DOLNET APPRECIATION THREAD - Dollies rule [Archive]

Uwe Steinmetz

01-19-2007, 07:35 AM

I am thinking of starting a website on Dolnet saxophones - no kidding, just a simple collection of pictures and a few details on the history of these saxes that I appreciate a lot. To start this project I would like to get your input - hidden or fanatic DOLNET fans and players. Why don´t we feel like other proud sax owners of MARK VIs, Buescher TH&Cs etc. - let´s enjoy sharing our joy of playing these fine saxes and researching more on their history.

Since there has been always some mixed quotes about Dolnets and their weaknesses I would like to turn things a bit around and have one thread where every ENTHUSIASTIC Dolnet player and collector is able to post his favourite pictures and details about the Dolnet history and his instrument.

I have played and recorded lots of different saxophones during the last ten years but always return since two years now to DOLNETS and I would like to state that these are wonderful saxophones, exceptionally designed and built with sound qualities and response equally or superior to any other professional french saxophone of the 50s and 60s.

I start the thread with four pictures of my gold plated ROYAL JAZZ Alto saxophone. Its serial number is around 55xxx. The finish is quite interesting, gold on silver plate plus a thin layer of clear laquer to protect the plating. It is a very heavy horn but plays very well.

... I am looking forward to many of your pictures and reponses ... All the very best wishes to to everyone, Uwe.

Midnitesax

01-24-2007, 08:57 AM

Dolnets rock. Period. Clear, powerful, projection. Tremendous low end. I've got an alto and tenor. Get one if you can. Best kept secret out there. And prices undoubtedly will be going up as folks discover these French horns made in small numbers. Aside from the Mk VI, the only French horn I've played with real balls. (and I'm typically a Conn Chu guy.....)

decade

01-24-2007, 09:02 AM

perty.

Sax Hut

01-25-2007, 01:19 AM

Uwe, wish I had some pics to offer, but I haven't had much luck finding a Dolnet that hasn't been abused. abadcliche had nickel-plated one for sale here a few weeks back ..... nicest I've seen. I want to get a plated tenor before everyone finds out what they're missing.

Uwe Steinmetz

01-25-2007, 07:11 AM

Hi,
apparently Dolnets were mostly sold in europe, so you still find some cheap ones in germany, netherlands and france. Please check out this link to a private second hand side in the netherlands http://www.marktplaats.nl
Just enter DOLNET in the "ZOEK" (search) field - there are a couple of Dolnets regularly for sale, I assume nickel/silver plated tenor for at this point 275 EURO. Most dutch people speak excellent english but I am happy to assist with german if that would be of any help, more detailed pictures would be great.

Best, Uwe.

SAXISMYAXE

01-25-2007, 09:12 AM

In my collection of horns, I have a lovely Dolnet Bel Aire Tenor that I think is a fantastic horn. If it is good enough for Don Byas, it's good enough for us! These horns remind me of a slightly more centered 10M tone wise.

Speaking of Abadcliche's Dolnet, I really wish I had bought that before the one I purchased, due to it's fine cosmetic condition, and the fact that he recently tuned it up for sale.

joel payne

01-25-2007, 06:13 PM

Be sure to verify the tuning (A440-US,A442Europe).

rhysonsax

01-25-2007, 06:41 PM

I don't know whether Dolnets came in two versions (A440 or A442). I think it's unlikely, but pretty much an irrelevance anyway.

I'd be very surprised if you can't move the mouthpiece the small amount needed to adjust the tuning by less than 8 cents without throwing the horn out. And that 8 cents is more than the difference between A440 and A442.

Rhys

Proud owner of a Dolnet Bel Air tenor.

Sax Hut

01-25-2007, 07:01 PM

Someone posted on SOTW not long back about having received a Dolnet that sounded great but turned out to be a high-pitch instrument (A=457 Hz).

I would really like to know if Dolnet made horns tuned to more than one pitch standard. I'm sorta skeptical, but perhaps some really old (<1920s) Dolnets were high-pitch?

Belairs would ALL be a modern-standard horn, no?

bfoster64

01-26-2007, 12:49 AM

This is the Dolnet appreciation thread, but part of appreciating something is developing an understanding of its nuances. I say this because I once played a Dolnet tenor that I think was high pitch because I had to put my mouthpiece all the way on the end of the cork to make it work, and even then the tuning was sharp. I put it next to my other horns and it looked like a slightly smaller horn. I'm not trying to be negative, just spreading a word of caution.

Now I am borrowing a Dolnet bari and the intonation is fine with the mouthpiece up in the middle of the cork. It's not as exact as on my Buffet or B&S, but it is certainly adequate. I can really appreciate the big tone on this bari, and I agree it is kinda like a Conn 10m but a little more centered.

Sax Hut

01-26-2007, 05:05 PM

Appreciating the mystique here .....

If Dolnet did produce Belairs (for example) to more than one pitch standard, sure would be nice to have some sort of ID on the horn for that (like the L or Low Pitch that you see on so many vintage Murikan horns....). I would like to believe people didn't intentionally import high-pitch horns into North America....

I've played two Belair tenors (always everything with my metal Link, so think "open chamber"). One, set up, was spot on, no need to pull the mpc out to the edge.... The other, an ebay special with warped toneholes (from poorly repaired dent) and aging pads, was "all over the place," ...... 5 cents flat here, 10 cents sharp there, 15 cents sharp up high, etc. Not consisently high, but say, adjust mpc position for sharps in the lower half of the second register and suddenly it's too flat elsewhere. Could be the poor setup condition, could be the way the thing came out the factory, just dunno.

Having said that, I love the Dolnet sound. As others have described it, and I'd agree, it seems to be a real blend of that French ring and American FAT.

Uwe Steinmetz

01-26-2007, 06:29 PM

Hi to all, glad we get into details. I gree with wind.miller. I have owned and resold Dolnet Altos of different ages and models until I found the current one. ALL of them where difficult to handle intonation wise compared to the saxes I played before - Buffet SDA etc. BUT, when listening to recorded tracks with these saxes I knew, I had found the sound that I liked best.

