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SML Rev B & D comparison
Recently I acquired a second SML alto, a 'Revision B' as it's known. It's the older brother/sister to my beloved 'Revision D' and after extensive cleaning (it was black mostly and splattered with superglue) I thought I'd take some photos showing the pair side by side. The upper stack still needs to be cleaned properly.
Later I'll get out the measuring tape.
Here are the known/visible specs:
SML 'Revision D'
Stamped 'Strasser Marigaux'
Serial # 10xxx
1952?
Silverplate
'White' pearls
Rolled Tone Holes
Switchable Articulated G#
Adjustment screws
Non-adjustable buffers on bell key-guards
Movable Neck Tenon screw
Engraving on bell and clothes-guard
'SML' emblem on neck
SML 'Revision B'
Stamped 'Strasser Marigaux Lemaire' & 'Alliance' (on bell RH and Front)
Serial # 49xx
1942?
Silverplate
'Black' pearls
Rolled Tone Holes
Articulated G#
Adjustment screws
Rat-trap style keyguards except on F#
Non-adjustable buffers on bell key guards (which are on the RH side)
No clothes guard
Fixed Neck Tenon screw
Engraving on bell and bow
Different octave mechanism
Notable points:
The Rev. B's neck is very similar to the later Rev. D and Gold Medal style necks, with the brace and the octave key shape identical to the Rev. D.
I thought I'd try the B neck on my D but no dice it's at least 0.5mm smaller in diameter and the octave ring doesn't meet the mechanism - the angle and length is all wrong. See the photos.
Since the B needs new pads, some new springs and some swedging here and there I could only play from low C to high F and not without a lot of squeaks. Still it sounded a lot darker than my D. And fat! It's a lush, velvety tone with round low-end despite the leaks. My D is dark but with lots of edge by comparison. I really can't wait to take this beauty to my tech and get it back into proper playing state
The ergonomics of the LH platter are surprisingly comfy if not more comfortable than the Ds popular platter. The rest of the horn feels identical to the D.
Silverplate. The B seems to have thicker silverplate (only by microns, of course) because the wear down to brass must be around 5% whereas the D is 15% and yet visibly the B has many more scratches and plating abrasions. An abused closet horn? The upper and lower stacks show a decent amount of wear so I think the plating is just a bit more generous.
The RH thumbrest and strap-rings are in identical positions (too the left like the bell alignment)
Two-shots
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/top_rh_wide_small_zps51e9ac78.jpg
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/top_lh_wide_small_zps6ff72783.jpg
Rev. D RH side
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/top_rh_revd_upper_small_zps3f5e755f.jpg
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/top_rh_revd_lower_small_zps3eded79b.jpg
Rev. B RH side
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/top_rh_revb_upper_small_zpsca3f6612.jpg
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/top_rh_revb_lower_small_zps2119da83.jpg
Rev. D LH side
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/top_lh_revd_upper_small_zpsfb3b4239.jpg
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/top_lh_revd_lower_small_zps80080d6d.jpg
Rev. B LH side
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/top_lh_revb_upper_small_zps2278c29a.jpg
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/top_lh_revb_lower_small_zps9af3a572.jpg
Rev. D Neck
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/neck_revd_lh_small_zps93751396.jpg
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/neck_revd_front_small_zpsf6b7cfd6.jpg
Rev. B Neck
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/neck_revb_lh_small_zpsb1898bcb.jpg
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/neck_revb_front_small_zps6456e128.jpg
Rev. D Serial stamp & clothes guard
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/revd_serial_small_pixelated_zpsa20cbbe5.jpg
Rev. B Serial Stamp
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/revb_serial_small_pixelated_zps4f114b7b.jpg
Rev. D bell stamp/engraving
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/bell_revd_rh_small_zpsf950dd3a.jpg
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/bell_revd_front_small_zps6658fb22.jpg
Rev. B bell stamp/engraving
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/bell_revb_lh_small_zps38ecf70f.jpg
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/bell_revb_front_small_zpsb3417746.jpg
:mrgreen:
Recently I acquired a second SML alto, a 'Revision B' as it's known. It's the older brother/sister to my beloved 'Revision D' and after extensive cleaning (it was black mostly and splattered with superglue) I thought I'd take some photos showing the pair side by side. The upper stack still needs to be cleaned properly.
