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This page updated May 11, 2012
MODERN FLUTES
ARTLEY “WILKINS MODEL” all sterling silver flute (silver keys also) has plateau keys, offset G, C foot, all new pads and corks, plays very well at A = 440 pitch. Serial number 220986 (1968). Extruded tone-holes, new case. Designed by Chicago Symphony Orchestra principal flutist Fred Wilkins, the instruments were marketed as an alternate to the flutes of W.S. Haynes and Vern Powell. Still considered excellent instruments by many musicians, the Wilkins Artleys were manufactured to high standards with superb workmanship and playing characteristics. This one’s recommended for a “best buy” price of $1395.
SUPERB BRANNEN COOPER 14K RED GOLD FLUTE, SILVER KEYS, BROEGGER MECHANIK 14K LIP,
The flute was constructed with inline G, and soldered tone-holes.
Head, body and foot are all 14K red gold; keywork is solid silver.
B foot with Gizmo for high C, in-line G, split E mechanism.
Sounding length is 632 mm (A = 442), Straubinger pads are still very good, do not leak and are in correct adjustment.
Embouchure measures 10.2 X 11.7 mm.
The leather-covered case is original and very good; the flute plays very well.
It’s an excellent flute that shows superb workmanship and tone-color. $19,700.
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William S. Haynes #24,33x (1953), hand-made, best model “Golden Age / pre Eastman Winds” flute. The solid silver tube measures .014 inches (body and head). The flute was constructed with inline G, and soldered tone-holes. Sounding length is 635 mm (A = 440) and the flute now has new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita.. Embouchure measures 10.1 X 12.2 mm. It’s a fine “fully hand-made” Haynes with French (open) keys and B foot. The leather-covered case is very good and the flute plays very well. It’s an excellent Haynes that shows superb workmanship and tone-color. New price from Haynes is now $11,400. This one’s a best buy at $5350.
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William S. Haynes #28,58x (1959). The solid silver tube measures .016 inches (body and head). It’s a “pre Eastman Winds” Haynes flute that was constructed with offset G and extruded tone-holes. Embouchure is slightly square and measures 10.2 X 12.2 mm. Sounding length is 601 mm (A = 440) and the flute has new pads and corks. It’s a fine extruded tone-hole Haynes, with Plateau keys and C foot. The original case is solid and the flute plays very well. Better than a new one, in our opinion. $2325. SOLD
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William S. Haynes #48,5xx (1988), hand-made, best model “Golden Age / pre Eastman Winds” flute. It’s one of the rare “Anniversary Model” flutes from Haynes, with 14K gold cartouche attached to the body. Body is also engraved “Deveau Scale”. The solid silver tube measures .014 inches (body and head). The flute was constructed with inline G, and soldered tone-holes. Sounding length is 633 mm (A = 442) and the flute now has new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita.. Embouchure measures 10.2 X 12.0 mm. It’s a fine “fully hand-made” Haynes with French (open) keys and B foot. The original leather-covered case is very good and the flute plays very well. It’s an excellent Haynes that shows superb workmanship and tone-color. New price from Haynes is now $11,450. It’s a “100% made in America” flute! This one’s a best buy at $6250.
SUPERB E.V. POWELL HANDMADE ALL-SILVER FLUTE, Although not well known today, the limited production full-handmade flutes by E. V. Powell were of the highest quality.
Musician and inventor E. V. Powell was the son of Verne Q. Powell, founder of the well-known Boston flute company that bears his name.
E. V. Powell's flutes were made in a small workshop in Vermont by a handful of artisan/craftsmen, some of whom were ex-Verne Powell Flute Company employees. Only 30 V. Q. Powell flute were ever produced, all in 1982. Legal action by the V. Q. Powell Flutes in Boston prevented the Powell name from being used on any flutes produced after the first 30.
The E. V. Powell flutes are all silver with full handmade construction, .014" body tube, and soldered tone holes. The small company pioneered silver soldering or brazing tone holes to the body of the flute, a difficult technique that results in a much more durable construction than lead-soldered tone holes on which the lead solder eventually hardens and deteriorates. Modern Verne Q. Powell flutes have brazed tone holes, but the technique was first developed for E. V. Powell flutes over 30 years ago!
Our E. V. Powell flute bears #25 and has French keywork (open holes), pointed French-style key arms, low B foot section, and in-line G.
Condition of the flute is all-original, pristine and immaculate, with no scratches, no damage ever.
A similar silver handmade flute from Powell, Haynes, or Brannen today has a price of over $11,000.
We think our rare E. V. Powell flute is a best buy at $4500. Our 24-month service warranty is included.
Verne Q. Powell #SIG-127x (2005), “Hand-made Signature” flute. The solid silver tube measures .016 inches (body and head). The flute was constructed with offset G, and extruded tone-holes. Embouchure measures 10.2 X 11.75 mm and the sounding length is 633 mm. Made to “Modern Powell Scale”, which is virtually the same as Cooper scale. New price from Powell is now $7340. All sections are stamped “MADE IN U.S.A.”. ALL pads and corks are new and the original wood case and leather case cover are in fine condition. Not Chinese, this one’s of high quality for a best buy price of $3250.
Carl Schreiber, no serial number, made about 1910. The body is of dark grenadilla. All pleateau (covered) keys are solid silver, with offset G and C foot. Sounding length is 604 mm (A = 435 / 438). Embouchure measures 10.2 X 12.2 mm. Not to be confused with the modern W. Schreiber firm that builds bassoons and other woodwinds, Carl Schreiber’s workshop was established in Markneukirchen in 1891 and existed until Fritz Mehnert bought it in 1929. Schreiber trained with the Moennigs in his home town, soon gained the reputation of being the finest flute maker in Germany. Workmanship is the absolute finest and the tone color of his wood flutes is full and dark, with an especially strong lower register. This particular instrument came to us from a professional player who’s recently made the decision to go back to his vintage Haynes. Top recommendation on this one. $4500.
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Some flute shops do quite a bit of “consignment” selling and that means many of their flutes are sold “as-is, needing repairs”. Our policy is, has been for more than four decades, to offer to our clients ONLY flutes that have been cleaned, dings burnished out, keywork swedged tight and with all new pads and corks. And with our two-year service guarantee, as well.
ALTO AND BASS FLUTES
Check with us on new Pearl, Emerson and Avanti-Brannen prices!
MODERN FLUTE HEAD SECTIONS
Michael Allen, London, all silver, .014 “ circa 2005. $950.
Brannen Brothers, Boston, all silver, .014“, circa 2005. $950.
Wm. S. Haynes, Boston, “pre-Eastman”, all silver, .014 “, never sold. $1150.
Wm. S. Haynes, Boston, “pre-Eastman”, silver, 14K riser .016 “, never sold. $1450.
Wm. S. Haynes, Boston, “pre-Eastman”, all silver, .016 “, Used. $650.
Wm. S. Haynes, Boston, “pre-Eastman”, all silver, .016 “, Used. $650.
Dana Sheridan hand-cut, Boston/Cologne. All silver. 014”. New. $1350.
Dana Sheridan hand-cut, Boston/Cologne. Silver, 14K riser. New. $1575.
Dana Sheridan hand-cut, Boston/Cologne. Silver, 14K riser & lip. New. $2500.
Verne Q. Powell “pre-Wasser”, all silver (c. 1950 ?). Used. $950.
ANTIQUE FLUTES, and/or non Boehm keywork.
Superb conical flute, before 1830, ebony with ivory mountes, stamped on each joint “Baumann / a Paris”. Five silver keys, hallmarked and stamped with maker’s initials. The flute plays well (head all the way in) at 435 pitch, the embouchure measures 9.6 X X 11.1 mm, is original and slightly oval. Sounding length is 541 mm, total length 613 mm. No cracks, tuning barrel, superb player. $6850
Very good rosewood flute from Buffet-Crampon (Paris), circa 1880. Five solid silver keys, no tuning head, with silver mounts to the tenons and sockets. Embouchure measures 9.4 X 11.1 mm. Very good condition, with original leather-covered case, complete with locking mechanism and key, plus original cork-grease pot. Sounding length is 545 and the flute plays very well at A = 440, with the head pushed all the way in. Good example, superb workmanship, quite original. $1690.
Fine rosewood flute from Buffet-Crampon (Paris). Serial number 37xM (made in 1899) stamped on middle joint. Five nickel-silver keys, tuning head, with nickel- silver mounts to the tenons and sockets. Embouchure measures 10.4 X 12.3 mm, is original and unaltered. Very good condition, without cracks or damage of any kind. Sounding length is 544 mm and the flute plays very well at A = 440, with the head pushed all the way in. Good example, superb workmanship, totally original. $1190.
Fine boxwood Clementi one-key flute., please email for more info.
Gautrot aine 5- key flute., please email for more info.
1862 ORIGINAL CLAIR GODFROY CONICAL FLUTE, FULLY RESTORED, SOLID SILVER KEYS, CONICAL WOOD FLUTE, CLAIR GODFROY, PARIS 1862. There's quite a bit of information on the internet about the Godfroy workshop. Do a search for the maker and you'll learn all sorts of things. Our flute bears the almost illegible serial number 846, which means it was built in 1862. If you have a look in the German book "Das goldene Zeitalter der Floete" (Karl Lenski & Karl Ventzke, pub. Moeck 1992), you'll find a flute that's virtually identical to ours. The Lenski/Ventzke flute has nickel keys. Our flute wears solid silver keywork. Embouchure measures 9.8 X 11.5 mm, sounding length is 585 mm. The flute plays well at 442 / 443 pitch. It's the fifth Godfroy conical Boehm-system flute we've had in our collection and I've got to say this one is the finest of this model we've seen. The flute has recently had all pads and corks replaced in our shop in Wichita. Over the past decades, our small company has sold more than five-hundred vintage French and pro-quality Boston flutes. We have a reputation for high quality repair and restoration work on instruments of this type. $9850.
Fine French flute from the workshop of Clair Godfroy aine, made in 1885. Five silver-plated keys, very good original condition, no tuning head, no cracks, no damage. Nickel-silver mounts to the tenons and sockets. Embouchure measures 9.7 X 10.3, is original and un-altered. Sounding length (D foot) is 544 mm. “Fourth stamp” engraving (see Langwill), but without “S.G.D.G.”, which puts it before 1855. Plays well at 435 pitch, with the head pushed all the way in. This is an unusually fine example, the original mahogany box is stamped “Clair Godfroy aine Brevete s.g.d.g, Rue Montmartre 55, a Paris”, and “12 Octobre, 1885. The flute plays very well. $2765.
Suberb French flute from the workshop of Clair Godfroy aine, before 1835. Eight silver keys, pristine original condition, tuning head. Silver mounts to the tenons and sockets. Each key with maker’s stamp plus French hallmark for solid silver. Embouchure measures 9.8 X 11.3, is original. Sounding length (B foot) is 587 mm. “Fourth stamp” engraving (see Langwill), serial number 4250 stamped on the tuning barrel. No cracks or damage, acquired by us with original pads and corks. Plays well at 435 / 438 pitch, with the head pushed all the way in. $5250.
Good boxwood flute from Goulding and Company (1786 – 1834 ) stamped “Goulding & Co. / London” on the head and “Goulding & Co. “ on the other three joints. One square and flat brass key. Embouchure measures 8.6 X 9.4 mm and has not been enlarged or altered. The wood and ivory are in good condition, without cracks or damage of any kind. Sounding length is 525 mm. The flute plays well at A = 435. $2450.
Mon Mueller (Lyon) 5- key rosewood flute., please email for more info.
Good boxwood flute made about 1800 – 1810 by James Wood stamped “Goulding/ Wood & Co. / Pall Mall / London” on the head and “Goulding / Wood & Co. “ on the other three joints. One square and flat brass key. Embouchure measures 8.4 X 9.5 mm and has not been enlarged or altered. The wood and ivory are in good condition, without cracks or damage of any kind. One original center joint with sounding length 535 mm, a second modern center with sounding length 556. The flute plays well at A = 433 / 435 or at A = 415. $2850.
Good boxwood and ivory conical flute by Martin Freres, maker’s mark stamped on each joint. Five brass keys mounted on posts and crescent plates. The flute plays well at A= 430 pitch, the embouchure measures 9.1 X 10.0 mm, is original and slightly oval. Sounding length is 541 mm. One older crack to the tuning barrel, but no other damage to the wood or to the ivory. $1650.
Boxwood flute by a member of the Metzler family, stamped “Metzler / London” on all four joints. One square and flat brass key. Embouchure measures 9.4 X 10..4 mm and has not been enlarged or altered. The wood and ivory are in good condition, but with an ancient crack to the top of the head joint. Sounding length is 526 mm. The flute plays well at A = 435. $1250.
A good French rosewood flute, circa 1850 – 1860 by Denis Noblet. Five nickel-silver keys, each joint stamped “D. Noblet / aine”. With the tuning barrel pushed all the way in, it plays well at A = 435 pitch. Embouchure measures 9.4 X 11.2 mm, somewhat oval in shape. It’s a rare early Noblet flute at a “best buy” price. $1200.
Modern boxwood 1 key flute by Roessler. please email for more info.
Fine and rare ebony flute with five nickel-silver keys, each joint engraved “Thibouville / Buffet / Paris “ . Keys are flat and round, mounted on modern key posts, each key fitted with flat steel springs. Mounts (tenon rings) are also nickel-silver. Lower two tenons have nickel-silver caps and each socket is nickel lined. The flute was made with tuning barrel and has not been cut or altered in any way. Total length is 634 mm and the sounding length is 548 mm. Embouchure is original, measures 9.8 X 11.5 mm. The flute plays very well at slightly below A = 440. New pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Made between 1857 and 1864, according to Langwill. $1075.
Superb boxwood flute from the French workshop of Jean Baptiste Tabard, made in Lyon before 1848. Ivory mounts to the boxwood, five well-made silver keys, tuning barrel. Embouchure is original and measures 8.9 X 10.3 mm. Small crack to the head socket. Sounding length is 536 mm. Plays very well at A = 442 pitch, with head section pulled 2 mm. Very fine original example, showing high quality workmanship. $2150.
unnamed French 5-key flute in the key of D. Please email for info.
unnamed boxwood flute, key of Eb, 4 brass keys. Please email for info.
VINTAGE AND COLLECTOR FLUTES WITH BOEHM KEYWORK
H. BETTONEY Flute, all sterling silver, Boehm plateau keywork to low C, made
in Boston about 1930. Like a "commercial" Haynes, only showing simpler
keywork. New pads & corks, plays well at 440. Serial #A464l. $1350.
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AUGUSTE BONNEVILLE (Paris), #1521, made about 1895-1900. Vintage French flute with all parts silver-plated over nickel alloy. Original plate to the body is good. The body is engraved with the maker’s name and with serial number, but the head is not. The embouchure plate measures 10.2 X 11.8 mm and is stamped with the maker’s initials. French keywork to low C, in-line G, new pads and corks. Sounding length is 601 mm, Case is original and good. It’s an early and good silver-plated Bonneville that plays well, in fine restored condition. $2850. SOLD.
AUGUSTE BONNEVILLE (Paris) #4423 (about 1900). Solid silver construction, very clean with no dents or damage.