Obviously, the sound is essentially created by each players embochoure, his mouthpiece, reed then for the last small percentage by the instrument. However, I have found that an instrument can absolutely inspire your playing and support your sound concept or NOT - each player still sounds the same on a sax that is not "supportive" - but he won´t be inspired to the same degree. This is the reason why I found the DOLNETs being inspiring and supportive for me, I played KINGS, CONNs and Bueschers before and liked also very much vintage Buffets.

Back to the intonation issue: I have never come across a HP Dolnet but they migh have surely built some, at least some in the 30s or so. Please check out this ebay link for example: http://cgi.ebay.de/Alt-Saxophon-Saxofon-DOLNET-Paris_W0QQitemZ290074271157QQihZ019QQcategoryZ8458 5QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
This model has a very similar engraving as early Buffet Saxophones (20s, 30s) and it says DLP (LP for "Low Pitch") - this should be the time where they produced DHP instruments as well.

Again with intonation: Since I use vintage Selmer or PILLINGER mouthpieces, I have no problems with my Dolnet. I did play for five years a ZINNER NY model which didn´t really work well, but played great on my King Super 20.

I have once heard that the early Dolnets have the same bore as early Bueschers, can someone comment on that?

Many thanks for your comments so far. I have reserved a webspace @ www.dolnet-saxophones.net where I will start posting stuff during the next weeks. Please do send me your pictures (email) and any related knowledge on the history and building/design/manufacturing issues. I have been in touch with Laurie Pimplett and hope to get some writings and pictures from him.

Best wishes , Uwe.

Pinnman

01-26-2007, 09:11 PM

I had a Royal Jazz alto which was great. Really solid, heavy sax - silver plate in excellent condition. Rock solid lower register, even when coming down an octave - no wavering at all. The only problem was that it was so different from all my other saxes that it needed a big change in technique which would not have fitted with how I played Buescher, Selmer, Martin Conn ... So it went - but a great shame that I had to let it go.

AhCheung

01-27-2007, 07:37 PM

I have once heard that the early Dolnets have the same bore as early Bueschers, can someone comment on that?

Best wishes , Uwe.

Uwe: thanks for the initiative of this thread and the website. I may be able to contribute a few pics from my silver alto Royal Jazz.
The Dolnets are definitely big bore instruments -- whereas exactly the same as Buescher I can't tell.
Just look at the altos that need two key cups for low E and the huge bell (bigger than SMLs).

Since it is an appreciation thread... on the negative side I'd say yes I found an intonation problem in one of the 3 Dolnets I've ever touched (a Bel Air tenor). Low C was desperately sharp. Everything else was fine. Also test played another Bel Air tenor which apparently had no intonation issues whatsoever. My Royal Jazz alto had no intonation issues either but I found that its tone colour was too different in the low end, very velvety whereas the rest (including a powerful high end) was much more focused. The ergos were a bit of a problem for my small hands (in particular the hi E key), too.

But on the positive side, they are great sounding horns, solidly built, and a great value for money (for the moment).

SAXISMYAXE

01-27-2007, 11:41 PM

Uwe,

Please forgive the poor Americans and our severely underdeveloped language skills, however I have to ask:

Although my Father's family is second generation from Germany (Berlin, as a matter of fact), my German linguistics skills are sorely lacking. Since you are fluent in English, and many members of this site are as well, is it possible that you might make your wonderful site available in English as well (the whole thing I mean, I see parts of it are already), now or in the future?

Cheers.

Uwe Steinmetz

01-28-2007, 12:12 AM

Hi Mike,

many thanks for your reply. Yes, I was actually planning to post everything first in english - and write german translations later. I guess, thats the best way to reach out to a broader community of musicians, eventually, a french translation would be nice. I will start posting in the mid of february.

All the very best from Berlin, Uwe.

dansax

01-28-2007, 12:44 PM

Hello, i'm french saxplayer found of dolnet saxs,very glad to meet that tread about Dolnet sax here because in my own country saxplayer don't appreciate thoses saxs wich are really great ones! I'm owning myself a sylvered soprano from the 70 and two altos, a silver laqued "euphonium" from 1942 similar to this one: http://cgi.ebay.de/Alt-Saxophon-Saxo...QQcmdZViewItem and a "bel air" from the 50 gold laquered in exceptionnal state, like new!....(that one is for sale, look at the thead in market place).
I ll read all your contribution with a great pleasure and hope I can help too!
the idea of creating a dolnet dedicate website is a great idea, hope it will be released soon!!!

Also forive my bad english!!!!!!!

Sjax20

01-31-2007, 07:11 PM

Hi to you all,

Good that I found this thread on SOTW! Yesterday I bought a Dolnet in Holland (where I live), not the 275 euro Dolnet that Uwe mentiononed, but another one that I found on www.marktplaats.nl (which was a bit more expensive :( ). It's a nickel plated tenor. The serial number is 3765C, (a Series II?), so I guess it's rather old. According to Saxpics.com it's manufactured between 1940-50, but it already has the diamond shaped bell brace.
I hesitated for a while, since it's hardly in a playable condition: the pads are in a pretty bad shape and it has a number of leaks, especially in the lower register. Apart from that the strap ring is almost broken, and there is a dent in the bell/bow: one side of the C key guard at the bottom depressed the body a bit and it was resoldered. The C tone hole also seems to be a bit deformed, it's not level (although the pad seems to fit more or less, so I think it was repadded after that damage). And there is some wear in the keywork, although this might all be repairable.

But still: I liked the sound of this horn. It actually sounds quite modern and bright, I think. And the cosmetics are OK as well, apart from that dent and the resoldering. Most of the nickel plating is still there. It came with a vintage case, although I don't know if it's original. I don't think I already saw any pictures of a Dolnet case yet.
The intonation seemed to be OK, although it is a bit hard to judge, because of the leaks.

Of course I'll now have to decide what to do with it. I think I will show it to a tech and ask if it is possible to first make it playable without investing a lot of money. Then I could decide if it's worth to have it overhauled.

Anyways, I'm curious how it will sound & play if it's in a better condition!

Uwe, if you wish I could send you some pictures of it for your future website.

