Holton 1922 ‘Revelation’ Eb Alto, Silver #33k (Archived)

Frank Holton 1922 'Revelation' Alto

Price: SOLD

Year: 1922-25
Make: Frank Holton
Model: Revelation

Status: SOLD
Finish: Original Silver
Serial Number: 33,662

(On Consignment - As is sale, medium repairs will be recommended for full enjoyment)

A creative player's fun & collector's joy - The Frank Holton Company operated in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, USA. The serial numbers on the Holton saxes can be misleading online. For dating, I had to dig up publications, bell key location, trill key history, and neck cork inventions... This sax features uses for G# trill & Eb3 trill/D2.

FINISH: Original silver plate, in excellent 90%+ condition

SOUND: expected at: rich, sweet, vintage, ...

RESEARCH NOTES: The Revelation model was hard to track down as serial numbers and photos are scarce. I dug up some publications from 1915 and 1924(credit to Saxophone.org and the donated documents from Saxquest and Selmer-Conn Inc). You'll find the split bell keys and the trill keys even featured from 1915 catalogs. The added bit of research and changes into the next model, Rudy Wiedoeft (RW) built from ~1925(1927?) through 1932, brings the low C1 additional venting key and left side bell keys specifically, along with a few other small key shape changes. There was also the added tunable-mouthpiece with sliding pipe and screw on the Revelation. I believe this sax's part went missing. Here's one of the best links to the neck RW model at only Ser# 34,780, right after this sax.

CASE: Currently in hard case(1960s?) that may need some smell treatments.

Publication from 1915

Publication from 1924

A silver satin Alto sax, "Finish D" had a cash price(no payments) of $140.00 in 1924. Put that into some inflation calculators and I have that in '22 dollars of $2,200-2,800. Right in line(or cheaper!) with quality saxophones today.

Publication from 1925

Although titled "The New Revelation", I'm not sure I want to add another model variation - it make me think of the Buescher Aristocrat line but they had several changes for each.