Should Have Kept

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! 🙂

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!

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!

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:

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.

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.

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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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.