BigHunk

02-01-2007, 08:17 AM

To all,
I am the one who bought the dolnet from abadcliche,the first time i saw the Picture of this horn i was stunned,but the price was a little high so i would just go back and stare at the Pic,,then as luck would have it, it came back and at a price i could afford so i went for it.It was mailed to me today so it should be here from new york in 7-10 days.
Matt was a great guy to do business with,i called and spoke to him a couple times and we talked about mouthpieces for this horn and he said medium/large chamber pieces are best.
Can anyone here share some experience on what M/P they have played and what worked well...i have settled on a JJ DV & JJ DV NY for my Ref 54 tenor after afew years of trial and error so i would like to get some suggestions from members here.

Thanks and here is a pic...

cornific

02-01-2007, 03:55 PM

it really is a striking looking horn. congratulations.

abadcliche

02-02-2007, 06:21 AM

nice horn, uwe. is that plating original? sure is a beautiful horn.

thank you for the kind words, Jeffrey/BigHunk and saxismyaxe. i already miss that horn.

i'll weigh in here. i think a lot of this is old news to bighunk, but might be interesting to some of you. i am also very interested in what experiences other people have had with dolnets, so please contribute!

a case study in dolnet bel air tenor intonation (this is the horn i sold to jeffrey):

1. 5 of 7 people who played it had little to no problems playing it in tune, what would probably be considered as on par with most pro horns.
2. 2 of 7 people who played it had BIG problems with intonation, what would probably be considered as on par with a very poorly made chinese horn or a very vintage clunker.
3. intonation was checked thoroughly with a tuner in all cases. in 2 of the positive cases my violinist coworker with perfect pitch was present and commented on how even the intonation was (he wasnt around for the 2 who had problems- both occurrences were not in the shop). both times he commented on how even it was, a pro player was testing it out.
4. all of the 5 who had no problems played a lot of vintage horns- one played a transitional chu as his main horn, another was my coworker who plays every horn he fixes, one plays a super balanced as his main horn and a 10m as his backup horn, etc.
5. the best mouthpieces seemed to be larger chamber pieces as far as intonation, although one guy played a modern selmer hard rubber piece (although it was a J tip opening!) with no problem, and one played a chinese stock plastic piece with no problems.
6. the 2 who had intonation issues both had issues with the horn playing sharp and very uneven.
7. an original 10M neck plug rattles around in the Dolnet neck receiver, leading me to think the bore is significantly larger than a 10m. in fact most neck plugs are way too small.
8. one person had no problems on a chinese stock mouthpiece, but borrowed it for a gig and used a jodyjazz and had intonation problems. ???
9. one of the two who had intonation problems tried other mouthpieces and still couldnt get it to play in tune. the one who had problems who didnt switch mouthpieces was playing a berg, but im not sure which model as i was not present.
10. mouthpieces that have worked: vintage link super tone master, modern selmer hard rubber with a huge tip opening, modern plastic chinese stock piece, vintage lelandais hard rubber, vintage sumner acousticut, steve broadus s3, woodwind co. b6
11. mouthpieces that have not worked: jodyjazz dv, jodyjazz hr*, modern selmer hard rubber c*, unidentified berg metal
12. mouthpiece that sorta worked, but wasnt great: unidentified lawton metal

All in all it seems like it is possibly a sensitive horn, and DEFINITELY a different beast from most others. Every last bit of breath seems to be transformed into sound, with nothing lost. It is effortless to play, and going from pp to ff is natural and easy and the horn still begs for more when you are giving it all youve got.

intonation seems to be the buzzword for these horns, and in my experience they can be very sensitive to mouthpiece choice. some people think any mouthpiece should play in tune on any horn, but i am firmly not in that camp, as it is just not acoustically possible. if it were, any horn regardless of design should play in tune, and we all know that is not the case. the mouthpiece is a part of the bore and as such different chamber sizes and mouthpiece lengths will make a difference.

for interests sake, here is an auction for a dolnet mouthpiece, showing the original design was a medium-large chamber, which seems in line with most of the mouthpieces that have had good results on this horn: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=013&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=230086669183&rd=1&rd=1

Out of the few people that I have talked to who have played Dolnets, the majority really liked them. The minority didn't like them, and all had similar complaints regarding intonation.

so, to close this novella-length post out:

personally, i am a believer and a fan of dolnets for life. i have played three (two tenors and one alto) and had very similar experiences for each. they are built extremely well, and playing them is a totally different experience than any other. i just cant explain how it feels to blow into the horn and feel that everything is transformed into sound with no resistance or loss or fuzziness. one day when ive got the cash to buy and keep horns vs. buy and sell them, dolnets are near the top of my list.

SAXISMYAXE

02-02-2007, 07:38 AM

Great write up Matt (as usual). Interesting that some have had trouble with the JJ HR* MP, as I often use that on my Dolnet (along with various Links), and don't have any intonation issues. I'm really used to playing vintage horns, with all their idiosyncrasies, so that may be a factor.

Thanks for the great info.

BigHunk

02-02-2007, 10:43 AM

I Hope my JJ DV NY works well,,
I just dumped most all of my M/P collection and dont want to go through that GAS attack again.This is my first vintage horn and im going to really try and work with it.
I will keep you all posted...

Thanks again matt....

abadcliche

02-02-2007, 02:43 PM

mike and bighunk, thanks for the kind words.

mike i am glad to hear that a jodyjazz worked for you. 2 people had problems with jodyjazz mouthpieces in the trials with this particular horn.

well bighunk if your mouthpieces don't work, let me know, and i will send you a bunch of mouthpieces to try out gratis.

playing a dolnet to me feels a lot like playing a conn wonder or new wonder. i really open up my throat and oral cavity, vs. a modern horn where the airstream feels (for lack of a better word) thinner. i find the more i can do that on similar big-bore horns, the better my intonation is, regardless of the mouthpiece I am using.

personally i always have an easier time with something a bit stubbier and with a larger chamber, but like it said it is not necessary for everyone. in fact the guy that really just blew the bejesus out of this horn while trying it out (and allllmost bought it) was a guy named Mark Shim who was the one who used the large tip opening modern selmer piece. he normally plays a conn tranny tenor. his intonation was the best of all of us, really dialed in.