All parts are original and un-altered, with original case. Seamed construction to the head, body and foot and with each section and
each key hallmarked with the French stamp for sterling silver. New pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Condition is nearly
perfect on this fine vintage Paris instrument. Embouchure measures 10.1 X 12.2 mm; sounding length is 602 mm. Bonneville flutes are
often in our collection, but this is an especially fine example. $6850. SOLD
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Rare solid silver flute from Buffet-Crampon (Paris), number 1074. Assuming Buffet used the same serial numbers for flutes as they did for clarinets, this fine instrument would date from 1928. Head is stamped “Buffet / Crampon & Cie / Paris / made in / France / LP”. Body stamp reads “made in / France / LP / Buffet / Crampon & Cie / 1074”. Foot stamp reads “Buffet / Crampon & Cie / made in / France LP”. Keywork is typical “plateau”, with offset G and range to low C. Tone-holes are soldered and all pad washers are original. Head section is of seamed silver construction, but the seam is not visible on the body or foot sections. Original sounding length is 604 and the head appears to have been shortened by four mm. Embouchure measures 10.3 X 11.8 mm, is quite square. French hallmarks for solid silver plus maker’s marks are stamped on all key pieces, on the center and foot sections. We measure the tube thickness at .012 inches. It’s a rare French flute that plays very well indeed. $3500.
AN ORIGINAL ANTIQUE FLUTE FROM THE BUFFET-CRAMPON WORKSHOPS, MADE IN PARIS IN 1901.
It’s a superb French flute from the Buffet’s Paris workshops with solid silver Boehm-system keywork.
The head joint is of dark rosewood and is stamped “Buffet / Crampon et. Cie / a Paris “ inside their logo. Total length of the head is 136 mm
and the embouchure measures 10.5 X 12.5 mm, slightly oval. The lip side of the embouchure wears an original solid silver plate.
The body wears the same stamp as does the head, plus Buffet’s serial number P181L.
Total length of the flute, fully assembled, is 679 mm.
Sounding length, center of embouchure to the end of the foot, is 608 mm.
The Fifth edition of the Grove Dictionary has a good report on 19th. century pitch. From this and other sources, we know that French flute makers
built flutes at all sorts of different pitches. In 1859, the French government recommended the so-called Diapason Normale at A = 435. But in that
same year, many Parisian orchestras, including the Opera, were using A = 448.
From Lenski and Ventzke’s excellent 1992 volume Das goldene Zeitalter der Floete, we read that the 1876 “Vorgeschlagene Standardstimmung Bruessel”
or “the recommended standard pitch in Brussels” was A = 432.
And so it is with our superb Buffet flute. An A = 440 cylindrical Boehm-system flute with C foot has a sounding length of 600 or 601 mm. Our flute
is 7 or 8 mm longer and that means you cannot use it in an ensemble that tunes at 440, especially not at 442. And even a group using the old pre-1900
French normal pitch of 435 with find this flute a bit low in pitch.
That doesn’t mean our flute is a beautiful door-stop, though. A musician performing with an original instrument ensemble doing mid 1900 century pieces
and tuning to 430 or 432 will find this flute absolutely perfect. Yes, we recognize that our flute was NOT built in 1850, but the tone-color and pitch
are more atuned to the mid 19th. century than to modern performance.
The wood on the instrument is in good condition, with the normal small expansion crack to the head socket. That crack has been repaired in our shop and
is now stable and almost invisible.
The flute has recently had all pads and corks replaced in our shop in Wichita. Over the past decades, our small company has sold more than two-hundred
vintage French flutes. We have a reputation for high quality repair and restoration work on instruments of this type.
$4500.
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1862 ORIGINAL CLAIR GODFROY CONICAL FLUTE, FULLY RESTORED, SOLID SILVER KEYS,
There's quite a bit of information on the internet about the Godfroy workshop. Do a search for the maker and you'll learn all sorts of things.
Our flute bears the almost illegible serial number 846, which means it was built in 1862.
If you have a look in the German book "Das goldene Zeitalter der Floete" (Karl Lenski & Karl Ventzke, pub. Moeck 1992), you'll find a flute that's virtually identical to ours. The Lenski/Ventzke flute has nickel keys. Our flute wears solid silver keywork.
Embouchure measures 9.8 X 11.5 mm, sounding length is 585 mm. The flute plays well at 442 / 443 pitch.
It's the fifth Godfroy conical Boehm-system flute we've had in our collection and I've got to say this one is the finest of this model we've seen.
The flute has recently had all pads and corks replaced in our shop in Wichita. Over the past decades, our small company has sold more than five-hundred vintage French and pro-quality Boston flutes. We have a reputation for high quality repair and restoration work on instruments of this type. $9850
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GEORGES LEBLANC Flute (Paris and La Couture), made in France about 1935. The head, body and all keys are of silver plated
nickel-silver alloy. Tone-holes are soldered and the French keywork is to low B. The G key is half offset. The tube measures .015 inches
and the original embouchure measures 10.5 X 11.5 mm. The head section is engraved “G. LeBlanc, Paris” with LeBlanc’s ornate logo. The same
engraving is found on the body of the flute and number 2081 is stamped on the rib for the C key. The foot is not engraved, has “D” stamped on
the rib, between the C and B tone-hole. The total sounding length is 634 mm (A = 440 - 441) and the flute shows high quality workmanship throughout.
The original leather case is stamped “G. Leblanc” with Paris address. Aside from a small worn spot to the silver plate by the right hand thumb area,
the instrument is pristine. It wears new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita.
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DJALMA JULLIOT (La Couture), made in France in 1920. The head, body, foot and all keys are of silver plated nickel-silver alloy. Tone-holes are soldered and the French keywork is to low C. The G is half offset. Tube measures .015 inches and the slightly square original embouchure measures exactly 10.0 X 12.0 mm. The head, body and foot are all engraved “1920, Djalma Julliot, La Couture-Boussey (Eure), Brevete, S.G.D.G.”. Total sounding length is 600 mm and the flute plays well at A = 440 pitch. The head has not been cut shorter or altered and the instrument has not been “re-tuned”. $2150.
LeBRET (Paris), made about 1930, after the LeBret workshops were sold to Malerne. Soldered tone-holes, silver plated body, head, foot and all keywork. Everthing is very original, no wear to the silver plate and a small square embouchure that measures 10 x 12 mm. This is a good vintage French flute, fully restored and playable, but not for everybody. $1650.
ANTIQUE FLUTES FROM THE “STRADIVARIUS OF FLUTE MAKERS”
LOUIS LOT (Paris), #250x, made in 1878. All solid silver, seamed construction. Sounding length is 603 mm, the embouchure is original and 10.0 x 11.7 mm. The head has not been cut shorter, the embouchure has not been enlarged. All pad spuds and washers are original, the case is original and close to being perfect. Never “re-tuned”, now with new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Seamed tube construction. Superb and clean 1878 Lot silver flute showing NO wear to the keywork. Tube thickness is .014 inch. There are no repair patches nor thin spots to the tube. Keywork actually shows no wear at all, with very sharp key-arms and pad-cups. The flute appears to have been played very little in the past 134 years. The flute has recently had all pads and corks replaced in our shop in Wichita. Over the past decades, our small company has sold more than two-hundred vintage French flutes. We have a reputation for high quality repair and restoration work on instruments of this type. Having examined many Old French flutes over the past decades, we are confident that the body and foot section of the flute are indeed original and from the Louis Lot workshop. This particular flute plays easily to low C, has the “old French” tone-color. Please note that we may decline selling this particular instrument to any person whom we believe might want to “re-tune” it, cut it to pieces or use it for repair parts. We do not agree with “re-tuning”, re-positioning tone-holes or in cutting the tube or altering the keywork. Original Louis Lot flutes have become very rare and we believe it is ethically ill-advised to destroy them. $14,500. SOLD
LOUIS LOT (Paris), #281x, made in 1879/1880. All silver construction. Seamed construction, with two (only) French hallmarks and maker’s stamps to the metal. Embouchure is original, measures 10.2x11.7mm. Pad spuds are original, pads are new. Never altered or re-tuned, but the head has been shortened 3 mm, and the tuning ring has been moved upward the same. Sounding length is now 600/601mm, the tube thickness is .014 inches. The case is 19th century, almost certainly original. Keywork shows minimal wear, all steels, springs and hinge tubes are orignal. SOLD
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LOUIS LOT (Paris), #397x, made in 1883. All silver, seamed construction with maker’s marks and French hallmarks on each joint and on all keys. Sounding length is 601 mm, the embouchure is original and 10.0 x 12.0 mm. The head has not been shortened, the embouchure never enlarged. All pad spuds and washers are original, the case is 19th. century, probably original. Never “re-tuned”, now with new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Seamed tube construction. Superb and clean turn of the century Lot silver flute showing minimal wear to the keywork. Tube thickness is .0135 inch. $16,500. SOLD
LOUIS LOT (Paris), #7554, made in 1906. All silver, seamed construction with multiple maker’s marks and French hallmarks on each joint and on all keys. Sounding length is 601 mm, the embouchure is original and 10.0 x 12.0 mm. The head has been shortened four mm, the embouchure never enlarged. All pad spuds and washers are original, the case is 19th. century, probably not original. Never “re-tuned”, now with new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Seamed tube construction. Superb and clean turn of the century Lot silver flute showing minimal wear to the keywork. Tube thickness is .014 inch. $11,500. SOLD
LOUIS LOT (Paris), #9296, made in 1906. Silver plated over nickel alloy, seamed construction (visible on the small tenon). Sounding length is 599 mm, the embouchure is original and 10.0 x 12.1 mm. Embouchure is solid silver, stamped with maker’s mark and French hallmark. The embouchure never enlarged. All pad spuds and washers are original, the double case is early 20th. century, probably original. Never “re-tuned”, now with new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Very good player (the head tested on Lot #4566), clean late L. Lot flute showing minimal wear to the keywork, some plating wear to the open keys. Acquired by us with plating wear to the stacks, we’ve scheduled new silver plate to six keys to be completed in February. Small wear spot to the body, left thumb area. Tube thickness is .0135 inches. $6250.
L. LOT (Paris), #456x, made in 1888. Rare French flute, all silver,
seamed construction with maker’s marks and French hallmarks on each joint,
but not found on the keywork. Embouchure is original, measures exactly
10.0mm x 12.0mm. The head has never been shortened, the embouchure
never enlarged. All pad spuds are original, the case is newer.
Never altered or “re-tuned”, pristine and superb example of Lot’s work.
Sounding length is 598mm, tube thickness is .155 inch. The case is 19th century, probably not original. Not for sale at this time...
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LOUIS LOT (Paris), #535x, made in 1892. All silver, seamed construction with multiple maker’s marks and French hallmarks on each joint and on most keys. Sounding length is 604 mm, the embouchure is original and 10.1 x 11.9 mm. The head has not been shortened, the embouchure never enlarged. All pad spuds and washers are original, the case is original. Never “re-tuned”, now with new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. . Superb and clean early L. Lot silver flute showing minimal wear to the keywork. Tube thickness is .014 inch. SOLD
LOUIS LOT (Paris), #587x, made in 1895. All silver, seamed construction with multiple maker’s marks and French hallmarks. Plateau (covered) keywork to low C, in-line G. It’s a recent acquisition from an amateur musician who’s owned it since 1976. Some documentation is available that the flute was once the property of New York Philharmonic flutist John Wummer. SOLD
LOUIS LOT (Paris), #607X, made in 1896. All solid silver, seamed construction with multiple maker’s marks and French hallmarks. Sounding length is 600 mm, appears to not have been shortened. Embouchure is 10.0 X 11.9 mm. Pad spuds and washers are all original. Never “re-tuned”, by Dember 15 with new pads and corks. Tube thickness is .014, seamed silver. The case is original. Dorus G-sharp. Keywork shows minimal wear. SOLD
LOUIS LOT (Paris), #755x, made in 1906. All solid silver, seamed construction with multiple maker’s marks and French hallmarks on each joint and on all keys. Sounding length is 601 mm, the embouchure is original and 10.0 x 12.0 mm. The head has been shortened four mm, the embouchure never enlarged. All pad spuds and washers are original, the case is 19th. century, probably not original. Never “re-tuned”, now with new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Seamed tube construction. Superb and clean turn of the century Lot silver flute showing minimal wear to the keywork. Tube thickness is .014 inch. There are no patches nor thin spots to the tube. Keywork actually shows no wear at all, with very sharp key-arms and pad-cups. The flute appears to have been played very little in the past 104 years. The flute has recently had all pads and corks replaced in our shop in Wichita. Over the past decades, our small company has sold more than two-hundred vintage French flutes. We have a reputation for high quality repair and restoration work on instruments of this type. Having examined many Old French flutes over the past decades, we are confident that the body and foot section of the flute are indeed original and from the Louis Lot workshop. This particular flute plays easily to low C, has the “old French” tone-color. Please note that we may decline selling this particular instrument to any person whom we believe might want to “re-tune” it, cut it to pieces or use it for repair parts. Aside from the fact that the head has been clipped 3 mm, the instrument is in pristine original condition. We do not agree with “re-tuning”, re-positioning tone-holes or in cutting the tube or altering the keywork. Original Louis Lot flutes have become very rare and we believe it is ethically ill-advised to destroy them. $9500
LOUIS LOT (Paris), #915x, made in 1921. Plateau keywork to low C, in-line G. All solid sterling silver construction, with multiple maker’s marks and French hallmarks on each joint. Sounding length is 600 mm, the embouchure is original and 10.2 x 12.2 mm. The head appears to been shortened about 3 mm. Pad spuds and washers are modern “Boston” type, the case is 19th. century, probably original. Never “re-tuned” and a very good player. Superb and clean late L. Lot silver flute showing almost no wear to the keywork. Tube thickness is .014 inch. SOLD
LOUIS LOT (Paris), #929X, made in 1921. Silver plated over nickel alloy, seamed construction (visible on the small tenon). Sounding length is 599 mm, the embouchure is original and 10.0 x 12.1 mm. Embouchure is solid silver, stamped with maker’s mark and French hallmark. The embouchure never enlarged. All pad spuds and washers are original, the double case is early 20th. century, probably original. Never “re-tuned”, now with new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Very good player (the head tested on Lot #4566), clean late L. Lot flute showing minimal wear to the keywork, some plating wear to the open keys. Acquired by us with plating wear to the stacks, we’ve scheduled new silver plate to six keys to be completed in February. Small wear spot to the body, left thumb area. Tube thickness is .0135 inches. $6250.
SUPERB J.MOLLENHAUER (Fulda) FLUTE, the body and foot of grenadilla, head section silver plated with reform embouchure. All plateau (covered) keys, with offset G, split E mechanism and C foot. Sounding length is 593 mm (A = 444). Embouchure measures 9.1 X 10.8 mm. Number 4062x stamped on the body, just below the name and logo. Head section is engraved “Seidel” and appears to be the original Probably made in the late fifties or early sixties. Mollenhauer’s Fulda workshop stopped producing flutes in the 1990’s, now concentrates on bassoons. The original case is of real leather, in absolutely mint condition. Not for everybody, but for those wanting a German flute of very high quality, this one gets our enthusiastic recommendation. European "hand to hand" delivery (Berlin, Frankfurt) is possible in late February / early March for no extra charge. Don't confuse "J. Mollenhauer, Fulda" with "Conrad Mollenhauer, Kassel". They're both good companies, but the latter is known more for modern recorders than anything else. Cousins...the internet has a good history of the family. And.... I spent about 30 minutes with the instrument on Feb. 8. It's really a FINE professinal-quality flute. Superb intonation, low notes not flat, nice full and liquid sound. If you want a modern Brannen / Haynes / Powell sound, this one's not for you. But it's perfect for trio-sonatas, Bach, original-instrument ensembles. Superb flute that I'd recommend to anybody. Don't be afraid of this one! $3250
C. MAHILLON (Brussels) a good conical ring-keyed Boehm-system flute from about 1890, no serial number, the body of dark rosewood, keys of nickel-silver. All pads and corks are new, the flute with ring keys except for plateau in-line G and first finger F key. Range is to low C. Embouchure measures 9.5 X 11.3 mm and the sounding length is 601 mm. The flute plays very well, with a small and sweet tone-color. Pitch is low, however, at A = 433 / 435. Case is from the early 20th century. Interesting flute that’s perfect for original instrument performance. This one’s $2500.
