Clickblog689

Beaugnier:

If you decided to play around with the serial numbers on http://www.doctorsax.biz/beaugnier_ser_nos.htm, note that he doesn't differentiate between the Leblanc System (two/three versions), Rationale (whichever spelling you wish) and Semi Rationale (two versions).

Boosey and Hawkes:

1. Boosey and Hawkes is a combination of the Boosey company and the Hawkes company. Hawkes produced their own instruments, for a time, and combined with Boosey in the 1930s. Boosey and Hawkes have been, since that time, sheet music producers and importers.

2. A lot of the saxophones stamped 'Boosey and Hawkes' are stencil instruments. To read more about stencils, please read my article HERE.

Keefer:

The vast majority of saxophones stamped 'Keefer' are stencils.

Buescher:

Horns stamped 'The Buescher Band Instrument Company' from the 1920's are stencils, as are the modern BU-series of horns available from Selmer, and follow different serial number charts.

Buffet-Crampon:

1. A small, but significant, percentage of all Buffet and/or Evette-Schaeffer woodwinds in the 1900-1930 range (or so) were Conn stencils and do not have Buffet serial numbers. In the 1990's, Keilwerth stenciled a saxophone for Buffet called the 'Expression' and that model has a Keilwerth serial number.

2. The modern Buffet 400 (and similar) are Asian-made and do not follow these serial number charts.

Bundy:

1. The Bundy in question here is from approximately 1950 to date. Earlier horns were a mixture of Conn and Buescher stencils.

2. For a brief time, Bundy and Bundy Special saxophones were available from Keilwerth and Dörfler & Jörka, are stamped 'Made in Germany' and do not have a Bundy serial number.

Julius Keilwerth:

Except for the ST-90 I and EX-90 I and II, the ST-90 and EX-90 were not made by Keilwerth and probably do not have Keilwerth serial numbers. For a chart of those models, see THIS.

Kohlert:

The modern Kohlert instruments are made in China or Taiwan. Their serial number format is completely different. The serial numbers listed here are for the German/Czech made instruments.

LeBlanc:

Leblanc does not give out serial number charts. If you ask them, EXCESSIVELY NICELY, about a serial number off a horn you own, they might tell you when it was made.

SML:

1. The SML A400/T400 are Asian-made stencils not made under the authority of SML and are not included in this chart.

2. Some very early SML saxophones were stencils. There are also occasional late-model stencils. For further info, click HERE.

Vito:

Vito saxophones have been made by Vito (Wisconsin), Beaugnier, Leblanc, Yamaha, Jupiter and Yanagisawa. Keep this in mind when attempting to date your instrument.

Yamaha:

These serial numbers are probably only for the Vito labeled YAS-21/23/25 stencils. However, these serials might apply to all Yamsaha instruments.

The standard info on Yamaha serial numbers is that they are not sequential and you need to contact Yamaha directly for information.

Beaugnier:

If you decided to play around with the serial numbers on http://www.doctorsax.biz/beaugnier_ser_nos.htm, note that he doesn't differentiate between the Leblanc System (two/three versions), Rationale (whichever spelling you wish) and Semi Rationale (two versions).

Boosey and Hawkes:

1. Boosey and Hawkes is a combination of the Boosey company and the Hawkes company. Hawkes produced their own instruments, for a time, and combined with Boosey in the 1930s. Boosey and Hawkes have been, since that time, sheet music producers and importers.

2. A lot of the saxophones stamped 'Boosey and Hawkes' are stencil instruments. To read more about stencils, please read my article HERE.

Keefer:

The vast majority of saxophones stamped 'Keefer' are stencils.

Buescher:

Horns stamped 'The Buescher Band Instrument Company' from the 1920's are stencils, as are the modern BU-series of horns available from Selmer, and follow different serial number charts.

Buffet-Crampon:

1. A small, but significant, percentage of all Buffet and/or Evette-Schaeffer woodwinds in the 1900-1930 range (or so) were Conn stencils and do not have Buffet serial numbers. In the 1990's, Keilwerth stenciled a saxophone for Buffet called the 'Expression' and that model has a Keilwerth serial number.

2. The modern Buffet 400 (and similar) are Asian-made and do not follow these serial number charts.

Bundy:

1. The Bundy in question here is from approximately 1950 to date. Earlier horns were a mixture of Conn and Buescher stencils.

2. For a brief time, Bundy and Bundy Special saxophones were available from Keilwerth and Dörfler & Jörka, are stamped 'Made in Germany' and do not have a Bundy serial number.

Julius Keilwerth:

Except for the ST-90 I and EX-90 I and II, the ST-90 and EX-90 were not made by Keilwerth and probably do not have Keilwerth serial numbers. For a chart of those models, see THIS.

Kohlert:

The modern Kohlert instruments are made in China or Taiwan. Their serial number format is completely different. The serial numbers listed here are for the German/Czech made instruments.

LeBlanc:

Leblanc does not give out serial number charts. If you ask them, EXCESSIVELY NICELY, about a serial number off a horn you own, they might tell you when it was made.

SML:

1. The SML A400/T400 are Asian-made stencils not made under the authority of SML and are not included in this chart.

2. Some very early SML saxophones were stencils. There are also occasional late-model stencils. For further info, click HERE.

Vito:

Vito saxophones have been made by Vito (Wisconsin), Beaugnier, Leblanc, Yamaha, Jupiter and Yanagisawa. Keep this in mind when attempting to date your instrument.

Yamaha:

These serial numbers are probably only for the Vito labeled YAS-21/23/25 stencils. However, these serials might apply to all Yamsaha instruments.

The standard info on Yamaha serial numbers is that they are not sequential and you need to contact Yamaha directly for information.