Should Have Kept

Things I Should Have Kept

 All of these examples tickled my ear for a special reason.

1955 PermaGold Plate SML, Revision D Tenor

These are superb tenors, made in France and rare as well. This one is in original gold plate that I will call 99%. The Rev D is very well respected and known for a uniquely special tone.  This sax has a nice engraving and I love the shiny vs matte look SML created in this original setup. super rare, thus the price. SML saxophones have a big Conn 10m like sound, but the This one was rebuilt, deserving the "The Sarge Special Rebuild"--Premium with larger resos (Resotech-gold ones!). Price included the deluxe rebuild! 🙂

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Wagner Slimline RAC 10 tenor

Aa really nice hard rubber piece. It arrived at an original small tip 5, so I sent it off to Bob Carpenter for a refacing. Tip @ 0.100" with a 22mm facing. This is now a Wagner 10 by size. Bob even highlighted the script to a better gold pop. It is a fantastic player! and proof when Bob says: "That Wagner was one of the nicest players I've seen in a while!". It has a mild warmth and very very nice focus to the sound, response is butter! It has a small rollover baffle and medium side walls. I compared this to several in Sarge's Collection (x3 others) and this one had the cleanest focus tone--THIS ONE WAS MY FAVORITE! I paired it with a alto, leather, rovner-like wrap.

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Steel Ebonite "Chester Hazlett", hard rubber tenor

Another rare mouthpiece listed, it was named after the saxophonist in the Whiteman Orchestra of the 30s and 40s.  Terrific material and good classic design...very similar to "The Woodwind Co." models...  Large chamber makes for a big vintage sound. But also more suitable for Concert Bands and jazz alike. Bob Carpenter just opened this one up to a easy blowing 0.090" with a 21mm facing length and inscribed the his "RAC 90-21" on the table(sign of Bob's heartfelt workmanship again). The crystallized yellow band IS original! sorry, no ligature.

This has a great mellowness to the tone and blows Outstandingly easy! I REALLY wanted to keep this one when I got it back from Bob.  It plays so much like my Tonalin 5 (that I use on most sound files) that it must be an Alto player's delight at that 0.090" tip.  = plays like butter!

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1947 King Super 20 Alto (Full Pearls)

This one was a WWS stock sax but was so nice that it earned a spot on "Our Finest" and this page also!  Serial #285,xxx  makes this near the beginning of the Super 20 line (started approx #272xxx). Serial Number indicates about 1947 manufacture in Cleveland, Ohio (not Eastlake).  Brass bell, Sterling Silver neck, with nickel keys / rods and brass key cups. These magnificent horns are well known for the huge sound and power that they bring to an ensemble, and the horns from this vintage are regarded by most as the finest saxes ever made.  Lacquer is definitely original, and darkened beautifully!!! with age and about 90% present, looks very nice, vintage.

The early ser# carries that better low C keyguard trait with three feet for screws too.  This Full Pearls model is the deluxe version and their prices now rival most Selmers.  Chadd almost kept this one for his personal stash but decided to let her go in the world after a Rebuild with some favorite upgrade options: Premium Step Up, Black Saxgourmet Roo pads, Resos: Seamless, flat, nickel plated... & Oversized to to give this sax even more swagger and kick! Plays like nothing else! I even added vintage King lock-washers to all the keyguard screws. This early model didn't originally have them.

  • SOLD to NY, USA, so long baby.
  • Item: WWS2S0.0S0.1101.1-0-1-11
  • I have an outstanding offer with the owner that if he ever wants to sell it, I want it back!
Before Photos:

 

Brilhart Personaline S9, Tenor

This is a SUPER RARE "S9", yeah I said NINE! ...in fantastic original condition. These early Brilharts really had amazing craftsmanship.  a great mellowness to the tone, a little bite, and blows outstandingly easy! I REALLY wanted to keep this one! The Original tip was @ 0.097". = plays like butter!

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Brilhart Personaline S9, Alto

This is a SUPER RARE "S9", yeah I said NINE! ...in fantastic original condition. These early Brilharts really had amazing craftsmanship.  a great mellowness to the tone, a little bite, and blows outstandingly easy! I REALLY wanted to keep this one! The Original tip was @ 0.090".  = plays like butter!

  • SOLD to Germany
  • Item: WWS00.0S0.911.2-2
  • I thought I made a Sound File, but I didn't find it easily. So if you find the file comparison on this one, I WANT TO HEAR IT AGAIN! Please, please email me with the Sound File link location.

 

1945 Buescher "Top Hat & Cane" Alto

ser # 306,44x, These are fantastic altos--well respected, great intonation, better than average ergos. This example is in fantastic condition, Original Lacquer 98.5%,and no resolders to mention. I only see three minor dents on the bow and the neck. That will all be taken care of in the rebuild. there is a chunk of wear on the bell lip interior--oddly. They maintain the Buescher warmed but have a bigger sound from their exponential bore and the big bell in the "400" series. Comes in original, red, Buescher case in great shape too, just some edges fraying in the stitching.  The original snap in system is intact, so I plan to do a complete "Original Buescher" style rebuild, with metal backed-press in pads and then snap in the original metal domes with natural cork throughout. This fantastic beauty will go for:

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Vintage Berg Larsen 110-0-M baritone

Here is one of the rarest of the bergs, a 1940s "very vintage duck bill" in stainless steel, AND a baritone. talk about rare! It even comes with the original brass lig with square screws and brass cap!!!, did i say Rare yet?! Tip measures as it should @ 0.105". Offset "M" of course. The table looks to have had that usual attention that flattened it out some; but you can still see the vertical denim closer up the rails on the facing.