CLAUDE RIVE (Paris) #121X, circa 1910 (?). All silver construction with many French hallmarks, in-line G and C foot. It’s a superb flute, but it’s been played a bit. Embouchure measures 10.5 X 12.2 mm and the sounding length is 597 mm. The head appears to have been shortened about 4 mm. Acquired by us with six damaged (filed flat) pad cups, we’ve replaced the damaged cups with new silver parts from Haynes. Flutes from the Rive workshop are somewhat rare: we’ve had only four of them in the past decade. This one plays very well, with the clean vintage tone-color we expect of the best “old French”. SOLD
R. SIOUR-CHAPELAIN, Paris (circa 1925), silver plated over nickel-silver, plateau keywork, full hand-made construction with soldered tone-holes. Fine flute from the l920's. $1750.
VINTAGE HEAD SECTIONS
Djalma Julliot (LeCouture), circa 1920. Silver plate over nickel alloy. $650.
LeBret / Malerne (Paris), circa 1940. Silver plate over nickel alloy. $650.
Louis Lot (Paris) number 7456, silver, seamed construction, cut 6 mm. $2500.
USED OBOES
Superb professional quality oboe from the workshop of A. Santoni, made in Pare (Italy) about 1990. The instrument is stamped with serial number 14. Santoni’s miniscule workshop produced a small number of high-quality oboes and clarinets. Pare is located on the Swiss-Italian border, not too far from Como. Our oboe has come to us in pristine original condition, without cracks or damage of any kind. Third octave key, F-resonance and Left-hand F keys, B to C# articulated mechanism, ring key for third finger right hand. In short, it has all the keywork found on the best French “full conservatory” oboes. Highest recommendation on this one! $3350. sold
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SOME GOOD REBUILT BASSOONS
New Heckel Bocals: Yes, they're expensive, but they are the best! PLEASE CALL (price subject to change depending upon exchange rate)
Fine “made in America” bassoon from Fox Products Model 41, serial number 183x, made in the late 1960’s for C.G. Conn (Elkhart) and bearing Conn’s stamp. Originally designed by Chicago Symphony Orchestra bassoonist Hugo Fox, their model 41 was designed as a good student instrument that has high D, front Bb (boot) and additional Ab tone-hole. The body is of indestructible polypropylene plastic, the keywork nickel plated over nickel-silver alloy. Keywork is to high D, with rollers on the boot F and Ab keys . Plateau “short reach” key for third finger left hand. Nickel plate to the keywork is still very good, with no wear anywhere. All new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita plus new case. Suggested retail price from Fox is now $7595, with street price about $4500. With new case, two Fox C bocals and our 24 month service warranty. $2325.
Good bassoon from Fox Products Model 41, serial number 978x (1981). The body is of indestructible polypropylene plastic, the keywork nickel plated over nickel-silver alloy. Keywork is to high C, with rollers on F, Ab, Eb and Db keys. Plateau “short reach” key for third finger left hand. Nickel plate to the keywork is still good, with some speckling to the boot cap and some other keys. New pads and corks from our shop in Wichita plus new case. Suggested retail price from Fox is now $7595, with street price about $5,000. With two Fox C bocals and our 24 month service warranty. $2225. Add $235 for high D, if required.
Superb pro quality bassoon from Fox Products Model III, serial number 619x (1976). Originally designed by Chicago Symphony Orchestra bassoonist Hugo Fox, the model three was up-graded in 1970, has been in production every year since. The body is of indestructible polypropylene plastic, the keywork “stainless nickel” plated over nickel-silver alloy. Keywork is to high D, with rollers on F, Ab, Eb and Db keys. Ring key for third finger left hand. Nickel plate to the keywork is perfect, with no wear at all. New pads and corks from our shop in Wichita plus new case. Suggested retail price from Fox is now $9595, with street price about $6,700. With two Fox C bocals, plus our 24 month service warranty. Why buy a new one? $3550. SOLD
Superb pro quality bassoon from Fox Products Model II, serial number 643X (1977). Originally designed by Chicago Symphony Orchestra bassoonist Hugo Fox, the model I and model II bassoons were identical, except for high E on the model I. Both were “top of the line” at the time. has been in production every year since. The keywork on this one is nickel plated over nickel-silver alloy. Keywork is to high D, with rollers on the boot F, Ab, F# and long joint rollers on Eb and Db keys. Ring key for third finger left hand. For those who would like keywork to high E, this can be added by Fox for $350 extra. Nickel plate to the keywork is new and perfect, with absolutely no wear. New pads and corks from our shop in Wichita plus new case. Two new Fox CVX bocals on this one. Original dark red finish is worn maybe 2%. With two new Fox CVX bocals, plus our 24 month service warranty. It’s good model II from Fox that’s in superb original condition. New case on this one, as well! $8,450.
Superb pro quality bassoon from Fox Products Model II, serial number 842X (1979). Originally designed by Chicago Symphony Orchestra bassoonist Hugo Fox, the model I and model II bassoons were identical, except for high E on the model I. Both were “top of the line” at the time. has been in production every year since. The keywork on this one is silver plated over nickel-silver alloy. Keywork is to high D, with rollers on the boot F, Ab, F# and long joint rollers on Eb and Db keys. Ring key for third finger left hand. For those who would like keywork to high E, this can be added by Fox for $350 extra. Silver plate to the keywork is still very good, with almost no wear. New pads and corks from our shop in Wichita plus new case. Two new Fox CVX bocals on this one. Original dark red finish is worn maybe 2%. With two new Fox CVX bocals, plus our 24 month service warranty. It’s good model II from Fox that’s in superb original condition. New case on this one, as well! $9,850.
Rare German bassoon from the Wilhelm Heckel workshop in Biebrich, serial number 11,0XX, made in 1969. Sold by us 17 years ago to an amateur musician / collector in Bavaria, this superb instrument is now again in our inventory. Plateau keys for first & third finger LH + plateau for the first finger RH. Many extra features, including high D, high E, alternate Eb on the wing, articulated mechanism (one key touch) for the low D# / C#, extra low F touch (above thumb Bb) on the boot. Price includes copy of Heckel’s 1970 catalog, showing all the alternate fingerings and keys. Original varnish is worn less than 2%, the bassoon has metal bell-ring and comes with very good original case and two original Heckel bocals. Nickel plate to all the keywork and bocals. $38,500. SOLD
Rare German bassoon from the Reinhold Lange workshop in Biebrich, serial number 190x, made before 1930. Lange was a professional musician in Wiesbaden who worked, for a time, at the Heckel factory. He eventually hired several of Heckel’s employees and set up his own shop, just down the road from Heckel. The particular instrument has come to us in very good original condition, with a rich dark-red varnish (50% original), no cracks or damage to the wood and one pre-1930 bocal stamped “R. Lange / Wiesbaden / 01”. Keywork is “simple system Heckel” (with original high D) without whisper key, without E-F# trill on the wing and no ring-keys to the boot section. Original case is very good. Definitely not for everybody, but for those wanting the tone-color of a pre-war Heckel bassoon, but for a much lower price, this is one to consider. Lange died in 1905, the company was taken over by one of his workers who produced woodwind instruments until 1945. Rare vintage bassoon of very high quality. $5500.
Rare German bassoon from the Reinhold Lange workshop in Biebrich, serial number 293X, made before 1930. Lange was a professional musician in Wiesbaden who worked, for a time, at the Heckel factory. He eventually hired several of Heckel’s employees and set up his own shop, just down the road from Heckel. The particular instrument has come to us in superb original condition, with a rich dark-red varnish (99% original), no cracks or damage to the wood and two original bocals (one stamped “Lange”, the other without a stamp). Keywork is “simple system Heckel” (with original high D) and since it came to us without whisper key, we’ve had Bernd Moosmann fit a new whisper key to the bassoon. Original case is close to being pristine. Not for everybody, but for those wanting the tone-color of a pre-war Heckel bassoon, but for a much lower price, this is one to consider. Lange died in 1905, the company was taken over by one of his workers who produced woodwind instruments until 1945. Rare vintage bassoon of very high quality. $6500.
Good German bassoon bearing no name or maker’s mark, serial number 573x. 90% good original varnish, no breaks or cracks to the wood, keywork to high C, all new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. New case, two new bocals as well. With Email letter opinion from Bernd Moosmann ascribing the bassoon to Kohlert, a year or two after their 1947 move from Graslitz to Winnenden. Serial number 5738 would indicate Kohlert’s production date of 1949 or 1950. It’s a solid German instrument of quality, regretfully unstamped by the maker. $2150. SOLD
Good American bassoon by LESHER, Elkhart, IN, #77x (1965?). Since 1967, Lesher has been part of Conn-Selmer and this same model is in production, marketed as their "Selmer-USA model 132". Maple wood body, with original high D, alternate Eb trill on the wing, Ab-Bb trill on the boot joint. Nickel plated keywork is clean, showing almost no wear to the original plating. 100% all new pads and corks, the original varnish worn maybe 5% and touched up by our shop in Wichita. Water tubes to the wing joint, no wood rot to the boot and with two new Fox bocals and a new case. USA suggested retail price is now $7905, the one is only $2275.
Good German bassoon from Wenzel Schreiber, model S-54. Serial #9,12x (boot), serial #5013 (bell, wing and long joint). The instrument has 99% original varnish, no cracks or damage to the wood. Keys have perfect original nickel plate and all pads and corks are new. Price includes two new Fox bocals. With high C keywork. All tenons are original and have brass caps. Wing joint sockets are also brass lined. The wood has no cracks or damage. It wears new pads, of course, from our shop in Wichita. New case as well. This one’s a very good example, with a “best buy” price of $2450.
Vintage German bassoon made about 1970 by Gebrueder Moennig (Markneukirchen, Germany), serial number 13,600. The bassoon wears good original finish to the wood, has one original Moennig #2 bocal plus one new #1 bocal (Fox or Moennig) original high D and original good nickel plate to the keywork. Finger holes are hard rubber lined. All tenons are original. Rollers on A-flat, F-sharp and F-natural (boot) plus thumb F# (boot) and on D-sharp and C-sharp (long joint) plus the extended C-touch that we usually see on Moennig bassoons. Also with E-flat trill key on the wing. The case is new, all pads and corks are new, from our shop in Wichita. Very good and original example. It’s a good and original example from East Germany, before the wall came down. Moennig still makes a similar instrument, now with a street price in excess of $5500. This one’s $3250. SOLD
Vintage German bassoon made between 1955 and 1960 by Gebrueder Moennig (Markneukirchen, Germany), serial number 11029. The bassoon wears new finish to the wood, has original high D and original good silver plate to the keywork. There's an additional E-flat key on the wing and all finger-holes are ebonite or nickel-silver lined. Rollers on the front F-sharp, F and A-flat also on the back B-flat plus rollers on the C-sharp and D-sharp on the long joint. All tenons are original and the wing tenon wears an original nickel-silver cap. The case is new, all pads and corks are new, from our shop in Wichita. $2450. SOLD
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ALL BASSOONS (and other winds) sold by Wichita Band Instrument Company (new or used) come with our 24 month service warranty. We always, always replace all pads & corks and mechanically rebuild the instrument to "like new" specs. Bassoons are expensive and used instruments often represent good value. Why buy a new one?
MODERN AND VINTAGE PICCOLOS
A SUPERB VINTAGE WILLIAM S. HAYNES SILVER C PICCOLO. Sounding length is 262 mm, the head possibly shortened by 2 mm. The flute now has new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita.. Embouchure measures 9.1 X 10.7 mm. The picc has the good original case with it and plays very well. It’s a “Golden Age” Haynes that shows superb workmanship and tone-color. $2,450. SOLD
USED AND VINTAGE CLARINETS
BUFFET HISTORY
Founded in 1839 by Jean-Louis Buffet-Crampon, Buffet clarinets soon
became the choice of the majority of the world’s professional players.
By 1900, Buffet had a workforce of 200 craftsmen, producing clarinets,
flutes and saxophones, all of high quality.
Paul Evette and Ernest Schaeffer bought the firm in 1885. “Evette and Schaeffer” clarinets were the “step up” instruments from Buffet until about 1980. A public corporation since 1929, the company was absorbed into the Boosey-Hawkes conglomerate in 1981.
Instruments made between 1935 and 1980 are considered by many to be the very best of Buffet’s production. The American investor Martin Tolchin bought Buffet in the mid 1970’s. He was aware of the fact that not all clarinet players agreed on the tone-color of their instrument, so the “R-13” (“Arthur King”, we call them...) model was soon joined by the “Continentale”, the “S-1”, the “BC-20” and later the “RC”. All have subtle differences, all are considered to be “top of the line” equals. Before 1980, the Buffet name was only engraved on their best clarinets: the “step up” and student quality instruments were stamped “Evette & Schaeffer” or “Evette”. Today, the Buffet name and logo are engraved on the entire line of Buffet instruments, from the German-made plastic to their very best clarinets.
Wichita Band Instrument Company has sold new and used clarinets from Buffet-Crampon since the early 1950’s. Clarinets acquired by us are always crack-free, wear our new pads and corks and carry our two-year service warranty.
Buffet is now a part of the Boosey-Hawkes Musical Instrument Company of London.
Wichita Band’s clarinet warranty is the same as it’s been for more than
three decades: “All new and used clarinets sold by us come with our 24-month
service warranty, which is in addition to any factory warranties. For two
full years, we will repair or replace (whichever in our estimation is the
more advisable), any pads, corks, springs or other parts required, at no
charge to the customer. In the event of cracked or damaged wood sections,
we will repair at no cost to the customer or replace the section and charge
the customer only for our costs (wholesale) for the parts. The customer
is responsible for shipping costs. Cases and plating finishes are, unfortunately,
not covered by our warranty.”
SPECIAL BUY-Leblanc Double Clarinet CaseBrand new double clarinet case, made for Leblanc by Backun.
This French-style leather covered hard case features a zipper-equipped exterior vinyl case cover with shoulder strap, a smaller zipper accessories pocket on top, a shallower single-button equipped pocket on the back and velcro-latching handles.
The interior hard case features extremely attractive plush padding and a pair of latches.
Slightly more compact and lightweight, this would make a very fine case for the novice school student or busy professional player! $125.
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RECONDITIONED VINTAGE AND MODERN BUFFET-CRAMPON Bb CLARINETS
BUFFET-CRAMPON “model 13” B-flat clarinet #1P-220, made in France in 1901. It’s actually been played very little in the past century. Keywork shows minimal wear to the rings or hinge-tubes and the silver plate is new, as the instrument came to us with raw nickel-silver keys. No cracks to the wood, the tenons sharp. Pads & corks are new and from our shop in Wichita. It’s old, but an excellent instrument that shows top quality wood and workmanship. $1595.
BUFFET-CRAMPON "model 13" B-flat clarinet #1P-470, made in France in 1901. It's actually been played very little in the past century. Keywork shows minimal wear to the rings or hinge-tubes and the silver plate is new, as the instrument came to us with raw nickel-silver keys. No cracks to the wood, the tenons still sharp and not rounded. Pads & corks are new and from our shop in Wichita. It's old, but an excellent instrument that shows top quality wood and workmanship. $1595.
