Johnny Hodges - How, Where, When?

[jmoen3]

I'm a huge Johnny hodges fan! I've been ranting and raving about him since I first heard him about 6 months ago, just about the time I joined this forum :D.

My question is, where on earth are all the Vito Johnny Hodges model saxophones?

I would absolutely love to get my hands on one of the gorgeous horns! I hear most Vito horns are highly underrated, and I'm sure this model is definitely no exception. The only problem is, I have yet to see one for sale anywhere, or even a trace of one being for sale.

How would one go about finding a saxophone like this?!

[FremontSax]

They pop up on ebay about every two months or so. I stop bidding on them at around 400 USD and they close for little over that. My guess is that there are around 1500 to 2000 of them manufactured. So just be patient and be prepared to spend $450.

and then another $700 for the repad/rebuild

They are great to play as are the Leblanc Model 100 and 150's