The Hair

02-03-2007, 04:22 AM

I have an old Dolnet at my school, I love the sound, especially the low A. It worked 2 years ago, but it's been abused though, since it doesn't have a case. It was in pretty good shape before then, besides the replaced Eb cover. It's currently in the shop, few things wrong with it, the bell was bent towards the body, so the G# hole doesn't line up right. This was because some genius put a valve trombone case on top it it.:shock: Hope they fix it soon, really wanna get that baby back. Also, at a local music store, I seen the same model in there, but I think they must've stuck a tenor neck in there, because its curved like one.:? Well anyway, overall it's a nice vintage horn. I'll post more maybe when it comes back. I'll also probably beg the band director to buy a case for it :D

hornfixer

02-03-2007, 04:42 AM

Yes, let us know how it plays.
I bet it plays as good as it looks.

abadcliche

02-03-2007, 11:47 PM

but I think they must've stuck a tenor neck in there, because its curved like one.:?

unless you and I are talking about the same horn at jon baltimores in NYC, I have seen another dolnet bari like the one you mention. i also thought it must have been a replacement neck, but perhaps if you have seen another one like it, maybe it was stock on a some dolnet baris?

Uwe Steinmetz

02-05-2007, 11:21 PM

Hi Matt,

thanks for your insightful comments here. I like very much what you say about "every bit of air converts into sound" - I agree a 100% - but still, it´s the player who produces the sound...

Regarding the finish of my alto: I believe it is the original finish. I took it to two major vintage sax repair shops here in Berlin and both agreed that the sax is gold plated (with silverplating beneath which shines through on a couple of places) AND clear laquered as an extra protection for the gold plating. The horn is heavy but plays very well. It must have been a special order for an exhibition or so.

The suggestions about mouthpieces are very valuable. I am working on a simple start of the website and will launch it soon. If you like, please send me some pictures of your instruments.

All the very best wishes, uwe.

Midnitesax

02-10-2007, 02:25 AM

Stellar, comprehensive analysis, Matt. Thanks. If I hadn't just purchased my horn, I would have went after yours.

milandro

02-10-2007, 07:00 PM

Hello there,

very interesting stuff, this site is full of great information. I've just bought my second Dolnet, a tenor 695XXC (haven't been dating it yet, any help?) the first one was an alto 35XXX(no letter as a suffix) both are Bel Air model (according to all the reference sites) even though the engraving only says Dolnet Paris made in France (not uncommon, on a number of models, in my experience). My first alto was a high pitch Dolnet (beware!), I have written about it on this forum. There were no markings to identify this alto as a high pitch one. My repair man, otherwise very competent , didn't have any reason (he thought) to think this saxophone might have been and high pitch instrument because to his knowledge (he is a very respected technician...) high pitch instruments are confined to much older types. Now he knows, and I know..... better!:

From other sources I've learned that here in Holland (yes another one of those Dutchies....even though an import one!) high pitch instruments were commonly used in marching bands until the sixties. My alto looked as new (beware of horns which seem to have been un played there is in general a reason why this has happened or rather hasn't...) but according to serial numbers must have been produced around 1939 or thereabouts (info on serial numbers is very bad....). My teacher saw my alto grabbed it and tried it concluding it was an high pitch instrument in no-time (he is a super player and didn't have to doubt his technique as I did to explain the intonation issues) , he also showed me that my alto was smaller in height and had also a smaller bore than any other alto there (we were having a Improvisation class). An High pitch horn, so be very careful out there!

Well, I exchanged my high pitch alto in an antique shop, the guy didn't mind the intonation issues since he was going to use the horn for pure decoration purposes or play it himself, alone or with a guitar. I got a fairly battered Selmer Bundy wich I rapidly re-sold to make up for part of the losses.

Today I went with a couple of horns (I tend to buy musical instruments for a good price if I come across them) to a shop in Amsterdam and saw a decent Dolnet Tenor. Went in with a very uninteresting King Cleveland 615 and gave them 200 euro cash and got the Dolnet in return. All'n all it was supposed to have cost 700 Euro, which is a fair amount of money, in fact I had bought the King for a lot less them their valuation ans so it didn't turn out to be such a bad deal after all. More than the 275 euro on marktplaats (indeed, check this site out) though.... I guess you guys in the States can find Dolnets for a pittance hanging about but this horns, even though underrated, are already picking up in price in Europe too, at least in shops.

I haven't tried the saxophone with different mouthpieces (I took a simple Yamaha with me in the shop...) but I will test with a tuner, the general, unmeasured, impression is good in any case is a very warm mellow sound even though the pads have metal resonators . I have another sax a Weltklang Solist tenor with plastic Selmer style resonators and I am eagerly awaiting my alto " The Martin" RMC which is currently being re-hauled .

Sax Hut

02-10-2007, 10:04 PM

milandro, it must have been your post about the high-pitch alto I read on here. I'm still a bit surprised Dolnet would make HP Belairs for a local European market. My luck (here in the US) hasn't been that good with finding a Dolnet tenor that is still in good shape, cosmetically. I am not in a major metropolitan area, though, so my "luck" is to be expected. Anyone searching out a Dolnet in the US midwest, northeast, or (especially?) Canada might have much better luck finding something that hasn't been put through the public school band treadmill.... Perhaps there are actually quite a few good Dolnets in circulation up in Canada (but I hope they are not high-pitch...).

milandro

02-11-2007, 12:02 AM

Finding Dolnets (or any other horn for that matter) produced before 1970 which are still in good shape is of course possible but growing increasingly unlikely by the day. However, patience is a gift with which I am not very wel endowed with, as one should whilst looking for the horn of one's dreams.

So in the meantime, I buy what find available (but turned down a couple of really bad specimen ) hoping for a better find sometime in the future. In so doing I have been buying and selling or trading o few horns in the last few months. I find that this gives me a lot of general experience and knowledge on the Saxophones, their qualities, peculiarities and idiosyncrasies . Of course , one shouldn't forget to play the damn things rather then just buying them and I try to, without an incredible amount of succes I might add, but we all have our ghosts... . Mine is leaning to play at a decent level and not really succeeding, but that is another topic better discussed while sipping a stiff drink.

Really there are more high pitch horns around than one can imagine. You, like my technician, seem to be under the impression that their production was limited to the end of the 20ties ( actually I've read that the A=440 Hz came in 1939 in conventional use...) but I am pretty sure that one would be ill advised to buy a horn of a later vintage without any worry. I have seen in Holland on the second hand site (which is by the way owned by ebay that is almost non existent in Holland) previously mentioned this year alone at least 3 times instruments advertised as " Hoge Stemming" (the Dutch for high pitch) , and if you run a search on Google with this term you will find (but you ought to be able to read Dutch I am afraid...) interesting stories of marching bands (Harmonie) which between the 60ties up until the end of the 70ties were still using high pitch instruments. Many of which would tend to show up occasionally.