BUFFET-CRAMPON "model 13" B-flat clarinet #1R-20, made in France in 1902. It's actually been played very little in the past century. Keywork shows minimal wear to the rings or hinge-tubes and the silver plate is new, as the instrument came to us with raw nickel-silver keys. No cracks to the wood, the tenons sharp. Pads & corks are new and from our shop in Wichita. It's old, but an excellent instrument that shows top quality wood and workmanship. $1595.
BUFFET-CRAMPON “model 13” B-flat clarinet #V8X, made in France in 1905. Keywork shows very little wear to the rings or hinge-tubes and the silver plate is new, as the instrument came to us with raw nickel-silver keys. No cracks to the wood, the tenons sharp and not worn. Pads & corks are new and from our shop in Wichita. Case is new. This is the clarinet that made Buffet famous, with superb wood quality and a rich tone-color. $1595.
BUFFET-CRAMPON “model 13” B-flat clarinet #740-CI, made in France in 1909. Keywork shows very little wear to the rings or hinge-tubes and the silver plate is new, as the instrument came to us with raw nickel-silver keys. No cracks to the wood, the tenons sharp and not worn. Pads & corks are new and from our shop in Wichita. Case is new. This is the clarinet that made Buffet famous, with superb wood quality and a rich tone-color. $1595.
BUFFET-CRAMPON “model 13” B-flat clarinet #820GX, made in France in 1912. Keywork shows very little wear to the rings or hinge-tubes and the silver plate is new, as the instrument came to us with raw nickel-silver keys. No cracks to the wood, the tenons sharp and not worn. Pads & corks are new and from our shop in Wichita. Case is new. This is the clarinet that made Buffet famous, with superb wood quality and a rich tone-color. $1595.
BUFFET-CRAMPON model R-16 ¾ (same as R-13, but with “full Boehm” keywork), #40,86x, made in France in 1953. It’s a good and little-used example from Buffet’s “Golden Era”. Keywork shows minimal wear to the rings and hinge-tubes and the silver plate is new, as the instrument came to us with raw nickel-silver keys. No cracks to the wood, new pads & corks from our shop in Wichita. It’s the clarinet that made Buffet famous, with superb wood quality and a rich tone-color. This one has all the extra keywork, including low Eb: not for everybody but a superb clarinet for those who demand all the extra mechanism. $1995.
VINTAGE BUFFET-CRAMPON MODEL 4 1/2 BASS CLARINET, the top joint stamped with Buffet’s name and logo plus “professional”. Serial number 21219, made in France in 1968. It’s in very good original condition, range to low E-flat. No cracks to the wood, all new silver plate to the nickel-silver keywork. See Buffet’s 1965 catalog for details on all bass clarinet models. This one’s a very good player, now with all new pads and corks, no cracks to the dense and tight-grained wood. With new case and mouthpiece. Suggested retail price on a new one is now $13,625 with a long time of delivery. This one’s a mere $4950, in our opinion “better than a new one”.
BUFFET-CRAMPON model BC-20, #F75,82x made in France in 1963. Introduced in the mid 1960’s, the BC-20 was based on Buffet’s decision to manufacture several “top of the line” clarinets with tone-colors a little different from their standard R-13 model. At the time, the R-13 was reserved strictly for the US market, was not available outside America. The BC-20 was not a student instrument, but carried the same price as the R-13. Our clarinet shows minimal wear to the rings and hinge-tubes and the original SILVER plate is still very good. No cracks to the wood, new pads & corks from our shop in Wichita. Tenons are sharp, not worn or rounded off. This one came to us totally original. The price includes a new flat case from MTG. This one gets our top recommendation. $1495.
BUFFET-CRAMPON Bb clarinet, model R-13, #10579x, made in France in 1969. It’s an extra clean and superb little-used example from Buffet’s “Golden Era”. Keywork shows minimal wear to the rings and hinge-tubes. No cracks to the wood, new pads & corks from our shop in Wichita. It’s the clarinet that made Buffet famous, with superb wood quality and a rich tone-color. In our opinion, this particular clarinet is just about as fine an instrument as you’d find anywhere. New case, new tuning barrel. New plating to ring keys, G# and register key. Very good player from a very good year. $1945.
BUFFET-CRAMPON model R-13 B-flat clarinet, #130,83x, made in France in 1972. Very good original nickel plate to the keywork. no cracks to the wood, new pads & corks from our shop in Wichita. Tenons are still very sharp, which means the clarinet’s been played very little in the past 40 years. The original flat case is perfect and the price includes a new case cover. $2045.
BUFFET-CRAMPON Bb clarinet, model R-13, #150,92x, made in France in 1974. It’s an extra clean and superb little-used example from Buffet’s “Pre-Boosey Golden Era”. Nickel plated keywork shows NO wear to the rings and hinge-tubes. No cracks to the wood, all new pads & corks from our shop in Wichita. It’s the clarinet that made Buffet famous, with superb wood quality and a rich tone-color. In our opinion, this particular clarinet is just about as fine an instrument as you’d find anywhere. New suggested retail price is now $5205. Original case and case cover look almost new. Better than a new one! $2095.
BUFFET-CRAMPON model R-13 B-flat clarinet, #382,57x/ 382,54x, made in France in July, 1994. No cracks to the wood, new pads & corks from our shop in Wichita. Original nickel plated keys are perfect. No cracks anywhere. Original case is solid and good and we’ve put a new canvas case-cover with it. Retail price on a new one is now $5710, MAP on a new one is now $3426. Better than a new one, in our opinion. $1995.
BUFFET-CRAMPON model R-13 B-flat clarinet, #447,26x, made in France in 1998. No cracks to the wood, new pads & corks from our shop in Wichita. Tenons are sharp, not worn or rounded off. Original nickel plated keys are perfect. No cracks anywhere. Good new case is solid and good and we’ve put a new canvas case-cover with it. Price includes VanDoren B45 mouthpiece, as well. Retail price on a new one is now $5710, MAP on a new one is now $3426. Better than a new one, in our opinion. $2095.
BUFFET-CRAMPON model R-C B-flat clarinet, #474,51X, made in France in 1998 or 1999. The original silver plating is still very good, with no wear. No cracks to the wood, new pads & corks from our shop in Wichita. First and only previous owner was the professor at the Brussels Conservatory, who recently traded this one to us for a circa 1900 vintage Buffet clarinet. The price includes good original case plus a VanDoren B-45 mouthpiece. Buffet’s RC with silver keys now has a suggested retail price of $6110, minimum selling price of $3670. This one’s a fine example with a “best buy” price. $2295. SOLD
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BUFFET-CRAMPON “Master Model Evette E-12” B-flat clarinet #D2978x, made in France about 1975. No cracks anywhere to the wood; nickel plate to the keywork is good, with no wear at all. All pads / corks have been replaced in our shop in Wichita. This one’s a good example, has been used very little and comes with a new case and our recommendation. Buffet still makes a comparable instrument, with cheaper construction (plastic tone-holes, cheaper keywork and no bell ring). Their “model E-13” is the closest to the Master Model E-12, now with a suggested retail price of $3505, street price of about $2100. This one’s 100% French, “better than a new one”, in our opinion. $1365.
BUFFET-CRAMPON “Master Model Evette E-12” B-flat clarinet #D2307x, made in France about 1972. No cracks anywhere to the wood; nickel plate to the keywork is good but with some minor wear to the finish. All pads / corks have been replaced in our shop in Wichita. This one’s a good example, has been used very little and comes with a new case and our recommendation. Buffet still makes a comparable instrument, with cheaper construction (plastic tone-holes, cheaper keywork and no bell ring). Their “model E-13” is the closest to the Master Model E-12, now with a suggested retail price of $3505, street price of about $2100. This one’s100% French, “better than a new one”, in our opinion. $1165.
BUFFET-CRAMPON “Evette-Schaeffer E-13” B-flat clarinet #K18,48x, made in France in 1967. Nickel plate to the keywork is very good, with no wear spots anywhere, no cracks to the wood. All pads / corks have been replaced in our shop in Wichita. No cracks to the wood, the tenons still sharp. Buffet’s model E-13 clarinet, was one step down from their “top of the line” R-13. This one’s a good example, has been used very little and comes with good original case and our recommendation. Our E-13 is 100% French, better than a new one, in our opinion. $1295.
BUFFET-CRAMPON “Evette-Schaeffer E-13” B-flat clarinet #K2598x, made in France in 1970 / 1971. Nickel plate to the keywork is very good, with no wear spots anywhere, no cracks to the wood. All pads / corks have been replaced in our shop in Wichita. No cracks to the wood, the tenons still sharp. Buffet’s model E-13 clarinet, was one step down from their “top of the line” R-13. This one’s a good example, has been used very little and comes with a new case and our recommendation. Our E-13 is 100% French, better than a new one, in our opinion. $1295.
BUFFET-CRAMPON “Evette-Schaeffer E-13” B-flat clarinet #K290X, made in France about 1955. Keywork wears new silver plate and all pads / corks have been replaced in our shop in Wichita. No cracks to the wood, the tenons still sharp. Buffet’s model E-13 clarinet, was one step down from their “top of the line” R-13. This one’s a good example, has been used very little and comes with a new case and our recommendation. Today, ALL Buffet clarinets below their R-13 pro model are made in Germany or China. Our E-13 is 100% French. $1095.
BUFFET-CRAMPON Model E-11 B-flat clarinet #68227x, made in Germany in 2007. Keywork wears good silver plate and all pads / corks have been replaced in our shop in Wichita. No cracks to the wood, the tenons still sharp. This one’s a good example, has been used very little and comes with good case, Van Doren mouthpiece and our recommendation. New suggested retail price is now $1700. This one’s a mere $795.
BUFFET-CRAMPON model BC-20 #77,470, made in France in 1963. Introduced in the mid 1960's, the BC-20 was based on Buffet's decision to manufacture several "top of the line" clarinets with tone-colors a little different from their standard R-13 model. At the time, the R-13 was reserved strictly for the US market, was not available outside America. The BC-20 was not a student instrument, but carried the same price as the R-13. Our clarinet shows minimal wear to the rings and hinge-tubes and the original nickel plate is still very good. No cracks to the wood, new pads & corks from our shop in Wichita. Tenons are sharp, not worn or rounded off. This one came to us totally original. The price includes a new flat case from MTG. $1695. SOLD 01/07
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BUFFET-CRAMPON model S-1, #125,840 made in France in 1971. Introduced in the early 1970’s, the S-1 was based on Buffet’s decision to manufacture a clarinet with bore size and tone-color similar to their superb pre-WW-II instruments. The bore is slightly smaller, the sound a little brighter than a modern R-13, but everything else is identical. Buffet’s 1975 catalog reads “…Since the introduction of the S-1 and R-13 series, clarinetists throughout the world have had two distinctly different Buffet bores from which to choose…” The S-1 was not a student instrument, but carried the same price as the R-13. Our clarinet shows minimal wear to the rings and hinge-tubes and the original nickel plate is like new. No cracks to the wood, new pads & corks from our shop in Wichita. Tenons are sharp, not worn or rounded off. This one came to us totally original. The price includes a new flat case from MTG or the original 1971 case. This one gets our top recommendation. SOLD
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BUFFET-CRAMPON R-13 model B-flat clarinet, #202,190, made in 1980. This one's nearly perfect, has nickel plated keywork with minimal wear to the keys, 99% original plating. The clarinet comes with one 66 mm barrel, VanDoren mouthpiece and new MTG case. New pads and corks from our shop in Wichita, of course. No cracks anywhere! Suggested retail price on a new one is now $4597. This one's $1949. SOLD
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CABART A PARIS, good clarinet in the key of A, no serial number, made in France about 1930. No cracks or damage to the wood, superb workmanship and quality everywhere. This one has original nickel-silver keywork, new pads and corks from our shop and a solid original French double case. Since 1974, Cabart has been part of the F. Loree oboe workshops. This one’s $1095. SOLD
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Good French 5-piece metal clarinet from the Cabart (Paris) workshop, #8123, made about 1950?. The instrument has silver plated keys and body. 7 rings, articulated C#/G#, and forked Eb/Bb. New pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. $1350.
Rare clarinet in the key of C, made in Elkhart in 1923 by C. G. Conn, Ltd. Serial #C108210L. The instrument has come to us in nearly pristine condition, with normal seventeen key / six ring Boehm system keywork. It’s been played very little in the past 83 years, still even has the original guarantee letter with it. Body is of ebonite (“hard rubber”) and all pads & corks are new, from our shop in Wichita. The original case is perfect. Rare, good player, not expensive. $1150.
Good wood clarinet made in Elkhart in 1940 by C. G. Conn, Ltd. Serial #B293,28xL. It’s a semi-professional model 424N Conn, in grenadilla wood, with no cracks, no damage. The instrument has come to us in very good original condition, with normal seventeen key / six ring Boehm system keywork. Normal 64 mm barrel section, new case, new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Superb clarinet for Big Band or Dixieland. $850.
Rare clarinet made in Elkhart in 1942 by C. G. Conn, Ltd. Serial #B306,08xL. It’s a professional model 444N Conn, in granadilla wood, with no cracks, no damage. The instrument has come to us in very good original condition, with normal seventeen key / six ring Boehm system keywork. Normal 64 mm barrel section, new case, new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Superb clarinet for Big Band or Dixieland. $1350.
G.LeBlanc ”Noblet model 40” wood clarinet, MADE IN FRANCE. Serial number A2293x. No cracks to the wood, good original nickel plate to the keywork, new pads and corks, no cracks or damage. This one’s a best buy in a good French wood clarinet. Price includes VanDoren professional 5RV-Lyre mouthpiece that looks new. $785.
G.LEBLANC (Paris), #3380, made in France before 1950. It’s come to us in good original condition. New pads and corks, new silver plate to the nickel-alloy keys. No cracks, new pads and corks. Well known for the many “Noblet” clarinets sold to French and American musicians, this “LeBlanc” model would have been one of the very first “top of the line” instruments from them. $995.
G.LEBLANC (Paris), #3660, made in France before 1950. It’s come to us in good original condition and with standard keywork. New pads and corks, new silver plate to the nickel-alloy keys. No cracks, new pads and corks. Well known for the many “Noblet” clarinets sold to French and American musicians, this “LeBlanc” model would have been one of the very first “top of the line” instruments from them. $995.
G. LeBlanc (Paris) “L-70” professional Bb clarinet #3819x, made in France in 1973. Based on Leon LeBlanc’s so-called “double L” design, but with poly-cylindrical top joint that was designed to offer a similar tone-color to Buffet’s modern model R-13 clarinet. We measure the bore size at the top and the bottom of the upper joint at 14.70 mm. This one’s come to us in fine condition, nickel-plated keywork, no cracks to the wood, good new French case and with all new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Very good player, not unlike a modern R-13 Buffet. Recommended and not expensive! $1395.
LeBlanc / Noblet model 55 wood ALTO clarinet, #578x, made in France about 1965. No cracks to the wood, good original case, all new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Good player, virtually identical to LeBlanc’s model 420 alto clarinet, but with simplified register key / Bb key. This one’s $2150.
LeBlanc model 420 wood ALTO clarinet, #871x, made in France in the late 1960's. Very good nickel plate to the keywork, no cracks to the wood, new mouthpiece, new case, new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita, good original case, never any dents or damage to the neck or bell. Range is to low E-flat. It’s a very clean and original example, fully reconditioned by our shop. This one’s $2350.
LeBlanc-Vito model 7165 ALTO clarinet #669x, made in Wisconsin. Very good nickel plate to the keywork, new mouthpiece, new case, new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita, never any dents or damage to the neck or bell. Range is to low Eb. It's a very clean and original example, fully reconditioned by our shop. $985
LeBlanc-Noblet model 60 wood BASS clarinet, #776x, made in France about 1970. Very good nickel plate to the keywork, no cracks to the wood, new mouthpiece, new case, new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita, good original case, never any dents or damage to the neck or bell. Range is to low E-flat. It’s a very clean and original example, fully reconditioned by our shop. This one’s $2350.
