Unknown vintage French Sax

[younggrasshopper]

Hello Everyone

I'm new to the site and new to playing a sax, better still i have 0 experience at this point, but i would like to change that.

I would really like some help!
Ive got a Saxophone of which i don't know the brand, or anything else about it really.

I took it to a well known sax shop here in Holland, but they also didn't know much about it other then that it was a vintage Saxophone from around the 1920's and was based on one of the first models made by Adolphe Sax, it doesnt have a brand name anywhere, but there is a serial number on the thumbrest, wich is:1233.
and its got a plaque on the side in french wich says, :
"Maison Fondee en 1850, Diplome D'Honneur & MEDAILLES D'OR" and then:
"GERVEX 48 Rue Richer Paris"

The people at the shop told me that the plaque was put on in a later stage, but i don't know.


I would really appreciate it if anyone could help me with this!
Thank you in advance!

PS: I'm sorry for any mistakes i made in the spelling, but english isnt my native language;)

[JayeSF]

Hello.

Your english is fine.

Can you take a picture and post it here ? A few pictures....

[milandro]

Welkom op Saxontheweb! French saxophones could be made by many makers, many of which would be very obscure to anyone, you need a real specialist, we have a couple on the special French section of the forum. Note that many French saxophones have addresses but quite often they are just the retailer and not the actual maker. A picture speaks thousands words. Good luck with your quest.:)

[RalphH]

A friend of mine has exactly the same! Also an unknown sax with the same plate on it:

Maison Fondée 1850
Diplome D’honnor
& Medailles D’or

GERVEX

48, Rue Richer

Paris


You can see some pictures here:
http://pluvero.nl/img/Pierret/

I posted it on a dutch forum and got a reaction it may be a Pierret sax. You can see that post here:
http://saxforum.nl/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4307

[NissanVintageSax]

French sax manufacturers:

Pierret
Melerne
Dolnet
Cousnon
Beaugnier
Selmer

plus I'm missing a bunch too. Many made stencils. There were also German and Czech manufacturers that shipped across borders, not unlike China is doing today, where stores put their names on the horn. So, a picture would be worth 1000 words!

[RalphH]

Of ben je zelf rashid? :shock:

[JayeSF]

A friend of mine has exactly the same! Also an unknown sax with the same plate on it:

Maison Fondée 1850
Diplome D';honnor
& Medailles D';or

GERVEX

48, Rue Richer

Paris


You can see some pictures here:
http://pluvero.nl/img/Pierret/

I posted it on a dutch forum and got a reaction it may be a Pierret sax. You can see that post here:
http://saxforum.nl/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4307

Yours may well be a Pierret. It's not a Malerne, it's not a Dolnet, for sure... The problem is, just because the engraving name of the distributor/seller/music shop is the same, that doesn't necessarily mean it was made by the same mfr. Particularly if it is just literally a plate affixed to the instrument itself....

However, seems the OP may be long gone, without ever having posted an image of his/her horn....so we may never know....

[Maarten]

Hee Ralph

Potverdorie jij ook al hier. :D Saxforum.nl gaat sotw overnemen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ik ben hier ook lid sinds vrijdag ofzo.
Dit is nog verslavender dan het saxforum!
Groetjes Maaarten van saxforum

[milandro]

Mmmmmmm, lets make our English speaking friends a part of this, shall we?
should someone think you are writing terrible things about his feet stinking or her breath burning the inside of the saxophone she plays !
Welcome to SOTW , the Dutch chapter seems to grow bigger and bigger. ;) :)

".......Hi Ralp, by Jove ! You're here too! Saxforum.nl is gonna take SOTW over!
I am a member here since Friday or thereabouts
This is even more addictive than saxforum.nl
Greetings, Maarten of Saxforum........."

incidentally, Nico Bodewes might know something about really old saxophones......

[RalphH]

Haha! lets keep it english indeed ;) funny that you are here to Maarten :D I joined becouse i found this thread, but i'm now posting in other ones to ;) Let the Dutch take over!! :D

Milando, nice work translating Maarten ;) hahah

[milandro]

Dank je wel Ralph en welkom op SOTW!

Thank you Ralph and welcome on SOTW! The bilingual thing is fun although time consuming but, in general terms, there is a policy of writing in English on this forum. You will find many countrymen, fellow saxophonists of all levels. Some are even saxforum members. Enjoy! Veel plezier!

[cmelodysax]

Milandro - crazy thing is, I just about understood Maartens post... :shock:

But thanks for confirming it with the translation !

[milandro]

Milandro - crazy thing is, I just about understood Maartens post... :shock:

But thanks for confirming it with the translation !

that is because it was single Dutch.........not double :D

[Maarten]

Indeed, like Russian, Dutch is an easy language to learn. :D

[milandro]

although it can be argued that even kids speak Russian...in Russia........I am afraid that Russian is way more complicated than Dutch......

one question remains..........what does all of this have to do with the French horn that we were talking about? :D

[JayeSF]

Let the Dutch take over!! :D


...worse things can happen......:|

[RalphH]

although it can be argued that even kids speak Russian...in Russia........I am afraid that Russian is way more complicated than Dutch......

one question remains..........what does all of this have to do with the French horn that we were talking about? :D

A bit off topic indeed, but I want to post just one more off topic reaction: :P
Dutch seems to be the third most difficult language in the world (I was shocked to). So don't think Russian is more complicated ;)

On-topic again: Does anyone have an idea of where or how to find out what kind of sax this is?

[milandro]

A bit off topic indeed, but I want to post just one more off topic reaction: :P
Dutch seems to be the third most difficult language in the world (I was shocked to). So don't think Russian is more complicated ;)

On-topic again: Does anyone have an idea of where or how to find out what kind of sax this is?

That is an Urban Legend or broodjeaap for you and me......Dutch is not a very difficult language by any stretch of imagination .....Hungarian, for example has 35 cases (naamvallen)

Finding information on obscure French Horns is very tricky indeed.........

[cmelodysax]

RalphH - as Pierret has been mentioned (if only in the link), here's another link to Pierret info on Helen's Bassic Sax blog.

http://www.bassic-sax.ca/pierret1.html

( if only for a process of elimination... )

[milandro]

this sax looks a lot like some Lyrists that I've seen but those are mysterious too..........

[RalphH]

RalphH - as Pierret has been mentioned (if only in the link), here's another link to Pierret info on Helen's Bassic Sax blog.

http://www.bassic-sax.ca/pierret1.html

( if only for a process of elimination... )

Thnx for the link! Allready knew it, and emailed my pictures to that guy. Had no reaction. when i sudied the photo's on the website, i saw a lot of things in common, exept the neck. That one is totally different than the sax in my pictures (compare this one (http://www.bassic-sax.ca/p_neck.html) with this one (http://pluvero.nl/img/Pierret/IMG_23692.jpg)). So I still don't know... But its a usefull site anyway :)