However I've read of surprising buys on the Internet . Unfortunately we don't really have the Pawn shop institution in Holland and even though this source appears to be drying out in the States too it pays off to search this kind of shops I am told. In Holland , Belgium and France the flea markets were very good sources but unfortunately internet drove most of the good things out of the flea market and on to the Internet where even if an instrument is offered at a very low price it quickly finds its market price.
Sometimes, but just sometimes , one can strike lucky and it is a bitter disappointment when you are not the one who does.

A couple days ago someone offered a King Marigaux SML Tenor in very good state voor 125 Euro on the internet (always the famous Marktplaats ) and the horn had found a new owner in less than half an hour.....I was the second one to phone. Too late!:(

Sjax20

02-11-2007, 10:42 PM

Milandro, I didn't know that these high pitch instruments were still used in Dutch marching bands even in the 70ties. Interesting.
You wrote that this high pitch alto you owned (35xxx) was probably produced around 1939. I'm a bit confused now: according to the Dolnet page on Saxpics.com the Bel Air model was produced between 1950-1970 (serial nrs. 34xxx to 80xxx). So I guess your estimation is based on other resources? It would be interesting to know which sites with Dolnet info you've found.

Marktplaats is indeed a good place to search for saxophones. Last year I bought a Conn Lady face alto for a very reasonable price. And also an old wallhanger from the 30-ies, which drew my attention, because it was probably produced/assembled in Holland, with in interesting inscription in Dutch. But it appeared to be a high-pitch instrument, and in bad shape. I thought I paid too much, but only later I realised that the mouthpiece that came with it (a vintage metal Selmer Jazz) is probably more valuable than the horn :)
I took the Dolnet tenor that I bought a couple of weeks ago to a tech, to fix the leaks. So next week I'll be able to tell you how it plays ...

milandro

02-12-2007, 08:27 AM

Goeiemorgen Sjax!

when I've bought my first Dolnet I had been extensively researching the internet only to find that information is very sketchy however I can't tell you the exact source but I found a site where the 35XXX serie was quoted to be from 1945. There was an addition which was the fact that it the series sold immediately (and I guess for a few years) after WWII , could have actually been produced before the war, hence the possibility that they were from 1939. Information on Dolnets is very very poor. Perhaps the French part of the forum returns more specifics, but all the sources and reference charts are vague and incomplete. One thing is for sure Dolnets are not very well known, let alone appreciated, especially in Holland, Belgium or indeed France. Another sax with pretty much the same lack of records is the Noblet (i've briefly owned an alto).

onkelfudd

02-13-2007, 04:49 PM

Hello Dolnet-Fans!
I own a Dolnet "Bel Air" Tenorsax, serial 60xxxC. I repadded it by myself with Precision Pads and flat metal resos. It has a very good, conn-like sound and good intonation, especially with an Otto Link mpc I have. Mechanics are very fast and for my hands ergonomically better than on my main horn, a The Martin Tenor.
Soundwise I prefer the Martin, but maybe it's only a matter of getting used to a horn in general, to have an own sound.
I'm curious about the homepage for the Dolnet saxes.
If necessary, I can post pics of my Dolnet sax - just let me know.
Greetings,
Chris

Sjax20

02-23-2007, 03:48 PM

Hi all,

My Dolnet tenor (see previous post in this thread) is finally ready to play! Today I got it back from the shop.
My initial plan was to first have the major problems (leaks) fixed, play it for while and then to decide if it would be worth to invest the costs of a full overhaul. But there were too many leaks and bad pads, it would not have been a cheap repair. So I decided to take the risk and I had it overhauled.

I played it for a couple of hours today, and I must say I really like the sound! I tested it with my Britone 7* mouthpiece (which I also use on my King S20). Nice bright and yet sweet sound, rather easy to control.

The intonation is not bad at all. Only the low Bb is rather sharp, it's a bit hard to get it in tune. The low E (and Eb) also seemed to be a bit flat and unstable at first, but after playing for a while it got better. The high (palm) F is also a bit flat, the tech adjusted the key height, and now it's better.

I still need to get used to the ergonomics, which is different as compared to the saxes I've played. The palm D key is placed at a rather high position.

I'm still wondering when it was manufactured. The S/N is 3765C. According to saxpics.com it's an early Series II. But it has some of the features of younger Dolnets: the arc shaped G# and the diamond-shaped bell brace, for instance. Text on the bell: Dolnet Paris - Made in France.

Can someone help me determining its age? I included some pictures, perhaps they will give you a clue.

What do you think the C in the S/N means? Somewhere on a German forum I read that it could refer to Cartier. Does that make sense? If it were a stencil, then I would expect "Cartier" engraved on the bell, instead of "Dolnet".

milandro

02-23-2007, 04:04 PM

Hi Sjax! Congratulations or your Dolnet being brought back to life.
I took a look at your pictures and it seems to be a Nickel coated Bel Air model.
I have a similar but later tenor a Silver plate Bel Air model (maybe I can post some pictures as well as you ) essentially the same as yours. My alto (the high pitch one) was also essentially the same. my tenor had a C as well as yours, the alto had no letter in the serial ID. The intonation issues are there and are mostly due to the adjustment of the height of the different keys. Mine had a D palm key which was opening very little indeed and was very far from tuned. My technician is taking care of all that.

whaler

02-23-2007, 06:16 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwqLW7sgmF0 Here you go. Don Byas playing a Dolnet. Interesting octave key mechanism.

milandro

02-23-2007, 07:13 PM

Yes Indeed, thanks for the link to the videoclip. Here the very same octave mechanism from close by as it features in this museum at the Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University

http://newarkwww.rutgers.edu/IJS/instrumentsB/

you can see the Dolnet among few other interesting instruments.
The octave mechanism is customized in the shape of a Snake with its mouth open flicking its tongue

Sjax20

02-23-2007, 07:31 PM

Ah, the snake in action! Until now I only saw a picture of this horn.

