' is not an accurate descriptor.

Ergo.....given this situation of a completely free horn (acquired for $0)...if one put $309.49 into an Alto, or $477.66 into a Tenor....and it became a respectably playing sax.....then they could +/- cover their investment should they decide to sell.

Which would lead the vast majority of people to the conclusion that...it is not a piece of junk.

 

[musekatcher]

First time I've ever seen pearls on the key guards. Nice.

My 50M has them. Similar era.

 

[milandro]

lots of horns have them

this is a Rampone & Cazzani made Kingsley de Luxe Professional

 

[turf3]

Well, to get it back to the actual question:

OP, what you've found is a saxophone of very modest value, even if it were in perfect playing condition which it almost certainly isn't. As a non-saxophonist, you probably want it to go away. I think you have three realistic options: 1) Try to sell it on Craigslist for what you can get, which won't be much, and it'll probably be pretty irritating to deal with all the tire-kickers; 2) Give it to Goodwill; 3) Find an organization that takes musical instruments and fixes them up and donates them to children in need, whether in the US or other countries.

 

[JayeLID]

Well, to get it back to the actual question:

OP, what you've found is a saxophone of very modest value, even if it were in perfect playing condition which it almost certainly isn't. As a non-saxophonist, you probably want it to go away. I think you have three realistic options: 1) Try to sell it on Craigslist for what you can get, which won't be much, and it'll probably be pretty irritating to deal with all the tire-kickers; 2) Give it to Goodwill; 3) Find an organization that takes musical instruments and fixes them up and donates them to children in need, whether in the US or other countries.

or

4) Sell on eBay as "as-is condition" and provide many photographs. Better than C'list in that you get a wider audience and in fact these Malerne/Santoni stencils DO sell on eBay.
You would just have to pack it and ship, which isn't a big deal IMHO since on C'list you'd get only half what you'd get on eBay.
An alto in a case in a ship box weighs around 15 lbs, a Tenor in case in box around 22 (for shipping estimate purposes if you go that route).

Or...again, if you know of someone who wants to start playing, go get an estimate or two from a local instrument repair place (aka 'a tech') and see if they can bring it into playing shape for $300-ish....

 

[Tranechaser]

Perhaps to those with very myopic views of things....and/or who fail to read others' posts thoroughly.

Because those who would have done so, would have noted that the values I had noted were for 'project' horns. Therefore the statement "needs more work than it is worth"...is....incorrect. Because (as we know), it isn't a matter of "what it's worth" as a non-player, but rather what it'd be worth as a player.

As the market values of one in decent playing shape with no major 'issues' are around $250-350 Alto, $425-550 Tenor.

...Next ...one would have surmised that - as it HAS market value even as a project horn - 'junk' is not an accurate descriptor.

Ergo.....given this situation of a completely free horn (acquired for $0)...if one put $309.49 into an Alto, or $477.66 into a Tenor....and it became a respectably playing sax.....then they could +/- cover their investment should they decide to sell.

Which would lead the vast majority of people to the conclusion that...it is not a piece of junk.

It's not junk to everyone, but it is for my purposes.

Why do you always write in red or blue font?