What sax is this?
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Hello and welcome to SOTW. The search engine is your friend. You’ll find it in the middle of the page in the top header. You’ve been here a week and started seven new threads on subjects that already have gobs of existing information. Using the search engine you will find existing threads that will answer most of your questions. If not post on an older thread instead of starting a new one Please.
You will find lots of information on your king in the king section.
King (HN White)
www.saxontheweb.net
here is a good site to also learn more.
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i have one of these - a lousey horn even by vintage 20.s standards. but i love the soprano early king
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I have one also. it’s at the bottom of list to get refreshed. #76xxx / 1925. Seller stated in was 18” and a SOP…..not😤. Couldn’t return it. Although I did get a heavy discount.
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thats too bad. mine is also at the bottom of the list also lol. it was given to me so i cant complain but its still a lousey horn
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I am gonna be the fly in the ointment here....I actually don't think these splitbell 20's kings are 'lousy' horns.
They have that online rep, but I have given the whole nine yards to a couple of Altos in my time, and a good six or so Tenors....and they came out and performed quite OK, even the altos. The Tenors actually performed surprisingly well.
Sweet sound, a bit flexy in intonation, ergos not dissimilar from other 20's splitbells. Built like tanks.
I mean, I will not disagree that the later Voll True's are better, that is when King began dialing in their Altos. I will also not disagree that if someone had the choice of spending some servicing money and had Altos of a Conn NW, Truetone w/G# roller, or this....they'd be wiser to spend it on the Conn or Boosh.
But if one happens to already own oneand they acquired it for almost nothing... and it's just collecting dust or is being played but definitely needs some work...I'd say investing $300 into it isn't dumb, just to get it closer to it's full potential and see how it fits you.
Will never have any market value, really...maybe $400 tops in recently-serviced-play-shape and the silver all cleaned and polished up.
They have that online rep, but I have given the whole nine yards to a couple of Altos in my time, and a good six or so Tenors....and they came out and performed quite OK, even the altos. The Tenors actually performed surprisingly well.
Sweet sound, a bit flexy in intonation, ergos not dissimilar from other 20's splitbells. Built like tanks.
I mean, I will not disagree that the later Voll True's are better, that is when King began dialing in their Altos. I will also not disagree that if someone had the choice of spending some servicing money and had Altos of a Conn NW, Truetone w/G# roller, or this....they'd be wiser to spend it on the Conn or Boosh.
But if one happens to already own oneand they acquired it for almost nothing... and it's just collecting dust or is being played but definitely needs some work...I'd say investing $300 into it isn't dumb, just to get it closer to it's full potential and see how it fits you.
Will never have any market value, really...maybe $400 tops in recently-serviced-play-shape and the silver all cleaned and polished up.
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14,641 Posts
I also have one - a '25 alto - a gift from someone in my extended family. It was her Mom's. It has a weird finish sorta gold in color yet I don't think it is gold-plate. It came with a C-Albert clarinet (a "Triomphe-Paris") which belonged to her grandfather.
The alto is a decent player - lacks some "edge" in the tone because it doesn't have reflectors on the pads (my opinion). Mine isn't lousy, just mediocre. If it was the only alto I had, I could live with it. DAVE
The alto is a decent player - lacks some "edge" in the tone because it doesn't have reflectors on the pads (my opinion). Mine isn't lousy, just mediocre. If it was the only alto I had, I could live with it. DAVE
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2,102 Posts
I have one of these also, in a lacquered finish, ser. 106700. I haven't played it in years but I recall it having a sweet tone but in bad need of an overhaul. When I took it to my tech about 15 years ago he just shook his head and told me I should consider making a lamp out of it. Basically, the OH cost doesn't justify the value. I've been thinking about donating it to a charity that provides instruments to the underprivileged, but I think it might still get tossed because of it's poor condition.
www.saxpics.com
www.saxpics.com
King Serial Number Chart :: SaxPics.com
The King "King" :: SaxPics.com
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There is an upside. It’s a 100% original as it left the factory. Including the mouthpiece and ligature. It didn’t get played very much. I could probably get by with a COA and make it play.
@Reet McVouty @JayeLID @Dave Dolson
I have 4 Conns, 2 Martin, 1 Hohner President, 3 Holton’s and 2 Bueschers to service. I don’t think the King is going to the front of the line. Still I have no doubt they’re playable instruments. If they didn’t perform halfway decent they would not have stayed in business so many years.
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i find the quality of this first gen king to be inferiour to the comparable conn-buescher and martin .
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I actually respectfully disagree....as far as key mechanics, design, general fabrication quality, and tonality....they are a pretty common 20's horn. The pre-G#roller TT's are nothing to write home about, for example, and the NW I's and earlier, sorta the same - Matt Stohrer has done a nice video on the significant improvements which occurred between the NWI and II s far as key castings and mechanics.
The two qualities which people tend to mention most -one mentioned above already, is the slight lack of edge to the core tone and also a bit more of a flexy-ness in intonation. The former I can see, the latter has not been my impression however, they seem no more flexy in intonation than any other American model of the era, to me.
True, nobody is gonna go out and buy one, probably...but if one happens to fall into someone's lap....they aren't just wall-hangers. A little investment can actually result in a decent enough horn in the end, IMHO.
The two qualities which people tend to mention most -one mentioned above already, is the slight lack of edge to the core tone and also a bit more of a flexy-ness in intonation. The former I can see, the latter has not been my impression however, they seem no more flexy in intonation than any other American model of the era, to me.
True, nobody is gonna go out and buy one, probably...but if one happens to fall into someone's lap....they aren't just wall-hangers. A little investment can actually result in a decent enough horn in the end, IMHO.
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until you change that font color you remain on my ignore list
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Maybe something a little more blues like💁♂️
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Your loss, JayeLID is a valued contributor.
I do agree that his preferred color isn't the easiest to read. But his content is often worth the effort.
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I only use SOTW mobile in dark mode, orange on black isnt that bad, much better than blue or green would be.
OP if you're just playing for fun nothing mentioned here really matters, some of the most fun saxophones I've played are from the 1920s with antiquated keywork. If you want to be a pro, maybe keep it as a keepsake from a family member.
OP if you're just playing for fun nothing mentioned here really matters, some of the most fun saxophones I've played are from the 1920s with antiquated keywork. If you want to be a pro, maybe keep it as a keepsake from a family member.
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