G. LeBlanc model 340 metal BBb CONTRABASS clarinet, #85x, made in France in 1971. Range is to low D. It’s a clean and original example, fully reconditioned by our shop, all new pads and corks, 100% original nickel plate, no dents or dings and with new mouthpiece and solid original case. No longer in production in France, with promises from Elkhart for them to eventually again be built in America. Arguably the finest BBb contra ever made, this one’s $7650.
G. LEBLANC (Paris), model 400, #6790. Pro model BASS clarinet made about 35 years ago. New nickel plate to some keywork, new pads and corks from our own shop in Wichita. New mouthpiece. New retail price is now $8315. This is a good example, now fully restored, ready to play. No cracks anywhere, no dents or dings to the bell or neck and the case is in very good condition. Recommended! SOLD
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LeBlanc model 350 CONTRABASS in EE-flat clarinet, #42x, made in France about 1965. Everything is very original, minor dents and dings burnished out in our shop in Wichita plus new pads and corks from our shop. Range is to low C. It’s a very clean and original example, fully reconditioned by our shop, good original case, new mouthpiece. Time of delivery on a new instrument is “unknown”, said to be in excess of one year. SOLD
LeBlanc model 342 CONTRABASS in BB-flat clarinet, #101x, made in France about 1980. Everything is very original, minor dents and dings burnished out in our shop in Wichita plus new pads and corks from our shop. Range is to E-flat. It’s a very clean and original example, fully reconditioned by our shop. All new pads and corks, original good case and mouthpiece. This one is the “long and straight” LeBlanc B-flat contra, easier to keep in adjustment than the so-called “paper clip” model 340. SOLD
LeBlanc model 340 CONTRABASS in BB-flat clarinet, #67x, made in France about 1970. Everything is very original, minor dents and dings burnished out in our shop in Wichita plus new pads and corks from our shop. Range is to D. It’s a very clean and original example, fully reconditioned by our shop. Suggested retail price on a new one is now $15,025.00 with school bid price about $9200. Time of delivery on a new instrument is “unknown”, said to be in excess of one year. SOLD
H. SELMER (Paris) rare Bb clarinet, #950 (1927). Keywork is silver-plated over nickel alloy, standard 17 key and 6 ring keys. The BODY, BELL AND BARREL are of SOLID EBONY, not grenadilla. The case is French, from the 1950’s. Superb workmanship and playing characteristics, this is the instrument that made Selmer’s firm famous. “Pre Benny Goodman” model, we’d call it. This instrument does not come with Selmers manufacturer's warranty. $1495
H. SELMER (Paris) rare Bb clarinet, #4100 (1929). The chromatic
F#/C# key is silver plated, but all other keywork is solid silver!
Acquired by us missing a bell section, it now wears a new Selmer (Paris)
bell. Pads and corks are new, the clarinet is crack free and very
clean: no damage to the wood, the original barrel section never cut shorter,
the tenons still sharp and not “rounded off”. Pre-1930 Selmer clarinets
are often superb, play not unlike modern instruments and very much unlike
the later “big bore” instruments. This clarinet has normal Boehm
keywork and articulated C#/G#. Nice one! This instrument does
not come with Selmers manufacturer's warranty. $1150
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H. Selmer (Paris), Clarinet in the key of A, “Centered Tone” model, #Q548x (1957). It’s a fine Golden Era Selmer-Paris A-clarinet, with normal 17 / 6 keywork, no cracks to the wood, new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita and with new silver plated to the keywork. Bore size is a bit wider than modern Selmer or Buffet clarinets, the tone-color warmer and darker. Top recommendation on this one! $1850, with new double case.
H. Selmer (Paris), Series 9 clarinet, #U792x, made in Paris in 1966. Considered by some to the finest French clarinet ever produced by Selmer, this one’s come to us in superb original condition. Keywork is nickel plated, but showing no wear spots anywhere. Tenons are super sharp and the dense and straight-grained wood has no cracks, no damage anywhere. Original Royalite zipper case looks new. No cracks or damage, tenons still sharp. The instrument’s been played very little in the past four and one-half decades. Normal 17 key / 6 ring Boehm system keys. This one gets our top recommendation! $1375.
H. Selmer (Paris), Series 10G, #X970x (1973). Originally designed though the cooperation of Philadelphia Symphony principal clarinetist Anthony Gigliotti, this one’s a good modern Selmer produced to be similar in concept to Buffet’s R-13 model. Pads and corks are new, the clarinet is crack-free and clean. Original tenons are sharp, keywork shows minimal wear, with absolutely no wear to the silver plate. With new case. No cracks or damage, tenons still sharp. The instrument’s been played very little in the past four decades. Normal 17 key / 6 ring Boehm system keys, new case. $1350.
H. Selmer (Paris), E-flat SOPRANINO clarinet #X331x, made in France in 1973. The keywork is very clean with 100% original nickel plate finish and show minimal wear. Grenadilla wood body, no damage, no cracks. Solid original case and plus good Selmer French mouthpiece. Pads and corks are new, from our shop in Wichita. It’s a very good example, pretty much “like new”. Suggested retail price on a new Selmer sopranino is now $6,115 with a long time of delivery. This one’s $2750.
Selmer-USA B-flat bass clarinet, #7021X, made in the US about 1995. The keywork extends to low E-flat, the keys, neck and bell are nickel plate and show minimal wear. Indestructible plastic body, no damage anywhere. Original case is solid. New pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Suggested retail price on a new one is now $2075.00; MAP price on a new one is now $1649. This one’s “like new” for $1095.
H. Selmer (Paris), B-flat BASS clarinet #C4900, made in France in the early 1970’s. The keywork extends to low E-flat. The keys, neck and bell all have new nickel plate. Tuning neck and new VanDoren mouthpiece. Grenadilla wood body, no damage, no cracks, perfect. New case as well. Pads and corks are new, from our shop in Wichita. It’s a good example that’s come to us in very good original condition. Suggested retail price on a new Selmer bass is now $12,725 with an “unknown” time of delivery. This one’s $4350.
H. Selmer (Paris), B-flat BASS clarinet #D490x, made in France 1985 - 1990. The keywork extends to low E-flat. The keys, neck and bell are all with 100% original silver plate finish and show almost no wear. Tuning neck and new VanDoren mouthpiece. Grenadilla wood body, no damage, no cracks, perfect. New case as well. Pads and corks are new, from our shop in Wichita. It’s a good example that’s come to us in very good original condition. Suggested retail price on a new Selmer bass is now $12,725 with an “unknown” time of delivery. This one’s $4350.
H. Selmer (Paris), B-flat BASS clarinet #V528x, made in France in 1968. The keywork extends to low E-flat. The keys, neck and bell have good original nickel plate. Stack keys have new nickel plate. Tuning neck and new VanDoren mouthpiece. Grenadilla wood body, no damage, no cracks, perfect. New case as well. Pads and corks are new, from our shop in Wichita. It’s a good example that’s come to us in very good original condition. Suggested retail price on a new Selmer bass is now $12,725 with an “unknown” time of delivery. This one’s $4150.
Selmer Bundy ALTO clarinet #2680xx, made in Elkhart. Very good nickel plate to the keywork, new mouthpiece, new case, new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita, never any dents or damage to the neck or bell. Range is to low Eb. It's a very clean and original example, fully reconditioned by our shop. $985
Selmer-USA “Bundy model 1440” E-flat contra-alto clarinet, #426x, made in the US about 1985. The keywork extends to low E-flat, the keys, neck and bell are nickel plate and show minimal wear. Indestructible plastic body, no damage anywhere. Original case is solid. New pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Suggested retail price on a new one is now $3435.00; MAP price on a new one is now $2599. This one’s “like new” for $1795.
Selmer-USA E-flat contra-alto clarinet, #290x, made in the US about 1980. The keywork extends to low E-flat, the keys, neck and bell are nickel plate and show minimal wear. Indestructible plastic body, no damage anywhere. Original case is solid. New pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Suggested retail price on a new one is now $3435; MAP price on a new one is now $2599. This one’s “like new” for $1725.
Selmer-USA “Bundy model 1440” E-flat contra-alto clarinet, #674x, made in the US about 1985. The keywork extends to low E-flat, the keys, neck and bell are nickel plate and show minimal wear. Indestructible plastic body, no damage anywhere. Original case is solid. New pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Suggested retail price on a new one is now $3435.00; MAP price on a new one is now $2599. This one’s “like new” for $1725.
H. Selmer (Paris) E-flat contra-alto clarinet # V9970, made in France about 1970. The keywork extends to low E-flat, the keys, neck and bell are all nickel plated and show minimal wear. Rosewood body, no cracks or damage. Original case is solid and it’s furnished with a good Selmer (Paris) C-star mouthpiece. Pads and corks are new, from our shop in Wichita. It’s a very good example, pretty much “like new”. SOLD
H. Selmer (Paris), Eb CONTRA ALTO Clarinet, made in France, we're working with a school on a possible trade, hope to have another one of these available soon. Please email for info.
SML (Strasser-Marigaux-Lemaire) wood clarinet, “Lemaire” model, #34070, a good step-up clarinet, made in Paris in the early 1980’s. Mostly known for superb oboes and the “Gold Medal” saxes that were discontinued years ago, SML continues today to produce superb woodwind instruments. The “Lemaire” model was offered as their “mid range” instrument: below the top-of-the-line Marigaux and Strasser instruments, but better than the 5-Star and “Ebo-Tone” models. A few SML clarinets were imported into the US by the King Musical Instrument Company back in the eighties. They’re comparable with Buffet’s E-13 models and actually play very well. This one’s $895.
SML (Strasser-Marigaux-Lemaire) wood clarinet, “Lemaire” model, #34090, a good step-up clarinet, made in Paris in the early 1980’s. Mostly known for superb oboes and the “Gold Medal” saxes that were discontinued years ago, SML continues today to produce superb woodwind instruments. The “Lemaire” model was offered as their “mid range” instrument: below the top-of-the-line Marigaux and Strasser instruments, but better than the 5-Star and “Ebo-Tone” models. A few SML clarinets were imported into the US by the King Musical Instrument Company back in the eighties. They’re comparable with Buffet’s E-13 models and actually play very well. This one’s $895.
We often have a good selection of rebuilt clarinets in our warehouse. We’re particular about what we acquire and usually turn down instruments with excessive key wear or wood damage. Older clarinets often have better quality wood than new instruments, however. That means a rebuilt instrument that we’ve rebuilt can often be “better than new”.
Here’s what we do to all the used clarinets we sell:
The instrument is taken apart and everything washed clean. We don’t believe in chemical dips, but do use plenty of soap and water! All wood parts are inspected for checks and damage, polished and then soaked in oil for three days. After the body-shop work’s been completed, we swedge hinge-tubes tight again and re-fit to the clarinet body. Finally, pads and corks are replaced and the instrument play-tested. Most customers tell us that our clarinets are then actually “mechanically better than new”.
Wichita Band’s service warranty is the same as it’s been for more than thirty years:
“ALL new and all used instruments sold by Wichita Band Instrument Company come with our 24 month service warranty. It’s in addition to any factory guarantees. For two full years, we will repair or replace (whichever in our estimation is the more advisable), pads, corks, springs or other parts required, at no charge to the customer. In the event of cracked or damaged wood sections, we will repair at no cost to the customer or replace the section and charge the customer only for our net costs for the replacement section. Often, wood replacement parts are supplied from the manufacturer at no charge. The customer is responsible for shipping and insurance charges. Cases and plating finishes are not covered by our service warranty but are sometimes covered by factory guarantees.”
Wichita Band Instrument Company maintains a repair department capable of restoration work of the highest quality. Even though repairs are essentially “free” for the first two years, after that period has expired, we remain at your service to maintain and repair your musical equipment forever. It’s our “service after the sale” promise and has been since 1953!
ANTIQUE, ALBERT SYSTEM, OEHLER SYSTEM, METAL, AND OTHER ODD CLARINETS
Rare clarinet made in Elkhart in 1928 by C. G. Conn, Ltd. Serial #B216,220L. The instrument has come to us in very good original condition, with normal seventeen key / six ring Boehm system keywork. It’s been played very little in the past 78 years. Body is silver plated over nickel-silver alloy and all pads & corks are new, from our shop in Wichita. In 1928, this was Conn’s “Top of the Line” Clarinet. Five piece model, even the bell section screws off. Rare, good player. $1095.
Good American C.G. Conn, Ltd., "Albert System" clarinet, made in Elkhart in 1919, bearing the serial number B53498L. The body, bell and barrel are all of ebonite, the clarinet has 14 keys, five rings, four rollers. Original nickel-silver keys are tight and without wear, all pads and corks are new. The original case is in fine condition and the clarinet comes with the original Conn mouthpiece. Good player, not expensive at $945.
Rare boxwood clarinet in the key of A by Berthoud, 15 brass keys, ivory mounts, please email for more info...
Rare clarinet in the key of C, made in Elkhart in 1923 by C. G. Conn, Ltd. Serial #C108210L. The instrument has come to us in nearly pristine condition, with normal seventeen key / six ring Boehm system keywork. It’s been played very little in the past 83 years, still even has the original guarantee letter with it. Body is of ebonite (“hard rubber”) and all pads & corks are new, from our shop in Wichita. The original case is perfect. Rare, good player, not expensive. $1150.
Rare French C clarinet, faintly stamped “Daniel”. Dark rosewood body, thirteen nickel-silver “salt spoon” keys, two rings. Barrel and top joint are all one piece. No cracks to the wood, original mouthpiece. The name “Daniel” probably refers to the dealer who sold the clarinet rather than the maker. Perhaps from the Gautrot / Couesnon company, pre 1900. Good example, new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Perfect for Dixieland or Klezmer. $1050.
Good German clarinet from the workshop of G.H. Hueller in Schoeneck, the body of dark rosewood. 17 nickel-silver keys, six rings. Coiuld be called a “full Albert system”, but more accurately “Oehler system” clarinet. No cracks to the wood, all parts original. Maker’s stamp to bell, top and bottom joints, no stamp to the barrel or mouthpiece. Probably dates from the late 1930’s, plays very well at A = 440 pitch. $1050.
German clarinet from the workshop of Carl Kruspe, made in Erfurt about 1920. It’s come to us in good original condition, with unplated nickel-silver keywork, small surface crack to the top joint, banded and now invisible. We’ve replaced all pads and corks in our shop in Wichita. Bell, lower and upper joints plus bell section are all stamped “ C K (plus butterfly logo) / C. Kruspe / Erfurt / B / * / 2 “. No engraving to the barrel section. No serial number found. Thirteen keys and two rings, no rollers. According the the Langwill Index, “…the ‘System Kruspe clarinet’ became the model most used in Germany…” This particular instrument came to us from a country auction in France. We believe it was left behind when the German occupiers went home, in 1944. Richard Muelfeld, the clarinet player for whom Johannes Brahms composed the two sonatas, the quintet and the trio, preferred the clarinets of Carl Kruspe above all others. Rare, not for everybody...