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Berg Larsen 100-3-SMS "Very Vintage" 1940s Tenor

Although the script is super faint, I can see the "SMS" is offset. This is a hard rubber mouthpiece with a butt-kicking near original 0.097" tip size. mild refacing work by M. Spivic. Real fat tone, it's the vintage duckbill + bullet chamber model that would have had vertical denim.  It has THAT fat tone. Big body, loud treble with mids all at once.  Must blow lots to woo the crowd.  Comes with Berg ligature with flat round screws.

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Dave Guardala "DG", Studio Brecker Tenor:

From Sarge's Collection

***THE BEST MOUTHPIECE I HAVE EVER PLAYED!***

Technically this passed through WWS as Sarge's Collection... Yep, The Bomb right here. The handmade greatness, # 5432 with "DG" on the front. Original tip @ 0.112". although there is evidence of work in the baffle, I can almost guarantee that Sarge and Bob would never have touched it. That leads me to think that it happened in the handmade process to create the optimum smoothness because you can see how it ties in with the machine marks above and below it--silver plated. The sound is awesome; made to mimic King Curtis--Sarge's favorite--there is a high baffle and cutout. The Brecker handmade model screams! Very bright with strong power and depth, super free blowing. Comes with original ligature and a plastic DG cap. It is not a wonder that these will demand $1400-2500 regularly.

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Brancher C20 "Ebony" tropical wood alto

***Hooray! I got this one back in 8/2017! It now resides in Chadd's Collection.

This is a very interesting mouthpiece. It arrived not playing well and I found table errors that needed addressed. Originally offered in sizes 0.084 and 0.094, this one I refaced the tip to 0.098". Hey, Tenor players! It plays well with mild resistance on a 2.5 reed. I feel like the treble is not a big part of the sound. It has a big roundness to the tone. Talk between models credit this one as very dark and very warm compared to the hard rubber ones. I will admit to not being very familiar with these. I think the Ebony wood model only came in "L" (large) chambers. By comparison to other mouthpieces, I would label it more like a Medium across other brands. The metal ring on the shank is intact, and the gold color is clean and pretty. The metal ligature has gone missing but I will pair it with a leather, rovner-like wrap.  Considering that retail on this is $289.00, I think the reface and wrap ($15) ligature will make this a fast seller.

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King Super 20 "SilverSonic" Tenor

The most gorgeous Serial #406,xxx, Mfg in 1966, when King was owned by the H.N. White Company.  Features a Sterling Silver Bell, and Neck, Hard-Nickel Silver Rods, Individually Hand-Soldered Tone Holes. Rebuild by WWS in 2013 with a WWS Standard Rebuild but never played.

This was sold before it arrived! ... Cool story here. A client asked about one. I found the gorgeous one he asked about; and helped another client sell his baby (he was the original owner). Just a joy to help two friends get what they needed. I wanted to share the photos of this gorgeous one on the website.

  • SOLD 
  • Item #:WWS-consignment

 

1930 Gold Plate Selmer Super New Largebore Tenor Sax

Here is another beautiful sax I am the second owner (outside of the family). It is 99% original Gold Plate and in excellent condition. Serial #13k dates it to about 1930. Whatever the closest step is to 'MINT', this sax is it. The only silver I see showing through is on the octave thumb button. This is a special sax with a backstory: bought new and gigged with in the Ozzie Nelson Band of Rutger's University while the player used gig money to pay his way through school (too bad we can't do that anymore!).

This is very unique era for Selmer because the "SSS" for the Super lineage was not on most of the early saxes, and actually mostly only on altos vs the tenors. See: Saxpics.com for more reading pleasure. Goodson's reviews will put these as the first saxes to start sounding like the Selmers we think of today. Check the Sound File. You will hear the spread power of the early Selmer. The popular VI Sound is very warm, subtle and smoother.

It arrived with the original wood case in rough shape. I recommend keeping it with the sax but using another main one. On arrival the pads are tan with large, light-domed, metal resos (like 1940s-50s selmer) that may be original! I will fully rebuild this sax with my French Standard Rebuild but substitute in metal resos like it originally had; shine it up by hand, and sell it for the next loving home. Let's talk about cool resonators! Gold Resotechs??? It will go for:

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AFTER Photos:

 

1953 "The Martin Tenor" - "M&M"

Named after my "Martina", this is Mint Martina aka "M&M". Original lacquer, SOLD before arrival. Here's the scoop: a 99% MINT "The Martin Tenor" arrives in original condition (pads, corks and all). These are super hard to find and always in high demand. The serial numbers match on the Neck and Body #184k, the original sticker is intact to prove this! Original case is excellent to match, with keys, ...and I plan to sell her with the original mouthpiece, cap and, of course, the body end cap for the storage in the case. There is a dent underneath the neck, and I think 1-2 tiny pings. (being picky) They are subtle.  It is lined up to get a Special Rebuild, upgraded from our "French Standard"rebuild, It will get OVERSIZED Resotech Silver resos, Black Roo pads. AND I had to pay a fortune for her, also had plans to stash her here for myself; however, I'm selling her to a local friend to ensure that once he's done, this stunning beauty will return to WWS:

  • I sold this to a good friend ...knowing that I get first dibs at it down the road.
  • Item#:WWS1S6.S00.691.4-6-14
  • .....WAIT a second....I might be getting this back very soon!

 

 


1965 Julius Keilwerth "Tone King Special" Tenor

The Tone King Special is very very close to the same keywork used/purchased later by Herbert Couf for the Couf Superba 1. This is a rare example in silver plate. It's basically a Superba 1. It has rolled tone holes, the "JK" tube stamp, solid sheet guards, plastic pants guard, and the larger pearls (like Couf) that we see today on newer JKs. Serial number #53k matches on the neck and body. YES - high F# on this model.

  • SOLD to Greg W., in Florida, USA
  • Item#:WWS1S7.5S0.00.12041.9-C60
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