Later I'll get out the measuring tape.
Here are the known/visible specs:
SML 'Revision D'
Stamped 'Strasser Marigaux'
Serial # 10xxx
1952?
Silverplate
'White' pearls
Rolled Tone Holes
Switchable Articulated G#
Adjustment screws
Non-adjustable buffers on bell key-guards
Movable Neck Tenon screw
Engraving on bell and clothes-guard
'SML' emblem on neck
SML 'Revision B'
Stamped 'Strasser Marigaux Lemaire' & 'Alliance' (on bell RH and Front)
Serial # 49xx
1942?
Silverplate
'Black' pearls
Rolled Tone Holes
Articulated G#
Adjustment screws
Rat-trap style keyguards except on F#
Non-adjustable buffers on bell key guards (which are on the RH side)
No clothes guard
Fixed Neck Tenon screw
Engraving on bell and bow
Different octave mechanism
Notable points:
The Rev. B's neck is very similar to the later Rev. D and Gold Medal style necks, with the brace and the octave key shape identical to the Rev. D.
I thought I'd try the B neck on my D but no dice it's at least 0.5mm smaller in diameter and the octave ring doesn't meet the mechanism - the angle and length is all wrong. See the photos.
Since the B needs new pads, some new springs and some swedging here and there I could only play from low C to high F and not without a lot of squeaks. Still it sounded a lot darker than my D. And fat! It's a lush, velvety tone with round low-end despite the leaks. My D is dark but with lots of edge by comparison. I really can't wait to take this beauty to my tech and get it back into proper playing state
The ergonomics of the LH platter are surprisingly comfy if not more comfortable than the Ds popular platter. The rest of the horn feels identical to the D.
Silverplate. The B seems to have thicker silverplate (only by microns, of course) because the wear down to brass must be around 5% whereas the D is 15% and yet visibly the B has many more scratches and plating abrasions. An abused closet horn? The upper and lower stacks show a decent amount of wear so I think the plating is just a bit more generous.
The RH thumbrest and strap-rings are in identical positions (too the left like the bell alignment)
Two-shots
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/top_rh_wide_small_zps51e9ac78.jpg
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/top_lh_wide_small_zps6ff72783.jpg
Rev. D RH side
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/top_rh_revd_upper_small_zps3f5e755f.jpg
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/top_rh_revd_lower_small_zps3eded79b.jpg
Rev. B RH side
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/top_rh_revb_upper_small_zpsca3f6612.jpg
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/top_rh_revb_lower_small_zps2119da83.jpg
Rev. D LH side
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/top_lh_revd_upper_small_zpsfb3b4239.jpg
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/top_lh_revd_lower_small_zps80080d6d.jpg
Rev. B LH side
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/top_lh_revb_upper_small_zps2278c29a.jpg
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/top_lh_revb_lower_small_zps9af3a572.jpg
Rev. D Neck
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/neck_revd_lh_small_zps93751396.jpg
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/neck_revd_front_small_zpsf6b7cfd6.jpg
Rev. B Neck
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/neck_revb_lh_small_zpsb1898bcb.jpg
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/neck_revb_front_small_zps6456e128.jpg
Rev. D Serial stamp & clothes guard
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/revd_serial_small_pixelated_zpsa20cbbe5.jpg
Rev. B Serial Stamp
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/revb_serial_small_pixelated_zps4f114b7b.jpg
Rev. D bell stamp/engraving
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/bell_revd_rh_small_zpsf950dd3a.jpg
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/bell_revd_front_small_zps6658fb22.jpg
Rev. B bell stamp/engraving
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/bell_revb_lh_small_zps38ecf70f.jpg
http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i333/dubrosa22/SML%20Rev%20B%20and%20D%20Comparison/bell_revb_front_small_zpsb3417746.jpg
:mrgreen: