[hotsax]

Can someone give me some info on these horns? The student models especially, looks very similiar to YTS 23 but has no indication of Vito, which I believed once was a sister company to Yamaha and made the LeBlanc line of horns, but this horn just reads LeBlanc not LeBlanc by Vito.
Same horn or different horn ? Anyone with this knowledge please respond.

 

[DaveKessler]

Can someone give me some info on these horns? The student models especially, looks very similiar to YTS 23 but has no indication of Vito, which I believed once was a sister company to Yamaha and made the LeBlanc line of horns, but this horn just reads LeBlanc not LeBlanc by Vito.
Same horn or different horn ? Anyone with this knowledge please respond.

I am assuming this is not a new horn? Does it say where in the world it was made (Paris, Germany, Japan, Taiwan)?

I havent seen one in a long time. Vito has been the main LeBlanc student horn for a long time. Currently, Vito horns are made by Yamaha. There was a time when they were made by Jupiter.

My best guess is that the LeBlanc was the better end model prior to becoming the US distributor for Yanagisawa at which point, they stopped using the LeBlanc name for saxes. This is just a guess though.

 

[Lomar Manx]

The Leblanc horns are made by Beaugenier (sp?) in France, which is a wholly owned subsdidary of Leblanc and has been for many years. At one time or another, Vito horns have been made there, as well as by Yamaha and Yanigasawa. I believe the current alto and tenor are made at the Vito plant in Kenosha, Wisconsin. VitoPascucci obtained the stock of the Leblanc family a few years ago and now owns the company, which is run by his son, Leon Pascucci.

 

[markieg]

Vito Pascucci bio
http://www.geocities.com/harrir/saxophone/vito.html

LeBlanc history on their website
http://www.gleblanc.com/History/index.htm

Might shed some light. I believe my Vito was built in Paris, but I don't know for sure. It's probably from the early 1950's. Check it out at:
http://www.angelfire.com/freak/dafrootloop/vs_pics.html

 

[Pete]

The Vitos that are stencils of the Yamaha YAS-25 (the Asian version of Yamaha's student model) are definitely marked "Made in Japan". I think these horns were only made in the late 1980's and 1990's.

The Beaugnier and Leblanc-assembled models are definitely labelled "Made in France".

The USA-made horns are labelled, "Kenosha, Wisconsin".

You're essentially asking to encapsulate 50+ years of Vito manufacture in a one-sentence explanation, and that can't happen. I can say that the Beaugnier-made horns (and I think that this is only one or two models -- they had switchable articulated G# keys) are very nice, as are the horns with the Leblanc-system key layout.

I've not heard of Jupiter or German-made Vitos, but I'm not gonna discount that statement, either.

 

[Lomar Manx]

Vito Pascucci told me about five years ago that Beaugenier, Yamaha i(n the 80's), Yanigasawa (bari and soprano only), and of course the Kenosha made horns. I think they outsource the baritone now from an Asian manufacturer. I'll see Dave Suber (Sales Manager and unoffical company historian) next week at the WSC and try to find out more.

 

[singlereed]

The proper Leblanc French made horns (which often had the Vito model name on them) are mostly top quality pro horns made up to about 1970, not to be confused with the Japanese ones which as outlined above are student horns.

 

[markieg]

But saxpics, if you look at mine, there is no stamp other than the serial number. No manufacture date, location, patent, just 1483A and the engraving on the bell. Rather confusing.

 

[frobig]

Current production Vitos split up into two categories: Stencilled Yamaha 23 series horns, including the bari, and Taiwanese horns, from which factory I don't know. If the horn says Leblanc, I'd bet it was made for a foreign market and is in fact Yamaha product. The Yamaha Vitos come from Yamaha in pieces and are assembled by Leblanc in Kenosha, while the Taiwanese ones come assembled. If you go to Leblanc's website, you'll see that there's one other Vito alto listed, and the site says it's made in the USA. Well, I don't think they ever sold any of these, but they were honestly pretty close to bringing back an American-made Vito. There are bits and pieces of them all over Kenosha.
I've personally seen two Yani-made Vito baris, and Two French Vito baris, one of which said Noblet above or below the Vito logo. The other one was pretty weird--double articulated low C key, in other words two keys over two tone holes, operated by one touchpiece--and both of the French baris tuned very badly.