Milandro: thanks!
Indeed, my tenor is nickel plated. Your silver Dolnet looks really nice & shiney! Apart from the plating they look quite similar. One difference : my Dolnet doesn't have the 'rod guard' on the left side (on your 2nd picture).

milandro

02-23-2007, 07:37 PM

Don't mention it, Sjax! My alto didn't have rod guard either, but it is probably a feature introduced later.

Sax Hut

02-24-2007, 09:36 PM

What do you think the C in the S/N means? Somewhere on a German forum I read that it could refer to Cartier. Does that make sense? If it were a stencil, then I would expect "Cartier" engraved on the bell, instead of "Dolnet".

That can't be right. I've seen three Dolnet tenors and one Jean Cartier (Dolnet) stencil tenor. They all had the "C" at the end of the S/N.

I want to nail this down. I suspect the "C" on Dolnets might indicate "low pitch." Milandro and abadcliche have described high-pitch Dolnets that apparently do not have a "C" suffixing their S/Ns. We need more anecdotal evidence to reach a conclusion....

milandro

02-24-2007, 10:06 PM

That can't be right. I've seen three Dolnet tenors and one Jean Cartier (Dolnet) stencil tenor. They all had the "C" at the end of the S/N.

I want to nail this down. I suspect the "C" on Dolnets might indicate "low pitch." Milandro and abadcliche have described high-pitch Dolnets that apparently do not have a "C" suffixing their S/Ns. We need more anecdotal evidence to reach a conclusion....

I am not so sure! Admittingly the serial numbers showed on Saxpics do not constitute a proper chart nor do they provide any information corroborated by any company records, but they do havepre and post-war serial numbers all featuring letters while the pre-war (or thereabouts, I assumed that my high pitch alto was maybe sold after the war but must have been old stock from the pre-war years) seem to have no letters, the fact that a number of tenors had a C at the end of the numbers is counterweighted by some other sax records on saxpics with a G at the end or a J.

I can check on another very old Dolnet tenor owned by someone I know

Sjax20

02-24-2007, 11:29 PM

So maybe these letters refer to something else? I have a pre-war Conn alto with the suffix A, and even though there is much information available for Conn I could not find anything about the meaning of the suffix A. According to saxpics.com the suffix X could refer to certain experimental features, maybe the letter A has a similar meaning. But the Dolnet C suffix is rather common, I think, so I guess it's not likely that it has anything to do with experimental features.

milandro

02-24-2007, 11:40 PM

hopping around these sections dedicated to Donet of the SOTW forum there are several entries which speculate on the significance of these last letters in the SN. However it has been postulated that it has something to do with the production month (C, whatever it was was a busy month....perhaps Christmas?:) ) someone has also thought that it had something to do with intonation being LP while no number meant HP but I would doubt that very much as letters vary and do not make any sense in terms of being an abbreviation or an acronim.

Sax Hut

02-25-2007, 02:40 AM

>(C, whatever it was was a busy month....perhaps Christmas? ) <

Ha, I guess that would be about a month long here..... Well, I'm more perplexed now, briefly I thought I had a shred of understanding, but no.

So, would it seem worth considering that Dolnets with any letter suffix to their SN's would have been low-pitch? Probably not, eh?

Sjax20

02-25-2007, 12:26 PM

So these letters remain a bit of a mystery...

Apart from the meaning of this suffix, I'm still wondering when my 3765C tenor was manufactured.

Milandro, based on the picures that I uploaded you thought it is was a Belair.

It indeed has some of the features that suggest that is a later model: the diamond shaped bell to body brace and the arc shaped G# key. But on Saxpics.com I see a 27xxx alto which does not yet have this type of G# key?? And the LH and RH clusters of my Dolnet LH and RH clusters has metal rollers, I haven't seen these on any other Dolnet yet, including the Belairs. In addition to that, the RH cluster is in line with the body (which seems to be a Series II feature), whereas on the Belairs this cluster is rotated a bit, as for as I can judge from the pictures.

In conclusion, it seems to be a bit difficult to date the horns of this period based on features alone. Horns made in the postwar period aparantly were assembled from a variety of stock parts, old and new. Do you think I'm right to assume that there is no clear distinction between a Series II and Belair? Or did they introduce a radical new design (body/keywork) at some point in time, or are the differences only cosmetic?

Here are some more detailed pictures of my Dolnet:

milandro

02-25-2007, 12:46 PM

I think that Dolnet did the same that other factories did and went on perfecting a design and kept basic features and kept producing a particular model for years alongside the occasional total upgrade of a line with a new model (M70 is another animal altogether but there are several versions, at least so I gather from reading about it, never seen one in the flesh.....or metal). I am not quite sure of where do imperials, studiums, royal Jazz, really feature in all this but I would say that The Bel Air, in one form or another, was the longest selling saxophone and the backbone of their production at least between part of the '30 all the '40 and surely '50 and '60. Minor adjustements and variations are there but the design stayed very much the same especially with the distinctive key guards and left palm cluster. The M70 was the last attempt to bring Dolnet up to date but obviously failed to gather favour among the players of the time which favoured (as ost do to this very day) the superior mechanics of the Selmer Mark VI and even VII.

By the way if you want to see something outlandish look at this very early Dolnet Alto currently on e-bay
http://cgi.ebay.de/Altsaxophon-Dolnet-Paris_W0QQitemZ120087061022QQihZ002QQcategoryZ8458 5QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
look at this incredible octave mechanism!

bfoster64

02-25-2007, 09:44 PM

My bari's serial number is 6xxxx and I'm pretty sure there isn't a letter associated with it. It is a low pitch horn.

DonHo57

03-10-2007, 01:03 PM

I am happy to find other satisfied Dolnet owners here. I have two Bel Air models, one tenor and one alto, and an Imperial model alto. The altos are waiting on me to make time to overhaul them (I used to repair in a local shop), but the tenor I would put up against any horn around, it smokes. I just bought a Bel Air soprano on Ebay, and as soon as I take some before and after pics I'll post them. The neckpipe is very slightly bent just above the octave vent, and the bell a little mashed, but both look to straighten up with little or no cosmetic problems. The action is very tight and the hrn really doesn't look to have been played much over the years. Are there many Dolnet sops out there? I'd been looking around for one for five years.

