lamont saxes

[altoman]

Does anyone know who makes this horns? Any info is appreciated

[Helen]

I have never heard of a Lamont, but I have heard of Lamonte. I have a Lamonte tenor that was the first saxophone I ever owned. My parents bought it for me used in the late seventies. The horn was likely about 10 years old at least.

They are an Italian made, student model saxophone with left hand bell keys.

I have never found any info. on the company. No one seems to know anything about the horns. The one question everyone seems to ask is, is it a stencil horn? To my knowledge, I don't think so. It looks like no other student model horn that I've ever come across. It has a fairly large bell, and is quite heavy.

I don't know if this answers any of your questions. Maybe so much time has gone by that it doesn't matter anymore, but anyways, if you want more info. Let me know. I'll try and fill in the blanks a bit more.

[Chief_star]

I know of these saxes. They are a cheap entry level instrument from Taiwan. Not sure but I think Century. Sold as a pro horn, but i don't know of any pros playing them. I was told they were like a Temby, but I played both, bought a Temby and there's no comparison.

[spiderjames]

Chief star,

Are you sure you are talking about the same saxes. There are several makes that look exactly the same as the Lamontes all are from Italy. I had one called a Henri Lavalle. For a student model it was pretty well made with fairly quick modern action. I had a hard time getting it to speak well above high D. I personally think thes could be decent players with a bit of swedging and tweaking etc.

[gyrofrog.com]

Is it Lamont or LaMonte? I have one of the latter, an alto, I picked it up real cheap just for fun. It's an Italian horn. I can't get it to play in tune, at least not tuned where A=440Hz. The neck is much shorter than those of other altos. In fact, everything seems to be .25 or .5 inch further up or down the horn than on most others. Big bell. Not a bad sound at all, actually. But it won't play in tune (so far).

[Hutch]

Hi altoman,
I know this is an old post but was wondering if you ever recieved more info on Lamont saxes. I have been looking around at a new alto and have seen and played a couple of the lamonts and they seem pretty nice for the money, specially the black one.
I con't find much info about them either, can you email me if you have any info
hutchdm@optusnet.com.au

[John Nalanger]

Hello everyone,
I am surprised at these articles,because I could hardly find anything about the Lamonte Sax.
I will have a LaMonte sax,which seems to be similar to Conn Shooting Star models.Does anyone have an information of LaMonte Sax? :confused:

[John Nalanger]

Ok,then I've been Netsurfin' on the webs and read some articles about LaMonte Sax.

If Lamonte sax is a stencil,what the maker did make LaMonte sax?Some says Martin-Freres' clarinet student model was called LaMonte,which might be associated with LaMonte sax?? Martin-Freres is an old French manufacture which holds lines of windwoods but seemed never to have made a saxophone by themselves,it was also a stencil.then...
I guess Orsi?an big Italian maker,......but no proof.

I appreciate those very interesting articles I've read about LaMonte sax.I will be very glad if someone would add more information to this article ;)

[Pete]

IMHO, "Lamonte" just happens to have been a name used by several different manufacturers at different times. I, myself, have seen at least one Martin stencil with that name.

The best suggestion is that you post a link to a picture or three of the saxophone that you're talking about, so we're all talking about the same horn.

[stitch]

Is it Lamont or LaMonte? I have one of the latter, an alto, I picked it up real cheap just for fun. It's an Italian horn. I can't get it to play in tune, at least not tuned where A=440Hz. The neck is much shorter than those of other altos. In fact, everything seems to be .25 or .5 inch further up or down the horn than on most others. Big bell. Not a bad sound at all, actually. But it won't play in tune (so far).

Sounds like it's a high-pitch horn, and it won't EVER play in tune - not with other instruments anyway!

[John Nalanger]

IMHO, "Lamonte" just happens to have been a name used by several different manufacturers at different times. I, myself, have seen at least one Martin stencil with that name.

The best suggestion is that you post a link to a picture or three of the saxophone that you're talking about, so we're all talking about the same horn.

Hello Saxpics,I really appreciate your great works,a lot of the pictures and histories of the vintage saxophones. :)
I just mean the LaMonte saxophone seen as follow links,
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7311053528&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7310442274&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&rd=1
These saxophnes look like Conn shooting star??but I don't know.
Three diffrent saxophones named Lamonte??well...I may think my listed ones are of the three saxophones you meant.
I will be very happy if you would tell me about these saxophones.

Let's talk about these LaMonte Saxophones!! :D

[Helen]

I orginally replied to this thread when it first started. My comments still stand. I just looked at the Ebay ads, and both of those horns look exactly like my Lamonte tenor that hangs on my living room wall. My tenor's serial number is D83XX.

Why the comparison to a shooting star? Other than the left side bell keys, and the lack of the articulated G# key, I don't find any similarities.

I did take my horn off the wall a few weeks ago and played it for about 15 minutes. For a horn that has been hanging on the wall for almost 15 years, it plays amazingly well!! It has a big sound with an even scale.

It is a decent student model horn: one that would very easily hold its own against its contemporaries, but I certainly wouldn't rush out and buy more of them. I wouldn't play it over my Mark VI, or even my Martin Handcraft, but if I needed a back-up because both my tenors had been run over by a truck, I would certainly use it.

Just as a general aside, I find that most "vintage" student model horns, like a Lamonte, King Clevland, etc. etc. have a fuller sound than today's student model horns. The older horns seem to be heavier, and have a more "professional" horn type of sound...Or are at least capable of producing a more "professional" type sound.

[John Nalanger]

Hi I am very glad to see the responses to this LaMonte Saxophone.Thank you.

The other day I saw another saxophone that looked very similar to the LaMonte sax.Please take a look at this.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=16234&item=7316069878&rd=1

I think this is the same as LaMonte sax.I don't know what Andre Revan is.If someone know this,please let me know about this interesting saxophone.

P.S. Helen,I have been watching the pictures of Conn shooting stars models,it can be said that there are some different points between LaMonte and Conn.Although I had thought it looked like Conn shooting stars,the neck is different,but the B and Bb guard(not wired type) and the bell-to-body brace are similar to Conn?I don't know the difference of the G#key,or it could be said it's similar to Leblanc??.......well I couldn't confirm that it is similar to Conn models.Then what the maker did make this LaMonte saxophone??? :?

[Mister VI]

...3 years later - I have recently a played a Lamont (as spelt by altoman), it looks as though it came out of the same Taiwanese factory as the Temby Australia Saxophones. If you sit them next to each other you can't tell the difference!

[rodelliot]

Here's one more picture of Lamont..http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-9/389261/240px-Demond_Wilson1.jpg..Lamont Sanford, that is. He and his father ran a junk store in a tv sitcom back in the 70's. Though Lamont himself was not junk, these Lamont(e) saxes likely are. Buy a used horn for cyrin' out loud and get on with it!

[HUTMO]

I'm havin' the BIG ONe Lizbeth!!!!!!

[rodelliot]

"Fred, you 'ol fish-eyed fool!"

[al9672]

Looks like lamont(no e) is yet another Australian shop brand like Largo , Temby, rythm et al


http://www.ozwinds.com.au/product_info.php?cPath=322_292_31&products_id=81
http://www.ozwinds.com.au/product_info.php?products_id=1068
http://www.ozwinds.com.au/product_info.php?cPath=322_292_29&products_id=944
http://www.ozwinds.com.au/product_info.php?cPath=322_292_29&products_id=945

[bruce bailey]

In the US the name was used by various distributors and often the horns came from different sources.