Kohlert?

[Brassy]

Hi guys.
I've found a mysterious alto sax. It's a Kohlerta Synovè Kraslice "High Class".
Silver plated, rolled toneholes, range from Bb to high F, microtuner on the neck. Engraved on the bell (somewhat that seems a crown, the photo is bad).
I can't find any information about it. I also search in saxpics.com.

Some photos here www.sparklinghaze.net/photos.htm

[Brassy]

Now I know the serial number: 255196

[jasendorf]

The tone holes and guards and SOME of the keys look like my Kohlert tenor... but I'd say this must be a much, much earlier model from the next and the left-hand spatula.

[goodsax]

That extra right palm key, up and to the right of the other three, was on a V. Kohlert & Sons alto I purchased about 3-4 years ago that had the Julius Keilwerth logo and Made in Czechoslovakia stamped on it. I haven't seen any other saxes with that key. I think it was a trill key of some kind, but can't remember for certain.

[Raylan]

I'm gonna go see one of these near where I live tomorrow. It's a Kohlert Alto (silver satin finish) with the serial number 238794. It's got the features that you say, Brassy.

The owner says it's in very good condition.. It hasn't been used at all since the 50's. It's been stored properly and he thought it played well. The price will be about the eq to $300. I don't know whether I'll buy it though.

[RootyTootoot]

That sounds like a reasonable price. Is the silver plate original though? Some people like Kohlert a lot. I had a 57 alto for a while and that was a good horn.

[Raylan]

I'm almost 100% that it's the original finish. I talked to him on the phone and I asked if there were any writings on it, like anything. He said he had difficult reading them as in satin plating on top of the shiny plating (?), the letters being shiny. Maybe that was a bad explanation. It might need a little polishing too.

[Raylan]

Really mad at that fellow now. Feels like he tricked me there. The octave key was soldered (reeally ugly), it was in a dirty shape and just about didn't play at all. A few pads were even missing... The neck was missing cork, and ofcourse broken too. I can't belive why he said it played well?!

He was a nice man though.. He and his wife made tea and I drank a few cups and had a few sandwiches. He played jazz when it was new here in Sweden in the 40's or 50's I think he said. Now listen to this. They were prohibited to rehearse at their school cause the schoolboard thought said they played "nigger-music, the devils creation". So they had to rehearse elsewhere.

Turned out he mainly played Bb Clarinet, and he even put on a recording where he and his buds played. He was actually quite good.

[goodsax]

Did you discover all this after, or before, you bought it? If after, can you get your money back? I'm a little confused about your having the opportunity to sit down with him and have tea and sandwiches, but no opportunity to test play the horn before buying it? A bit of clarification would be great.

[Raylan]

Nonono, I didn't buy it. God heavens no. I arrived, they were very nice, we had tea and sandwiches, then I tried the horn and said no. Then we listened to his recording from the 50's, then we talked a bit then I left.

[goodsax]

Nonono, I didn't buy it. God heavens no. I arrived, they were very nice, we had tea and sandwiches, then I tried the horn and said no. Then we listened to his recording from the 50's, then we talked a bit then I left.I was hoping, for your sake, that was the case. Too bad you couldn't have negotiated a lower price that might have made the cost of an overhaul still worthy of consideration. OTOH, maybe this one was too far gone to warrant a cost-effective overhaul. Better luck next time.

If nothing else, this is a prime example of why it's always best to have the opportunity to test play a horn before buying, unlike most of the eBay deals many of us roll the dice for.