A RARE BOXWOOD "MARTIN FRERES" KEY OF A CLARINET, PRE 1875.. Four joints plus mouthpiece, everything in pristine original condition. NO CRACKS, NO DAMAGE anywhere. Total of 13 "Saltspoon" keys, so this would have been the same model used by London virtuoso Henry Lazarus (1815 - 1895). Each joint is stamped " (bee) / Martin / Freres / Paris / (logo) / A". You're seeing this one exactly as it came to us. It's still dirty, will be cleaned and all pads replaced, no later than Friday, September 17. No cracks or damage to the existing mounts. Mount to the lower half of the barrel was missing, now replaced by a new perfectly matching mount. Mouthpiece is rosewood, French, no maker's name. We tested the pitch on this one today, right after it arrived. With the existing French rosewood mouthpiece, it plays very well at just above A 440. We often have 19th. century French / German / English clarinets in our collection, but it's quite unusual to have a pristine French boxwood A clarinet here. According to information found in the "New Langwill", the stamps on the instrument indicate it was built before 1875. We often have antique woodwinds in our shop in Wichita, but this one is a superb original example. You're seeing it exactly as it's come to us today. We've scheduled it for restoration work this week, when we'll clean it up a bit, replace pads and corks. Keywork will not be polished, as the brass wears now a wonderful patina. Price does include our restoration work. $3895. If you have a clarinet collection, or if you're performing in an "original instrument" 19th century ensemble, this one's perfect for you!
Grenadilla or rosewood clarinet in B-flat by William Meinl, made in New York about 1920. Fifteen nickel-silver keys, five rings, five black rollers. The bell section is from the same time period, but by Penzel & Mueller. This is a good “late Albert” B-flat that’s come to us in very good condition.
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German clarinet from Gustav Mollenhauer, made in Kassel, probably before 1940. The Oehler-system keywork has 17 keys and five rings. Four rollers on the bottom joint. Top and bottom joints and bell are stamped with the maker’s name and logo. Mouthpiece and two barrel sections are stamped “G. Mollenhauer u. Soehne, Kassel”. Keywork is silver plated, very original. Serial number 32212 on the body (top and bottom joints) and on both barrels. Original mouthpiece is stamped 2233 on the table. Original case, new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. The instrument play well at A = 442 pitch. $2150.
Interesting German clarinet from the workshop of Oskar Neidhardt, made in Schoeneck before 1940.
The Oehler-system keywork has 16 keys and six rings. Four rollers on the bottom joint.
Top and bottom joints and bell are stamped with the maker’s name and logo.
Maker's logo on the bell.
Mouthpiece and barrel section are of ebonite, no name or logo.
Keywork is silver plated, wood is in very good condition, with no cracks or damage.
The clarinet plays well at A = 440 pitch.
Case appears to be the original.
Fine German clarinet, not for everybody, but an excellenet player with good intonation and superb tone-color. $1475
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English Bb clarinet by John Parker pre-1800 (London 1770-1815) 6 brass key, boxwood clarinet. Ivory mounts, first stamp "PARKER LONDON", 13.7mm bore size upper joint (small), It has a replacement ivory bell ring, and with reproduction B trill and left-hand F#/C# keys. The length from the top of the barrel to the end of the bell with the clarinet assembled is 603mm. We believe that this clarinet will play at around A=430 pitch, but we need to do some restoration work to the original mouthpiece to know for sure. One of John Parker's clarinets is displayed at the museum in Oxford, but we've found little evidence of many others that exist, especially with the first stamp. Price will depend upon the amount of time that we have in it for the repairs, please email for more info.
Boxwood and ivory C clarinet by Wood and Ivy, made in London between 1837 and 1847. Eight round and flat brass keys, heavy ivory mounts. The instrument is superb original condition and plays very well. No cracks to the boxwood, no cracks or damage to the original ivory. The ebonite C-clarinet mouthpiece is probably from the late 19th / early 20th century. Barrel, top and lower joints all are engraved “Wood & Ivy”. Bell is engraved “Wood & Ivy / late / Geo. Wood / New Compton Strt. / 50 / Soho / London”. Tenons are original, not cut shorter, no cracks or damage to the wood nor the ivory. Intonation is very good at A = 435 / 438 pitch. Total length, bell ring to tip of mouthpiece = 591 mm. $1850. SOLD
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Boxwood A-clarinet, made in Germany, circa 1870. The instrument appears to have had a name at one time, now illegible. Barrel is mounted in nickel-silver is 66 mm. long. Top joint in has seven round nickel-silver keys, is 249 mm. long, end of top tenon to end of bottom tenon. Bottom joint has six round nickel-silver keys, is 260 mm long, top of socket to bottom of tenon. Bell has nickel-silver socket ring and bell ring, is 106 mm long. Case may be oringinal, definitely dates from before 1900. With either a pre-1900 C. Kruspe / Erfurt rosewood and nickel mouthpiece that has a very close tip or similar rosewood mouthpiece from Clemens Meinl (Wernitzgruen). The instrument plays very well in the key of A, at 440 pitch. $2650.
Boxwood B-flat clarinet by Herouard Freres, made in France about 1860. Thirteen flat salt-spoon brass keys, brass posts mounted to oval plates. Stamped with maker’s name and logo (fourth stamp) on the barrel, top joint and bell, stamped twice on the middle joint. No cracks to the boxwood joints or bell, older crack to the barrel. The instrument fitted with heavy original horn mounts. The top tenon of the top joint has been cut shorter, now restored by our shop in Wichita. (waiting for repairs, not yet for sale)
Eb albert system clarinet made by C.G. Conn, labelled "America First", please email for more info...
Used plateau system (sax key) clarinet by Lindberg, please email for more info...
Used Bb Albert system clarinet by J. Roschl, please email for more info...
Used Bb Albert system clarinet by Carl Schubert, please email for more info...
Used Bb Albert system clarinet by E.J. Albert, please email for more info...
Used Eb Albert system clarinet by E.J. Albert, please email for more info...
ALTO SAXES, all models, all years.....
Here’s what we do to all used saxes we sell:
The instrument is taken apart and everything washed clean. We don’t believe in chemical dips, but do use plenty of soap and water! Dings are next burnished from body, bell, end-bow and neck. With a little effort, we can make things look “like new” again. After the body-shop work’s been completed, we swedge hinge-tubes tight again and re-fit to the sax body. Finally, pads and corks are replaced and the instrument play-tested. Most customers tell us that our saxes are then actually “mechanically better than new”.
Superb Alto saxophone from Buffet-Crampon, model “Super Dynaction”, #13,88x (1966) a “pre-Boosey” alto that’s come to us in nearly pristine condition, showing less than 1% wear to the original lacquer finish. Never dented or dinged, also has good original French Buffet mouthpiece, original Lifton (USA) case, all new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Still in production in France in miniscule numbers, the vast majority of Buffet saxes are now built in China. This one’s a “real Buffet”, a superb player with perfect intonation and a dark and full tone-color. Absolutely the finest classical saxophone ever made. $2395.
Superb Alto saxophone from Buffet-Crampon, model “S-1”, #33,500E (1982) an excellent professional-quality alto that’s come to us in nearly pristine condition, showing less than 1% wear to the original lacquer finish. Minor dents to the body and end-bow have been burnished out by our shop and it now has all new pads and corks also from our shop. Still in production in France in miniscule numbers, the vast majority of Buffet saxes are now built in China. This one’s a “real Buffet”, a superb player with perfect intonation and a dark and full tone-color. Absolutely the finest classical saxophone ever made. $2695.
Rare Buescher alto saxophone “Aristocrat” model, serial number 281,65x (1937). It’s come to us in superb original condition but wearing almost no lacquer finish at all. This is one of the “real” Aristocrat models, with screw-in Norton springs, We’ve lightly polished the brass, have re-sprayed with two coats of Nikolas 2105 lacquer. Yes it now has all new pads and corks. Arguably the best Buescher alto ever made, still cherished by those of the Rascher school of saxophone playing. Superb intonation, easy to get the low notes. We do have information and history on this saxophone from the family of the original owner. Top recommendation, best buy price! $1945.
Rare Buescher alto saxophone “Aristocrat” model, serial number 283,65x (1937). It’s come to us in superb original condition but wearing almost no lacquer finish at all. This is one of the “real” Aristocrat models, with screw-in Norton springs, We’ve lightly polished the brass, have re-sprayed with two coats of Nikolas 2105 lacquer. Yes it now has all new pads and corks. Arguably the best Buescher alto ever made, still cherished by those of the Rascher school of saxophone playing. Superb intonation, easy to get the low notes. Top recommendation, best buy price! $1945.
Rare Buescher alto saxophone “Aristocrat” model, serial number 292,94x (1937). It’s come to us in superb original condition but wearing almost very dark original lacquer finish that’s worn maybe 10%. This is one of the “real” Aristocrat models, with screw-in Norton springs and “snap in” Buescher pads. Yes it now has all new pads and corks. Arguably the best Buescher alto ever made, still cherished by those of the Rascher school of saxophone playing. Superb intonation, easy to get the low notes, very good original case. Top recommendation, best buy price! $1945.
C.G. Conn 6M-VIII “Lady Face” alto sax #297,65x, from 1941. Low B & Bb on the same side of the bell, underslung 8va. key and tuning neck, this one’s got all the features of the “Lady Face” instruments. Does have rolled tone-holes, has stove-pipe 8va. spout plus all the other classic 6M features. Original lacquer is still good, worn less than five percent. Small dent to the end-bow, but otherwise never been dented or dinged in any way. New pads & corks from our shop and keywork swedged tight. Original case is perfect. No forked E-flat key on this one, which is a plus, in our opinion. Very good original example, superb player! $2,475.
C.G. Conn 6M “Lady Face” alto sax #344,75x, a very clean original pro-qualilty alto sax from 1952. Low B & Bb on the same side of the bell, underslung 8va. key and tuning neck, this one’s got all the features of the “Lady Face” instruments. As with all post-1947 Conn altos, no rolled t-holes, but does have stove-pipe 8va. spout plus all the other classic 6M features. Original lacquer is still good, worn less than 10%. New pads & corks from our shop and keywork swedged tight. New case, also. Good vintage Conn pro-quality alto for not much money! $1475. C.G. Conn 21M #4,456,721, a good “made in USA” student quality alto sax from about 2006. Does have high F-sharp keywork, the body gold lacquered and the keys nickel plated. No dents or damage, all new pads and corks. Original lacquer is still good, worn maybe 5%. Conn’s current model 27M now has a suggested retail price of $1717.00. New 21M altos are still available on the internet, with a street price around $1200. With rolled tone-holes, improved acoustics and “made in USA” stamp, these are good saxes for student use. $795.00. C.G. Conn 21M #4,457,397, a good “made in USA” student quality alto sax from about 2006. Does have high F-sharp keywork, the body gold lacquered and the keys nickel plated. No dents or damage, all new pads and corks. Original lacquer is still good, worn maybe 5%. Conn’s current model 27M now has a suggested retail price of $1717.00. New 21M altos are still available on the internet, with a street price around $1200. With rolled tone-holes, improved acoustics and “made in USA” stamp, these are good saxes for student use. $795.00.
C.G.CONN (Elkhart) model “6M Lady Face”, #282,400, made in 1938. Rare vintage alto saxophone has original dark lacquer worn maybe 10%, mostly in the engraving grooves to the bell. (Conn engraved saxes after they lacquered them...) Never any dents or serious damage, the sax comes with original good case. These pre-1940 Conn 6M altos play very well, were favored by many jazz players in the forties and fifties. Recommended! New pads and corks from our shop, of course. SOLD 04/06
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Good ALTO saxophone made in 1965 by the Julius Keilwerth workshop in Nauheim (Germany), the bell engraved “Bundy / Special / H & A Selmer, Inc.”, serial number 54,270. In the late sixties, the Keilwerth shop made a number of good saxophones for Selmer-USA, identical to their “Toneking Special” saxes. The Toneking Specials were their step-up saxes, not as expensive as their pro-quality “Toneking” (later “ H. Couf Professional”) models, but built with rolled tone-holes and large five inch bell flare. These saxes play very well indeed and had a good following in the sixties and later. Keilwerth is now owned by Buffet-Crampon and the only alto they build today has a suggested retail price of $7315. That means our sax is, in our opinion, a real best buy! This one’s a mere $1295, has new case and mouthpiece, rolled tone-holes, 95% original lacquer finish and 100% all new pads and corks.
"KING SUPER 20" alto, #67582x (made in 1977 / 1978). NEVER any damage, dings or wear to the lacquer. It's as close to LIKE NEW as you can get. Neck and bell are brass. Body and end-bow are brass, keywork is brass and solid nickel-silver. Cases are very close to perfect, as well. King Musical Instrument Company is now part of "Steinway Properties". Sadly, all saxophone production ceased in the mid 1980's. King Super 20's are not for everyone, though. I used a Super 20 tenor (silver neck, brass bell) for a year, back in the mid sixties. A buddy wanted to sell it to me, but I never could come up with the bucks for him. But man, it was a great tenor! Easy to play, excellent intonation, sub-tone low notes without any effort at all. Some folks are of the opinion that the reason King saxes played so well was because they were the only company to silver-solder or "braize" the tone-holes to the body. That means lots of heat that annealed the brass. And that means less resistance... Since this beauty is part of an estate and is a consignment to us, please understand that the pads are NOT from our shop and show some minor wear. Stack pads plus low B/Bb/C/C# all look very good and we've replaced the palm key pads and the low Eb. That means everything now seals very well today. A full repad (depending on how much use it gets) would be advisable in 18 to 24 months. Never any dents, small ding near the low Eb has been burnished out, now invisible. Key pearls are still very sharp, hinge-tubes needed NO swedging. This one's been played very little in the past 35 years. Original cases are close to perfect. TOP recommendation. It's a straight and honest late Super 20 that plays very well. And the high F-sharp's nice to have, as well. $2250
H.N. White "KING VOLL-TRUE", #140900 (1933), has original case, newer
mouthpiece, some gold-plate left inside the bell. The original silver plate
finish is worn only 5% or so, the body and bell appear to have never been
dented or damaged. This is a good vintage alto! $995
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H.N.White “KING ZEPHYR” #299,800 (1949), a fine “step-up” alto from
the “Golden Years” at King. The lacquer is from about 1990, looks
very good, has good engraving to the bell, dends and dings burnished out
in our shop and new pads and corks. New case. Like the one
Cannonball used, only without the silver bell or neck. $1195
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LeBlanc/Noblet alto sax, #712x (1960), made in France. In the sixties and seventies, LeBlanc produced a full line of saxophones. Their "LeBlanc System" alto and tenors were well received by classical players, but the intricate keywork was difficult to keep in adjustment. Their Noblet saxes showed high quality French workmanship, with tone-color similar to a Selmer of the forties and with normal sax keywork. This one wears original lacquer that's worn maybe 10%, all dings burnished out in our shop, good original case, new pads and corks. The Noblet saxes were intended to be good "step up" or "middle range" instruments, with rib construction, excellent "feel" and superb intonation. $1250.
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LeBLANC / VITO alto sax, serial 02239x, assembled in Wisconsin from imported parts from Yamaha (Japan). Virtually identical to Yamaha’s model YAS-23 alto sax, but assembled at the LeBlanc factory in Kenosha. This one wears original lacquer that’s almost perfect, never dented or dinged and with good original case. ALL new pads and corks. Yamaha now markets student-quality saxes that are built in China or Indonesia. This one’s a superior example built in America of Japanese components. This one’s a best buy at $965.
A good Martin “Committee” alto (sometimes called “the Martin”) #153,86x (1946), one of the earliest of the Committee models, this one with about 75% of the original very dark lacquer finish, all new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita, with new case, dents and dings now burnished out and in like-new mechanical condition. As with all Martin instruments, the lacquer finish was thin and dark, didn’t wear as well as the finish from other manufacturers. Some of the best jazzers of the 1930’s and 1940’s swore by Martins, wouldn’t use any other brand. The Committee was their top-of-the-line, built to compete with the best saxes from Conn, King and even Selmer. Not a beauty queen, but a good player, this one’s a mere $1375.