 

[rsperson]

e-bay Noblet by G LeBlanc

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2367847388

Should I stay away or are these OK?

Thanks

 

[smitty]

Hey, wow! Finally found some fellow Leblanc/Vito sax enthusiasts. I own a 1953 Beaugnier made alto. It is gorgeous, has the strange g# key and is has a big bore. I have posted some info on saxquest in their forums. In my opinion, (painstakingly accrued over 15 yrs of researching), French made Vitos, Leblancs of any vintage are awesome, and underappreciated horns. Yanagisawa also made vitos (not just Bari's) throughout the 60's. You can tell the Yana made horns by the inside bell keys as well as having the strange g# key. Most of the newer ones are of inferior quality and are not much of an investment, but any of the older ones (Yana made or Beaugnier made) are a good investment from the point of view that they are stout, rugged pro horns and will keep on ticking after the cheeper chinese, japanese and even american made horns have long since been put to rest in the scrap heep.

 

[jazzpup]

Hi there, just trying to figure out approximate year of my vito alto made in france with the word "special" on the bell, and "duke" below the serial #. It is SN 19598, any ideas on year of manufacture? It plays beautifully....really want to know more info...
thanks.
jazzpup

 

[mosplace]

Well, I have this theory, that the serial number is the year and the month. So I would guess yours was made 1959 in August (8). But that is only my personal theory. It has been definetly build before the late 60s since the factory was shot down than sometimes.

 

[The A Train]

I doubt that..unless they only made one horn a month, you would have alot of saxes that shared the same serial number

 

[mosplace]

Yeah, you are proboably right. But they didn´t build many saxophones at all.
I don´t have another hint. There is no way to get the serial numbers. I don´t understand, why Leblanc/Vito makes such a big deal out of these serial numbers.

 

[tinpalaceroach]

i own a French Vito tenor "Duke" number#19319 so is it a 1931 september?

 

[frobig]

Don't know why it slipped my mind earlier...Leblanc is phasing out the Vito name except for a couple of models of Bb soprano clarinets. Everything that used to be a Vito is now a Leblanc USA. Probably didn't seem like they should put the whole thing on a horn that's stamped "Japan" like the Vito 7131 was. This is probably just the same as a late model Vito.

 

[frobig]

Oops--thought I was posting elsewhere.

 

[leonard c. Smith]

I recently bought a LeBlanc with a stamped serial # and made inTaiwan. Paid $400.00 no dents dings scratches, everything works . very clean . I am having a little difficulty with the octave key and g#. Also after playing for about an hour I start to squeak a bit. Have been playing about 6 Mos. I started back with an older model Conn 10M series. But very difficult to play. Did I scew up. I am using Rico Royale #2 hard rubber mouthpiece. I have experimented with toanl quality by using socks, mutes etc. Can U help me ?

 

[saintsday]

I recently bought a LeBlanc with a stamped serial # and made inTaiwan. Paid $400.00 no dents dings scratches, everything works . very clean . I am having a little difficulty with the octave key and g#. Also after playing for about an hour I start to squeak a bit. Have been playing about 6 Mos. I started back with an older model Conn 10M series. But very difficult to play. Did I scew up. I am using Rico Royale #2 hard rubber mouthpiece. I have experimented with toanl quality by using socks, mutes etc. Can U help me ?

Since you had a 10M, I'm assuming the LeBlanc is a tenor. The Taiwan horns are alleged to be Jupiters, and although they are not as desirable in the market as the Yamaha stencils, they can play nicely.
Since the squeaks don't start for an hour, you are likely just tiring your embouchure.
What is the problem with the octave and G#?