[Wilfried]

I spotted an interesting silver plated tenor on ebay today:
The seller calls it a "Macter MY36IK", but looking at the engraving on the bell I realized this is cyrillic and thus transliterates into "Musik Master".
To me it looks very much like a Conn 10M, but can anyone fancy they delivered stencils to the USSR?
Maybe it is just a copy of a Conn 10M - I just noted the little pads on which the Mercedes star keyguard sits are not rhomboids, but circular on this horn.
Has anyone seen such a beast before?

cheers
Wilfried

 

[SAXISMYAXE]

I've never run across this particular named model, but would concur that it appears to be a rather close copy of the 10M design in nearly every detail, or as you mention, a possible Conn stencil export to the USSR.

Interesting.

 

[milandro]

can't believe that the relationship Between the U.S.A. and Russia was ever that good to allow sales of a stencil saxophone produced by Conn. Knowing fairly well the Russian industry, it was very likely a liberal COPY of a 10M, in all probability poorly executed.

The neck appears to have been pulled down

 

[Swampcabbage]

Even the bottom bow re-enforcement is a dead ringer.

 

[Dave dix]

No conn neck brace and i suspect its a copy
Dave

 

[AndyW]

note the "naked lady on a tractor" engraving....:shock:

 

[SAXISMYAXE]

note the "naked lady on a tractor" engraving....:shock:

....And she is "Strong like bull".

 

[Swampcabbage]

No conn neck brace and i suspect its a copy
Dave

The neck appears to be severly bent and I suspect any brace was removed. It's pretty close to be a copy. If that, it appears to be a good copy; rolled tone holes and the left oinky table appears to be dead on as well.

With the exception of that neck it looks everything like a 10m to me.

 

[brucemacdonald]

can't believe that the relationship Between the U.S.A. and Russia was ever that good to allow sales of a stencil saxophone produced by Conn. Knowing fairly well the Russian industry, it was very likely a liberal COPY of a 10M, in all probability poorly executed.

The neck appears to have been pulled down

You would be surprised what was traded between the USA and USSR, especially during WWII (for example Bell P-39s, trucks and other military hardware). It seems logical to me that Conn saxophones would be included in any Lend-Lease agreement.

 

[milandro]

True enough of the period 1941 to 1945 during the WWII not that plausible for anything after 1945. At that time the choice of the communist planners was to source from friendly nations, in particular musical instruments came mostly from east-germany. Occasionally, some things ( such as typewriters) came from Italy and were paid exchanging goods such as cameras.

 

[xax]

My guess is that it's a Huller. For comparison I used a Hueller and a split bell Conn P-A New Wonder (essentially the same stack as a 10M, i think). My Huller, like the Macter looks nearly identical to a Conn 10M. On this Macter tenor, I can see 2 minor and one "major" difference. The first of the minor ones are what appear to be bone touches; the second is the size/shape of what i'll call the "G# trill bar"?...the piece on the F# key cup that holds the G cup closed. On the Macter it is "rectangular" while on Conns it is flat and sort of ...oval-ish? A rather more "major" difference I can see here is in the length of the side C cup arm. On the Conn it is quite a bit longer than on the Huller: say about 5 cm. on the Conn vs 3.5 cm on the Huller. It appears that on the Macter, they too are much shorter than those on Conns.

FWIW. In the eBay auction, the Macter included a vintage HR Huller mpc.

 

[daigle65]

Could be a Mark VI-Leninist.

 

[Reedsplinter]

note the "naked lady on a tractor" engraving....:shock:

Carl! This horn was meant for YOU, man!

 

[mattiasNYC]

Could be a Mark VI-Leninist.

 

[ChuBerry47]

Yes it is, take a look at the key guard. I have even seen conn stencils with rolled one holes, maybe not Russian. I believe there was one recently that had a naked man engraving, not sure if that was one.

 

[Sigmund451]

I am very suspicious. I dont believe it is a stensel at all. Regardless of the look the quality (or lack therof) did not likely come out of the Conn shop.

 

[xax]

hey ChuJerry47, Hueller probably made thousands of horns with the Conn "Benz" style low "C" keyguard. They are not Conn stencils. Check out these photos for one example. http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=68777

 

[BlackBeatSax]

It's NOT Russian product. 100%. Engraving was changed by the master, who may be only repair the horn, you know. It may be Huller horn or may be even Conn original horn! And it is evident, that this sax was shipped into owr country from eastern europe during the WWII...

 

[xax]

It's NOT Russian product. 100%. Engraving was changed by the master, who may be only repair the horn, you know. It may be Huller horn or may be even Conn original horn! And it is evident, that this sax was shipped into owr country from eastern europe during the WWII...

Hey BlackBeatSax,
Is this one a Russian product?...

 

[TruMusique]

Hey BlackBeatSax,
Is this one a Russian product?...

Wow that's a real good photoshop or some interesting stencil. Look at that USSR symbol instead of a naked lady !!