Rare and fine E-flat alto saxophone from the workshop of Adolphe Sax, fils, serial number 15,32x (c. 1910 – 1920), made a decade or more before the firm was taken over by H. Selmer. This one wears 99% original silver plate, minor dings removed and now with all new pads and corks. Similar in playing characteristics to pre-1930 Selmer saxes, the late Sax fils instruments show high quality workmanship. It’s a good instrument for a player or for a collector. $2960.
“Presentation” model alto sax, the bell engraved “D. Fleurguin / Premier Prix du Conservatoire / de / Paris” and “(A.Sax logo) / Medaille d’Or 1900 / Adolphe SAX / Fnur de Academie Ne de Musique / 84 Rue Myrha / PARIS”. This particular instrument has come to us in very good original condition, wearing 95% of the original bright silver finish, pearls to the stack keys, no high F, double 8va. touch, range from low B-flat to high F. High quality workmanship, never any major damage anywhere. Original reed-box, original Masspacher silver-plated mouthpiece, original case. According to Langwill, the Sax workshops were located at #84 Rue Myrha from 1905 until the company was acquired, in 1928, by Selmer. We believe our saxophone dates from about 1910. No serial number anywhere, this one a “one-off special” made for a fellow who had just won first prize at the Conservatory. Good player, unusual to find one this original, still in good condition. $3850. SOLD
Selmer “SSS” or “Selmer Super Sax”, an alto #18,265 (October, 1933). It’s a good example that wears 90% original silver finish. Minor dents and dings burnished out by us, plus new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Pads have domed metal resonators with rivets. No front high F-keywork, though. Some of the finest jazz players of the thirties and forties used this model or the similar “Cigar Cutter”. Woody Herman, Jimmy Dorsey, Hymie Schertzer, Joe Allard. Good cutting power, with improved intonation over the CG models, the SSS alto was a superb saxophone that’s today rare, but still highly recommended by us! This one’s $3250. SOLD
SELMER-PARIS "SUPER ACTION" OR "SUPER BALANCED ACTION" ALTO #47,31X. The lacquer is American and LOOKS ORIGINAL, BUT PROBABLY IS NOT. The bell wears very good original engraving. No dents, no damage. Price includes ALL NEW PADS AND CORKS FROM OUR SHOP. Like Jon said this afternoon, "most dealers would call this one original lac; pity it's not..." At first inspection, I was totally convinced the lacquer on this beauty was original. No "feathering" of the engraving, no stretch marks / burnisher marks to the brass. Got back to Wichita, looked carefully with magnifying hood and found some small scratches under the lacquer, at the thumb-rest area. Color is an absolute match for early fifties "original". But I am now convinced that it's a Selmer-Elkhart factory overhaul from a long time ago. Selmer-Elkhart no longer does do overhauls, but until 30 years ago, they DID do them in Indiana. Key pearls are still very sharp, hinge-tubes will need minimal swedging. This one's not perfect, but it's a good player that needs nothing doing to it except pads. I'd give it a solid "9.0" rating. Does have serial number to the neck tenon. Original combo case (clarinet + alto sax) is very good, almost perfect. No Selmer logo anywhere, but we think it's original. Pads on this one look pretty good, but I think they date from when the sax was overhauled, 35 years ago or longer. That means you've absolutely got to repad this one to make it play properly. We've done hundreds of these over the years and once they've got proper pads on them, the SBA models play terrific! In my opinion, they're better saxes than the Mark Sixes. Ask Paul Desmond, Walt Levinsky, Jimmy Abato, Phil Woods and anybody else who knows about vintage Selmers. $4950.
Selmer Balanced Action Alto #31,41x (1943). It’s a rare and superb example that wears 99% original silver finish, minimal engraving to the bell. During the Second World War, Selmer did continue to produce saxophones, but built fewer than 500 a year. This one’s never been dented or dinged, ebonite key pearls still very sharp, stack hinge-tubes showing minimal swedging. New pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Pads have domed metal resonators with rivets. Based on the fact that key pearls are sharp, solder-scraper marks are clearly visible around all key posts and the fact that there’s no wear, dips, etch marks or scratches under the silver, we’re convinced this one is original and close to pristine in condition. It’s been played very little since it was new and comes with our top recommendation. Think Al Galladoro, Walt Levinsky, Phil Woods, Bud Shank. Best alto ever, in our estimation. $5850. SOLD
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H. Selmer (Paris) Super Balanced Action Alto #52,83x (1953). Absolutely pristine example that wears 99% original satin silver finish to the body, bright silver plate keywork and keyguards, gold wash inside the bell. New pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Minor end-bow dings burnished out in our shop, key pearls still sharp, stack hinge-tubes still very tight. WITH HIGH F# KEYWORK. New Pro-Tec case. This one’s been played very little since it was new. Has high F-sharp keywork, also. Superb example that’s in excellent condition, highly recommended. Think Al Galladoro, Walt Levinsky, Phil Woods, Bud Shank. Best alto ever, and this one’s very close to perfect. $5375. SOLD
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H. Selmer (Paris) “Super Balanced Action” alto sax #41,17x (July, 1950). Pristine example that wears 100% original bright silver finish, good engraving to the bell. Never dented or dinged, key pearls still very sharp, stack hinge-tubes never swedged. Original French solid case and good original Selmer mouthpiece. This one’s been played about five times since it was new. Superb example that’s in pristine condition, highly recommended. Think Al Galladoro, Walt Levinsky, Phil Woods, Paul Desmond, Bud Shank. The late BA saxes were the best ever, in our opinion. This one’s very close to being perfect. $6250.00. SOLD
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Selmer Mark Six alto saxophone #229,27x (1974). Engraved “Mark VI” on the bell. This one’s clean and in very good condition, wearing very good all new lacquer from the Tulsa Band Instrument Company. New pads and corks from Tulsa and very good original. Looks and plays like a new one, but definitely a recent re-lacquer. $4150
Selmer (Paris) Super Action 80, Series II alto, #464,42x (1991). Excellent original example that has 95% original lacquer finish, good engraving to the bell, never dented or dinged and with new case. 100% all new pads and corks, clean and straight, this one gets our top recommendation! Price includes new Meyer or Otto Link ebonite mouthpiece. New suggested retail price is now $6565. This one’s less than half the price! $2950.
Selmer (Paris) Super Action 80, Series III alto saxophone, #602,44x (2001/2002). Superb original example that has 99% original lacquer finish, good engraving to the bell, never dented or dinged and with very good new case. Minor scratches to the body and a tiny re-solder to the foot of the low Bb key-guard, but still a good “9.9” 100% all new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita! Looks almost like a new one, but a lot less expensive! This one gets our top recommendation! Suggested retail price is now $7385. A “Best buy” at $3,250.
Mark Six alto saxophone #240,4xx (March, 1975). It’s one of the very last of the Mark Six models, totally original, with 95% original lacquer finish, very good engraving to the bell and end-bow, with high F-sharp, but never dented or dinged. Engraved “Mark VI” on the bell. This one’s clean and in very good original condition! New pads and corks from our shop in Wichita and with new case. Most of the lacquer wear is on the neck, of course. $5,450. SOLD
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Mark Six Selmer alto saxophone #56,020 (November, 1954). The lacquer is definitely American, definitely original and is worn 40% or a bit more. Engraving to the bell and end-bow is sharp, has not been buffed or burnished over. The braided bands that connect the end-bow to the bell and to the body show no sign of being buffed over. Two feet (not three) that hold the low C key-guard have been re-soldered decades ago and will be cleaned up by us. It’s a one-owner alto that came to us from a fellow who was a pro player in New York, later in San Francisco. After a tour with the Buddy Morrow band and a stint with the RCA orchestra in New York, he relocated to Frisco, stayed there for four decades doing lounge work at the St. Francis Hotel. This one came to us in very original condition, never having had a major mechanical overhaul. We’ve cleaned it up, swedged keywork tight again, have replaced all pads and corks. Even though the lacquer shows some wear, the key pearls are actually still sharp and hinge-tubes have not required major tightening. Serial number is on the neck and yes, it’s a very good player. $5995. SOLD
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Yamaha YAS-23 / Vito. Identical to the YAS-23 alto, but with "Vito" stamped on the bell. Assembled in Kenosha, Wisconsin from Yamaha YAS-23 parts. Mint condition, $895
All saxes sold by Wichita Band Instrument Company have been taken apart,
cleaned, dents and dings burnished out, keywork swedged tight and all pads
& corks replaced. Whether it's a new, used or vintage instrument, our
24 month service warranty is included in the price! If you buy it from
us, there's no need to spend an extra $600 to have it refurbished, 'cause
a used sax from us is as good or better than a new one!
TENOR SAXES, rebuilt used & vintage
Here’s what we do to all used saxes we sell:
The instrument is taken apart and everything washed clean. We don’t believe in chemical dips, but do use plenty of soap and water! Dings are next burnished from body, bell, end-bow and neck. With a little effort, we can make things look “like new” again. After the body-shop work’s been completed, we swedge hinge-tubes tight again and re-fit to the sax body. Finally, pads and corks are replaced and the instrument play-tested. Most customers tell us that our saxes are then actually “mechanically better than new”.
BUESCHER “True-Tone” tenor #91600 (1922), a good early Buescher that’s got 75% original satin gold plate, no dents or dings, “snap-in” pads. Does not have front high F though. Does have forked Eb for the right hand stack. Good example, not expensive for a classic gold-plated tenor. SOLD
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Good Buescher tenor saxophone “400” model, serial number 515,16X (1969). It’s one of the Buescher 400 saxes made after Selmer-USA bought the company. Keywork is nickel plated and the body of the sax still wears about 65% of the original lacquer. Does have Buescher’s patented “snap in” pads and. Dents to the end-bow and neck have been balled and burnished out in our shop. New pads and corks and with ulsed case is in good condition. 100% made in America, it’s a solid Buescher that plays well and isn’t at all expensive. $1245.00
Superb Tenor saxophone from Buffet-Crampon (Paris), model “Super Dynaction”, #13,98x (1967) a “pre-Boosey” tenor that’s come to us in solid condition but with damaged replacement lacquer finish. We’ve polished the brass lightly, re-sprayed with two coats of Nikolas 2105 acrylic lacquer. All new pads and corks (from our shop in Wichita). Still in production in France in miniscule numbers, the vast majority of Buffet saxes are now built in China. This one’s a “real Buffet”, a superb player with perfect intonation and a dark and full tone-color. Absolutely the finest classical saxophone ever made. $2595.
C.G. Conn “Chu Berry” tenor #236,33x (1929). Good floral engraving to the bell and 90% original satin silver to the body and neck, with gold wash inside the bell.. Yes, it’s got rolled tone-holes. 100% all new pads & corks from our shop, of course. This is a classic Chu tenor, made with curved high E key-touch and large tone-hole for the chromatic F-sharp. Several of the pad-cups show damage to the silver plate, so we’ve overplated these keys only. See Conn’s 1925 catalog for a description and also see “Chu Berry Wikipedia” on the internet for an excellent description of this model. There was, in the opinion of some, no finer tenor sax ever built. Clean and straight example, never any damage or dents, now with all new pads and corks. $2250.
C.G. Conn 10M “Lady Face” tenor saxophone #288,80x (1940). Sharp engraving to the bell, gorgeous vintage lacquer finish that looks original but almost certainly is not. Key pearls are very sharp and there’s no evidence of wear or scratches under the lacquer. Some light feathering to the engraving on the bell. Lacquer is dark and honey-colored, 99% intact. Pads & corks are all 100% new, from our shop in Wichita. Yes, it has rolled tone-holes and also forked Eb for the right hand. Case is original and rock-solid. There was, in the opinion of some, no finer tenor sax, ever. Very good player from Conn’s Golden Age. $3885.
C.G. Conn 16M tenor sax #N8062X (Nogales). 90% original epoxy lacquer finish, keywork nickel plated. Conn’s “step up” tenor, made only a year or two after they moved to Nogales. New pads and corks from our shop. Tone-color identical to the 10M’s of the time. Not expensive, good player. $1095.
C.G. Conn 10M “Lady Face” tenor #289,45x (1940). Simply said: "perfect, perfect, perfect". Superb engraving to the bell and 99% lacquer that is dark and golden color, definitely original. Never dented or dinged. Keywork is still very tight, the original case is solid. Yes, it's got rolled tone-holes. It came to us wearing all the original pads, but now with new pads and corks from our shop, of course. Original case is almost perfect. There was, in the opinion of some, no finer tenor sax ever built. This is the finest example we've seen in the past quarter century. Lots of history on it and it's PERFECT, the best one in the world. $5150. SOLD
Selmer Mark Six TENOR saxophone #214,xxx (March, 1973). 100% original American lacquer to the body, but no lacquer wear anywhere to the keywork, body or neck. Engraved “Mark VI” on the bell. Definitely IS a "closet queen", pristine original example. The tenor now has new pads (stainless steel convex resonators) and corks from our shop. Straight, without damage and good engraving to the bell. NO dents, no dings, the neck never "pulled down" or creased. Very good player, no "burbles" on the low notes. By 1973, Selmer had finally got all the bugs out of the M6 tenors. No serial number to the neck tenon. Superb player, top recommendation. $5950
Selmer (Paris) Super Action 80, Series II tenor saxophone, #447,32x (1990). Good original example that has about 98% original lacquer finish, good engraving to the bell, minor dings and dents burnished out by our shop in Wichita. 100% all new pads and corks from Judi Dietz (“Judi’s Repair Shop”) in Kansas City. Very good original case and new case cover, this one gets our top recommendation! Suggested retail price is now $8450. It’s a “Best buy” at $3,650!
Selmer (Paris) Super Action 80, Series II tenor saxophone, #506,56x (1994). Good original example that has about 100% original bright silver finish, minor dings burnished out by our shop in Wichita. 100% all new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Very good original case, this one gets our top recommendation! Suggested retail price is now $9600. It’s a “Best buy” at $3,950!
SELMER (Paris) "Super" tenor, #15,910 (1931), with 95% of the original
good silver plate finish, no dents or damage. This is a fine and exceptional
tenor, not for everybody, but a good and valuable instrument for those
wanting a "Super" that's almost perfect. $4850 SOLD5 08/07
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H. Selmer (Paris) Mark Six Tenor #67,200 (May 1957). 99% original bright silver plate finish, very good engraving to the bell and end-bow, with HIGH F# KEYWORK, Almost mint! $7650. SOLD
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H. Selmer (Paris) Mark Six Tenor Sax #167,03X. (1967). 95 % original French lacquer, good engraving to the bell. With new pads & corks, very good original French case and original Selmer (Paris) B-star mouthpiece. Has high F-sharp keywork. Minor dings to the neck, body and end-bow have been burnished out in our shop. Never any major dents or damage. Not pristine, but close to it. “Mark Six” engraved on the bell. With original French case. $6,999.