My Imperial alto does play a little sharp, and the two mouthpieces that seem to work it in tune without a fight are an old Vandoren jazz mouthpiece, and a really old Dukoff I got from Jon van Wie that was opened from a 2 to about a 4.

Uwe Steinmetz

03-23-2007, 01:09 PM

For everyone loooking for a good Dolnet Alto in Silver plate:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-Dolnet-Alto-Saxophone-Just-Overhauled_W0QQitemZ280096998419QQcategoryZ16232QQ rdZ1QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item280096998419

I think, that´s a fair BIT price.

I am working on the website, will post some pictures soon.

Best wishes,

Uwe.

milandro

03-23-2007, 01:26 PM

looks nice, must be a very early vintage though. If anyone wants, I am selling my own Dolnet tenor (pictures are published somewhere before in this thread) because, although very happy with it.....I just layed my hands on a Selmer Mark VII (I like underdogs...).It has just been rehauled and fitted with metal resonators Rigotti pads by a competent technician Tim Brennan from Haarlem (not Harlem .) ) the Netherlands, it plays real great and it will be difficult to separate from this horm but I can't play two tenors nor I am the collector's type, really! Write me in private if you want. My Dolnet is a 69XXXC serial, no intonation problems, definitely a LP. My price is 1000 euros + shipment (this just covers my costs really....).

sax-ony

03-24-2007, 08:52 AM

The one on UK Ebay does look quite early - essentially a Saxpics series one, but with the later Deco keyguards. I have asked the seller for the serial number and will report back here.

Uwe Steinmetz

03-28-2007, 12:37 AM

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280098285498&ssPageName=MERCOSI_VI_ROSI_PR4_PCN_BIX&refitem=280096998419&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=closed_view_item&refwidgettype=osi_widget

HMMMMMM--- still availiable, twice Scam bidders, strange.
Anyhow, it still looks great for the price...:D

Saxony, did you find out the serial number? I would assume somewhere between the 20s-30s?

Uwe.

milandro

03-28-2007, 07:50 AM

one of the so many weard e-bay stories. Somewhere else on the forum someone else was complaining of another Dolnet (a soprano if I recall well...) which was apparently bought from a Nigerian Buyer and which in fact caused a lot of fuss between the owner and e-bay having to prove that it was a fake bid. Maybe the name Dolnet on E-Bay, triggers some sort of " Fake bid alert" somewhere in Nigeria (recently I am having some similar problems on the mentioned Marktplatts site)

On a different note my Tenor is still up for sale. If you want a perfect horn of a later Vintage, just a few months ago rehauled and looking very nice indeed, why don't you send me a message, I'll be glad to provide you with information and pictures.

sax-ony

03-28-2007, 08:48 AM

I have not had a reply from the seller.

milandro

03-28-2007, 09:03 AM

I would be careful about this one Sax-ony, there are some worrying comments about the horn. No way this horn is a '50 horn, I know Dolnet well enough to be absolutely sure this is a '20-'30 horn (even though they produced other horns with similar style up until the late '70). As you probably read somewhere else on the dolnet forum, I was the one who had a nasty experience with a unmarked high pitched alto (SN 35XXXX or thereabouts), I am absolutely positive it was a high pitch horn. The thing was established by my teacher. Anyway. The seller makes a comment on intonation being a difficult issue due to its age.
Another teacher of mine (I actually have two) has a Dolnet of a similar construction (except for the engraving which is stunning on this one I must admit) but it ia a Tenor. This horn, plays perfectly in tune even if played by me! Could you arrange for playtesting the horn? I would if I were you and do not forget to take a tuner with you!

sax-ony

03-28-2007, 11:51 AM

I'm sure this is good advice, milandro. I had already noted the seller's rather worrying remarks. I only asked about the serial number out of interest, to be honest. I've too many horns already to be buying any more!

milandro

03-28-2007, 12:03 PM

there is another Dolnet in the UK at

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rare-vintage-Dolnet-Bel-Air-alto-saxophone-with-high-F_W0QQitemZ190097193799QQcategoryZ16232QQssPageNam eZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

this is a Royal Jazz and at this price (Buy now option £ 475) is a great buy! A little too expensive for me and if they would consider trading my Bel Air 1 on 1 I would do it right now but don't think so. The seller mentions this site and this particular thread!

Meyer

04-27-2007, 05:08 PM

I have just bought a Dolnet Universal tenor saxophone, I know that it is the last model made after the M70.

It was not produced in any great numbers, and I belive it is from the 1980 era.

Have anyone tried them, or any comments?

I allready have 2 old Dolnets, a baritone and a tenor.

Uwe Steinmetz

04-27-2007, 11:19 PM

The M70 series has always received rave reviews from the view people who own one. I am very interested how yours turns out. I am not sure if the Universal model was made AFTER the M70 - it might be identical and has just a different engraving or so? - Please, let us know. Uwe.

PS: There is a MINT looking M70 alto for sale at present at:
http://www.marktplaats.nl/index.php?sref=http%3A//www.google.de/search%3Fq%3Devette+schaeffer+curved+soprano%26hl% 3Dde%26lr%3D%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial%26hs%3DUAE%26start%3D20%26sa%3DN&url=http%3A//kopen.marktplaats.nl/muziek-en-instrumenten/blaasinstrumenten-saxofoons-en-klarinetten/c771.html%3Fxl%3D1%26ds%3Dto%253A1%253Bl1%253A728% 253Bl2%253A771%253Blt%253Azip%253Blx%253A%253Bly%2 53A%253Bosi%253A1%26p%3D2

You have to put in DOLNET as search criteria with this link.

Meyer

04-28-2007, 05:54 AM

When I get the Dolnet Universal tenor, I will test it against my ´59 mrk. VI, my Buescher Big-B and my Buffet Dynaction, that will give a true picture.

I am using Brilhart Tonalin on all these, it will be tested under smilar conditions.

milandro

04-28-2007, 07:07 AM

well Uwe, de Dolnet M70 is a real special thing if nothing else for its look (the sharply off-set bell is quite something) and the special features (many special keys ....like the weard high F#), the Universal, though probably a good horn like all Dolnets, is more like a Bel Air (and other models even if not identified this way) but with some keys of a different design (like the G# ), but not a horn in the same league as the M70. Nevertheless a desireble horn and , I am looking for Meyer's review and comparisons.

