bari_sax_diva
12-16-2008, 08:19 AM
My first alto (at least, the first one I owned) was a Japanese-made Vito, and since these are usually a bargain I've sorta been looking for one for a while.
Instead, I develop a previously-undiagnosed phobia related to shiny horns and end up with this one I scored on fleabay. It's a Kenosha-built Vito Special with parts by Beaugnier, or at least I *think* this is the case. The body has an unusual matte finish--kinda like the matte-painted Bundy, but nicer--and I thought the keys probably had been lacquered at some point, so maybe the body was sprayed, too. But then another prowl through Kim Slava's website (doctorsax.biz) turned up a twin (http://www.doctorsax.biz/vito_alto_1607.htm), so now I'm back to thinking this is the original finish and wondering what might have been on the keys.
The horn needs a bit of work right now and doesn't really go all the way through the scale. However, the sound on what I *can* play is really nice so I'll deposit this with my tech tomorrow and see what it needs. If this was a student instrument, I do have to say it was lovingly cared-for; I could only find two small dings in the entire horn, and I'm looking forward to trying it once it's been tweaked. Purty, eh? I sure hope it's the "sleeper" horn I think it might be... :)
http://leannepowers.com/vito/200131825_o.jpg
http://leannepowers.com/vito/200132202_o.jpg
Instead, I develop a previously-undiagnosed phobia related to shiny horns and end up with this one I scored on fleabay. It's a Kenosha-built Vito Special with parts by Beaugnier, or at least I *think* this is the case. The body has an unusual matte finish--kinda like the matte-painted Bundy, but nicer--and I thought the keys probably had been lacquered at some point, so maybe the body was sprayed, too. But then another prowl through Kim Slava's website (doctorsax.biz) turned up a twin (http://www.doctorsax.biz/vito_alto_1607.htm), so now I'm back to thinking this is the original finish and wondering what might have been on the keys.
The horn needs a bit of work right now and doesn't really go all the way through the scale. However, the sound on what I *can* play is really nice so I'll deposit this with my tech tomorrow and see what it needs. If this was a student instrument, I do have to say it was lovingly cared-for; I could only find two small dings in the entire horn, and I'm looking forward to trying it once it's been tweaked. Purty, eh? I sure hope it's the "sleeper" horn I think it might be... :)
http://leannepowers.com/vito/200131825_o.jpg
http://leannepowers.com/vito/200132202_o.jpg