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Selmer (Paris) tenor saxophone, “Mark Six”, Serial #126,83X (1965) has 99% original bright silver plate finish, minimal engraving to the bell. This one is a superb and very original example and yes, we’re absolutely certain the silver plate is original. Never any major dents, dings to the bell, minor end-bow dings have now been burnished out. Logo and serial number have never been polished over and the neck has never been creased. Thin line of brass showing on the high D and D-sharp key-touches and the thumb rest: otherwise, it’s pretty much perfect. New case, new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Good serial number, very original sax that’s been well cared for in the past 43 years. $6,750. SOLD
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H. Selmer (Paris) Mark Six Tenor #206,165. (April, 1973). 98 % original French lacquer, good engraving to the bell. With new pads & corks, very good original French case and original Selmer (Paris) B-star mouthpiece. Has high F-sharp keywork. Minor dings to the end-bow have been burnished out in our shop, bottom foot of low C key guard has been re-soldered. Never any major dents or damage. Not pristine, but close to it. “Mark Six” engraved on the bell. $8,150. SOLD
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Selmer-USA model 1244 tenor saxophone, #1214990 (2002?). It's a good student-tenor that's now with a suggested retail price of $2260. This one's a good "9.9" on a scale of ten, recommended for those who want an American made Selmer tenor and nothing else. It's in "almost new" condition. $1095.
All saxes sold by Wichita Band Instrument Company have been taken apart, cleaned, dents and dings burnished out, keywork swedged tight and all pads & corks replaced. Whether it's a new, used or vintage instrument, our 24 month service warranty is included in the price! If you buy it from us, there's no need to spend an extra $600 to have it refurbished, 'cause a used sax from us is as good or better than a new one!
OTHER SAXES.................
Rare Buescher “True Tone” Bb curved soprano saxophone, #117,70x, made in Elkhart in 1923. Originally supplied by Buescher in unlacquered brass finish (before Buescher offered saxophones with lacquer finish). Keywork has been swedged tight and all pads have been replaced. We’ve polished the brass lightly, have sprayed all metal parts with a coat of Nikolas 2105 acrylic lacquer. Never any major dents, not even minor dings. Original case is good. Price includes a 1930’s original Buescher mouthpiece. $2125.
C.G. Conn curved B-flat soprano saxophone #64,2xx (1921). It’s a totally original vintage Conn soprano that’s come to us in pristine condition. Original silver plate is 100%, with no wear at all. Gold wash to the bell is perfect. Never dented or dinged, with solid original case and fine original “Conn eagle” soprano ebonite mouthpiece. Keywork is to high F and all pads and corks are now new, from our shop in Wichita. Very good player, rare and showing top-quality “made in America” workmanship. Yes, it has rolled tone-holes! $2950.
C.G. Conn curved B-flat soprano saxophone #185,0xx (1926). It’s a totally original vintage Conn soprano that’s come to us in pristine condition. Original silver plate is 100%, with no wear at all. Gold wash to the bell is perfect. Never dented or dinged, with solid original case and fine original “Conn eagle” soprano ebonite mouthpiece. Keywork is to high F and all pads and corks are now new, from our shop in Wichita. Very good player, rare and showing top-quality “made in America” workmanship. Yes, it has rolled tone-holes! $3250.
Selmer (Paris) soprano saxophone #8,30X (1929). 95% original bright silver finish, no engraving, never dented, minor dings burnished out in our shop in Wichita. Range is to high F, keywork virtually identical to “Super Action” sopranos of the late 1930’s. . Superb original condition, good modern case. Very good player, rare, not pristine but close. $3250.
Good soprano saxophone from Yanagisawa, model SS-901. Serial number 0278592x, made in Japan in late 2007 or early 2008. This is one of the sopranos imported by the G.LeBlanc Company, bearing their “Vito” stamp. This one wears 100% original lacquer finish, has high F#, “like new” original case & mouthpiece. Suggested retail price is now $5045 on the SS-901. This one’s a “best buy” at $1595.
RARE BUESCHER STRAIGHT SOPRANO SAX, MADE IN ELKHART IN 1925, THINK "SIDNEY BECHET".
Vintage saxes from Selmer, Conn and Buescher are usually in our collection in Wichita, and this one’s a good example, played about five times since it was new. The original bright silver finish is worn less than one percent, it’s never sustained any dents or dings and it’s very clean.
Buescher straight Bb soprano #190,250, made in Elkhart in 1925. The original silver is 99%, good gold wash inside the bell. All new pads & corks from our shop, original case. Played very little since new, basically “mint” condition.
Please note that the original Buescher case is perfect, without breaks or scratches anywhere.
Have a look also at the thumb-rest, with NO silver wear at all.
Note the high D, D-sharp and F key-touches, designed like an alto (and like modern saxes from Selmer), with each key mounted on separate posts. The palm keys feel the same as they do on a good alto.
The sax came to us with ALL original pads, from 1925. We cleaned it up, replaced all pads with modern “snap in” pads that are close to the originals, but tan kid rather than white.
Selmer-Paris mouthpiece comes with it. We tried several, came to the conclusion that a modern Selmer mouthpiece works best, gives the best intonation.
Yes, Jazz great Sidney Bechet really did use a Buescher exactly like this one.
This is a really prime example, with high notes NOT sharp, keywork tight, pearls still sharp. Except for a little worn edge to the stack G, this momma’s PERFECT.
Price is a mere $1750 on this one. It’s suitable for Dixieland, Big Band playing, classical saxophone quartet, Kenny-G imitations or whatever you want to do with it. Top recommendation! SOLD 12/06
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C.G. Conn straight Bb soprano #M143,250, made in Elkhart in 1925. The original silver is 100%, good gold wash inside the bell. All new pads & corks from our shop, original case. Range is to high F. Rolled tone-holes everywhere. Played very little since new, basically “mint” condition. Vintage saxes from Selmer, Conn and King are usually in our collection in Wichita, but this one’s THE BEST soprano we’ve had for months. The original bright silver finish is worn less than one percent, it’s never sustained any dents or dings and it’s very clean. Please note that the new case is perfect, without breaks or scratches anywhere. Original Conn “Steelay” mouthpiece (large tone-chamber) works very well on this instrument. Use a Rico #2 ½ or #3 or a Van Doren 3 or 3 ½. The mouthpiece is very forgiving and won’t cause you reed problems at all! NO silver wear to any of the keys and the pearls are as sharp as the day the sax came from the factory in Elkhart. Octave key touch is like on a later 6M alto, curved to fit the pearl button. Note the high D, D-sharp and F key-touches, designed like an alto (and like modern saxes from Selmer), with each key mounted on separate posts. The palm keys feel the same as they do on a good alto. For those who are interested in such things, I was told this was the soprano that Keilwerth copied, back in the sixties and even until today. Except Keilwerth’s never made a soprano with rolled tone-holes. This is a really prime example, with high notes NOT sharp, keywork tight, pearls still sharp. This momma’s PERFECT. It’s suitable for Dixieland, Big Band playing, classical saxophone quartet, Kenny-G imitations or whatever you want to do with it. Top recommendation! $1995 SOLD 11/06
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C-Melodies:
Very rare Selmer (Paris) C-melody saxophone #182x (made in 1923). 99% original bright silver finish, never dented, minor dings burnished out in our shop in Wichita. Range is to high F, full keywork from high F to low Bb. Superb original condition, good original case. Selmer made a handful of c-melody saxes before 1930, with no more than a couple hundred now surviving. Very good player, suitable for original twenties jazz, Paul Whiteman Big Ban playing or for a serious collector. $3650.
Vintage C-Melody saxophone by BUESCHER, #143300, made in Elkhart in 1923. Very clean example with 100% original silver plate, gold wash inside the bell, “snap in” pads, original case (funky, but OK), with new pads and corks. This one’s very original, played about six times in the past 80 years. $1150.
C.G. Conn 8M C-Melody #103,560 (1923). Rolled tone-holes, forked Eb, front high F, tenor-style neck and with rectangular G# key. This one’s got 95% original burnished bright gold plate finish, original clean case and original Conn mouthpiece. New pads & corks from our shop, of course. Yep, it’s the same model that Frankie Trumbauer played and you won’t find a better example anywhere. This one’s a bit special in that it wears superb original “floral plus full body naked lady”. This one’s $2150. SOLD
C.G. CONN (Elkhart), #100700, made in 1922. Superb “C-melody” tenor saxophone, 95% good original silver plate, rolled tone-holes, front high F and “alto-style” tuning neck. The case and mouthpiece are original. Some minor plating wear at the thumb-rest, but otherwise very good. Small dent on the flange of the end-bow. This is the same model used by the famous Chicago-jazzer Frankie Trumbauer, regarded by many as the finest C-melody, ever! $1150
KING “C-melody”, made by the H.N. White Co., #56,900 (1920-21), the sax wears 98% of the original burnished gold plate finish, also with very good floral engraving to the bell. The mouthpiece and case are original and very good. The sax does have front high F keywork, 1& 3 “Forked Eb”, plus new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Never dented or dinged in any way, but several of the key touches have been replated. Very nice and rare example! $2395 SOLD 01/06
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BARITONE and BASS SAXOPHONES
C.G. Conn 14M BASS saxophone, #92,300, made in Elkhart in 1922, one of the first of the “cross-brace” models. Has range to low B-flat, new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita, all dents and dings burnished out in our own shop. Original bright nickel plate is worn maybe 2%. Key pearls are still sharp, never damaged or worn. Never any major dents, minor dings now burnished out in our shop in Wichita. Too early to have rolled tone-holes, does have X-brace between bell & body. Case is modern, from Allied. Except for being nickel-plated, this one’s identical to the sax used by 1920’s jazz great Adrian Rollini. Bass players of all time thought the pre-1940 Conns to be the best and we totally agree! This one’s $12,000. SOLD!
Good Buescher baritone saxophone “400” model, serial number 674,82xS (1977). It’s one of the Buescher 400 saxes made after Selmer-USA bought the company. Keywork is nickel plated and the body of the sax still wears about 75% of the original lacquer. Does have Buescher’s patented “snap in” pads and Norton springs. Dents to the end-bow and neck have been balled and burnished out in our shop. New pads and corks and with used case is in good condition. 100% made in America, it’s a solid Buescher that plays well and isn’t at all expensive. Range to low B-flat and also with new case! $2345.00
Good Buescher baritone saxophone “400” model, serial number 538,63x (1971/72). It’s one of the Buescher 400 saxes made after Selmer-USA bought the company. Keywork is nickel plated and the body of the sax still wears about 50% of the original lacquer. Does have Buescher’s patented “snap in” pads and Norton springs. Dents to the end-bow and neck have been balled and burnished out in our shop. Worn lacquer has been oversprayed to protect the original metal. All new pads and corks and with NEW SKB case. 100% made in America, it’s a solid Buescher that plays well and isn’t at all expensive. With new neck section. Range to low B-flat and also with new case! $2345.00
SUPERB “GEORGE M. BUNDY” baritone sax, number B4955xL, made about 1940 by C. G. CONN and bearing their patent number 1158488. Absolutely identical to Conn’s pre-war “12M Lady Face” baritone, but without rolled tone-holes and without Conn’s name on the bell. This one came to us wearing 90% original very dark speckled lacquer finish, never any major dents but with a couple of dings to the end-bow. We’ve burnished out the dings, have replaced all pads and corks. Mouthpiece is a big-bore original. Superb player, not expensive. $2150.
Superb Baritone saxophone from Buffet-Crampon, model “Super Dynaction”, #14,12x (1967) a “pre-Boosey” alto that’s come to us in nearly pristine condition, showing less than 1% wear to the original bright silver finish. Never dented or dinged, also has good original French Buffet mouthpiece, original case, all new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Still in production in France in miniscule numbers, the vast majority of Buffet saxes are now built in China. This one’s a “real Buffet”, a superb player with perfect intonation and a dark and full tone-color. Absolutely the finest classical saxophone ever made. Range to low Bb on this superb baritone! $4690.
C.G. Conn 12M “Lady Face” baritone sax #341,91x (1952). The finish is worn more than 50%, but we are absolutely certain the lacquer is original. Keywork is still tight, the sax has a new Pro-Tech case with it. Multiple dings to the end-bow and body have been burnished out. Does have X-brace bell to body and also has gold-lacquered (not nickel plated) keywork. New pads & corks from our shop, of course. Low B and B-flat pad cups on the same side of the bell. Plays as well as any baritone now in the shop. Not beauty queen, has been used quite a bit, but is mechanically like new and it’s a monster player! $2475.
C.G. Conn “Elkhart 12M” baritone saxophone, #C9795x, made in Elkhart in 1964, has about 85% original lacquer finish, nickel plated keywork, range to low B-flat, new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita, all dents and dings burnished out in our own shop. All original, “made in America”, new case and mouthpiece. Very good player, looks good! This one’s $2395.
C.G. Conn “Elkhart Lady Face 12M” baritone saxophone, #M3057x, made in Elkhart in 1969, has about 75% original lacquer finish (worn areas spot-lacquer touched-up by us), has nickel plated keywork, range to low B-flat, new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita, all dents and dings burnished out in our own shop. Original neck and case. Very good player! This one’s $2495.
C.G. Conn “12M” baritone saxophone, #N147,81x, made in Nogales in 1981, has about 85% original lacquer finish, nickel plated keywork, range to low B-flat, new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita, all dents and dings burnished out in our own shop. New case, too. One of the last of the “Mexiconn” baritones, this one came to us with a few dents and dings. We've balled and burnished out everything, have replaced all pads and corks. No problems with solder work or broken keys. Good player, recommended! $2295.
Good Selmer (Paris) Mark Six Baritone sax, #257,82x, made in France 1976. Original French lacquer finish is worn about 40%. Good engraving to the bell, dings and dents burnished out in our Wichita shop. Range is to low B-flat. Very good player, all original, straight and tight, not pristine but a good and straight baritone, now with all new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Price includes new mouthpiece. $4,950.
Good Selmer (Paris) Mark Six Baritone sax, #267,86x, made in France 1977. Original French lacquer finish is about 60% intact. No engraving to the bell, never any large dents, small dings have been burnished out in our shop in Wichita. Includes a new SKB or Pro Tec case. Range is to low A. Very good player, all original, now straight and tight, all dings burnished out, new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. $7,495.
Good Selmer (Paris) Mark Six Baritone sax, #173,65x, made in France 1969. Original French lacquer finish is worn about 30%. Good engraving to the bell, never any major dents or dings. Original American case is solid and straight. Range is to low B-flat. Very good player, all original, straight and tight, very close to pristine, new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Price includes new mouthpiece. $5,950.
Good “Selmer-Signet-USA” baritone saxophone, model number 156, serial number 762,49x, made in Elkhart about 1982. Not a Chinese import, but definitely “made in USA”. Original lacquer finish is worn maybe 10%. Dents and dings have been burnished out, all new pads and corks plus RANGE TO LOW A. Good player, “big bell” model. Selmer no longer produces this model in the States. All baritone saxes from Selmer are now either French or Chinese. This one’s a very clean example, has new case with it, too. $2495.
Rare Buescher “True Tone” B-flat BASS saxophone, #42,150, made in Elkhart in 1918. This one’s quite original, still has 99% of the original satin silver finish, bright silver inside the bell. All tone-holes have been removed and re-soldered, keywork has been swedged tight and all pads have been replaced. Never any major dents, but minor dings have been burnished out in our shop in Wichita. Case is new, French mouthpiece is from the same period, large tone-chamber and stamped “F. Barbier a Paris”. Previously owned by a fellow who bought it more than 30 years ago, this one’s unusual because it’s never had any major dents or damage. Perhaps as fine a bass as you’d find anywhere and a “best buy” at $8850. SOLD
Good Selmer (Paris) Super Balanced Action Baritone sax, #38,46x, made in France 1949. Original American lacquer finish is worn about 40%. Serial number is also on the neck. Very good engraving to the bell, never any large dents, but numerous small dings have been burnished out in our shop in Wichita. Range is to low B-flat. Very good player, all original, now straight and tight, all dings burnished out, new pads and corks from our shop in Wichita. Price includes new case, new mouthpiece. $6,950. SOLD
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Everything is special at Wichita Band!