[saxman202]

Hi everyone
Am a new member and first time on the forum for me. Looking for help !

I Have inherited a silver tenor sax from a friend but cannot, dispite weeks of trailing the internet, identify it.

It is a sliver tenor with a serial number 8982 below the thumbrest(there are no letters). There is a crest on the bell - P CARABOTT VALETTA MALTA. but no other markings on it anywhere.(I think that this is the shop who sold it) I have sent pictures all around the net and been told it could be a conn 10M, a 1930 Rampone Bb, a buescher true tone and a stencil of all three !
The sax stands about 29 1/2 inches with the crook removed. It has mercedes benz symbol style key guards and white pearl keys with black rollers.

The pads are similar to buescher, brown and held in with a little screw and resonator.

The sax case is black with a green velvet lining.

I have pictures that I can gladly send by e mail for a better look if you can send me a non sotw e mail address. (will not allow attachments)

Thanks guys

 

[Saxland]

Have you checked out saxpics.com? There are pictures of most pro saxes there. The mercedes benz key guard suggests a conn stencil, or an Italian copy of a conn sax pre 1930 from what I have seen.

 

[stitch]

It is a sliver tenor with a serial number 8982 below the thumbrest(there are no letters).

No letters mean it's very unlikely to be a Conn stencil.

It has mercedes benz symbol style key guards

The Merc keyguard is often found on older European saxes, which is more likely as it came from a Maltese distributor.

The pads are similar to buescher, brown and held in with a little screw and resonator.

Pads held in by screws (flute style) are rare on a sax, so may be an indicator of the maker. I think there was a discussion about it a while ago, but I don't remember the conclusion (if any) - a search might turn it up.

As Saxland said: check out saxpics and concentrate on older European horns. If you can post pictures in this thread too it would help.

 

[Dave dix]

Definately european made. Possibly huller but thats a guess
Dave

 

[Saxland]

I rememberered something else, the sax I saw a few years ago was a conn bari copy made in Italy. At least it said made in Italy on. It was a 1920's Conn design. Worldwidesax.com had an identical one for sale a few years ago. They probbably still have pictures of theirs to compare to yours.

 

[sbornemann]

I believe I read a post on SotW a while ago stating Conn parts were shipped to Italy for assembly after WWII as part of the Marshall Plan to get the European economy going. That could explain the European / Conn hybrid look.

 

[Pete]

The owner actually sent me some pics.

* It's really a nice looking horn.
* It's actually got three or four Mercedes-Benz-logo keyguards (M-B-L). It's definitely not a Conn.
* While the M-B-L keyguards are found on some GH Huller horns, this horn doesn't have the Huller bell-to-body brace and the keywork just looks ... too clean ... to be GH Huller. Possibly FX Huller, but while I have SOME experience with GH Huller horns, I have practically no experience with FX Huller.
* It's a split-bell-key horn with a front altissimo F, G# trill and forked Eb with straight tone holes. From this, I think mid-20's.

I told saxman that I have no reason not to think that this isn't made in Italy and no reason to think it's not a Rampone (the age, at least, would fit).

 

[Pete]

I believe I read a post on SotW a while ago stating Conn parts were shipped to Italy for assembly after WWII as part of the Marshall Plan to get the European economy going. That could explain the European / Conn hybrid look.

Interesting, but wouldn't work in this case: too many details point to pre-WWII manufacture.

 

[saxman202]

Hi Guys
Thank you again for all your replys/threads, Have sent some of you Guys some pictures and look forward to your views.
Thanks for all your help with this one

Saxman 202

 

[xax]

Yeah Saxman202, I looked at these pics from the Huller or other German perspective and I doubt it...Looks more French to me. How about pre SML? Those "MB" keyguards with the bumper in the middle, remind me of some French horn...early Pierret?
And I have no experience with Italian horns so...