Sjax20

04-30-2007, 04:22 PM

A while ago I posted some questions in this thread regarding the serial number, manufacturing date, et cetera of my Dolnet tenor that I just purchased at that time. Now that I played it for a while it's time to talk about the more important questions: how does it play and sound?

Well, I must say that I appreciate it. It's easy to play and it has a nice, sweet sound (if I were better at describing sound I would add more text here :). Intonation is good, no problems at all.
My reference (in the first place) is the other tenor that I own, which is a King Super 20. The Super 20 is louder, hass more 'balls', better ergonomcis, a more flexible tone and is less resistent. The first time I took the Dolnet to a session, I was a bit dissappointed: it lacked the volume of the King and it was more difficult to compete with the amplified instruments. The result was that I didn't touch the Dolnet for a couple of weeks. But I experimented a bit with reeds and embouchure and now it certainly sounds a bit brighter, deeper and louder.
As I said, the ergonimics are not optimal. The palm D is placed too high for me (and too close to the Eb key), but for small hands it might be OK. And I need a stronger pink for the low C#. But perhaps this could be improved by a tech.
I wouldn't say that the Dolnet has a totally different sound than my King (perhaps it just my own sound that I hear? :) . Maybe it's because of the big bore that they have in common (the bore of the Dolnet is even bigger than the King, by the way, at least on the receiver side).

What is your experience with the Dolnet as it comes to volume and resistance?

milandro

04-30-2007, 04:59 PM

well, I have sold my Dolnet to finance the acquisition of a Mark VII, but in the short time I had it I found that it was a rather sweet sounding horn but with old fashioned ergonomics and more resistence than other saxophones have. I think the volume is not huge compared to my Mark VII, this is a much louder horn, but I am rather new at the tenor game! Still, Dolnets are among many relatively unknown horns which need to be discovered .

Sjax20

04-30-2007, 10:18 PM

Milandro, I think I saw your ad on Marktplaats.nl some time ago. So you managed to sell it? There are a lot of Dolnet for sale on that website. It seems as if the attics in Holland are stuffed with Dolnets :)
Last week I was at a session, and there were 6 (!) soprano players, and two of them played a Dolnet!

milandro

05-01-2007, 08:16 AM

Yes, Holland is full of Dolnets, Sjax! All sorts, types, conditons and so forth. They must have had a very good sales force in the past (who was the Dutch importer by the way?) and they must have sold especially among the many marching bands of the country (this is partly responsible for their , shall we say not too high, reputation among horn Dutch players).

I've sold mine to a Good Jazz player from Amsterdam who already owned one, a earlier nickel plated Bel Air, and could appreciate the horn for what it is . He was thrilled with my horn and the fact that was just re-hauled by a competent technician.

Baritones tend to have a better reputation and once I seem to have seen a bass (but I might be mistaken) performing somewhere. Silver is the most popular finish and generally speaking, even after all these years, they keep very well and are not tarnished (although I've seen one on Marktplaats which was almost Jet Black from tarnish!). Very few Dutch shops hold them in high esteem, that's why you can buy them cheap, because you can't sell them! No reputable (I HAVE TRIED) shop would accept to trade or sell my horn for me and I almost traded it in for a good, but not what I wanted, Conn C Melody whose owner was almost as desperate as me (by the way he had a spectacular Royal Jazz tenor and a Dolnet Bel Air Baritone...).

A session with 6 soprano players! Wow, in the Oktopedians in Amsterdam there are a couple of soprano players but ther are no Dolnets around.

There is a lot to be said about good but forgotten French saxophones of the past, Noblet, Vito, Leblanc, Beaugnier, Pierret being among the better examples! They are players horns, great to play and hang on to, but with a re-sell value which is very limited indeed.

When it comes to it, actually only Selmer holds good value in time (in some cases it get more and more expensive). Even: King, Buescher, Martin and Conn, struggle nowadays.

Saxophone playing or even just ownership is becoming increasingly less popular than in the past and many are getting rid of their saxophones......now's the time..... to buy your less than popular great horns my fellows!8-) ;)

Sjax20

05-04-2007, 10:11 AM

Saxophone playing or even just ownership is becoming increasingly less popular than in the past and many are getting rid of their saxophones......now's the time..... to buy your less than popular great horns my fellows!8-) ;)

There are indeed a lot a saxes for sale on sites like Marktplaats.nl and it seems to be rather difficult to sell them: many of them float around there for a long time. Not only the relatively unknown brands like the Dolnet, but also popular vintage saxophones. I don't know if ownership is becoming less popular, perhaps there are just too many saxes :)

milandro

05-04-2007, 10:35 AM

saxophone popularity is dropping fast in the Netherlands , this instrument is just not considered as cool anymore as it was say 20 years ago. Marching bands are disappearing and music schools are becoming too expensive for most families due to lack of public funding and increasing of the fees. So there are lots of unwanted horns out there, especially in the lower market segment. Mind you, this doesn't stop some shops trying to sell an early Mark VI for as much as 9000 euros (12.000 dollar smackers!), but prices are dropping and selling (or trying to) a less than well known horn to a shop causes shopkeepers to turn to look ugly and unfriendly at you (oh boy buying is so different than selling) about the same horn ( this precious beauty in the salesman's hands which all of a sudden has become completely worthless in yours) that they were eagerly trying to sell someone else.

So lots of them are on the second hand sites, more often than not asking too much and reappearing every so often.....by the way I have some mouthpieces on sale on Marktplaats:) ......Sjax, any interest?;)

Sjax20

05-06-2007, 07:52 PM

saxophone popularity is dropping fast in the Netherlands , this instrument is just not considered as cool anymore as it was say 20 years ago. Marching bands are disappearing and music schools are becoming too expensive for most families due to lack of public funding and increasing of the fees.

Regarding the marching bands (where you could find most of the saxophone players, I suppose): I guess you're right. But as it comes to jazz workshops, sessions, et cetera, I don't have the impression that saxophones are becoming less popular. Workshops are often flooded with saxes, while it is sometimes difficult to find a drummer or bass player.

selling (or trying to) a less than well known horn to a shop causes shopkeepers to turn to look ugly and unfriendly at you (oh boy buying is so different than selling) about the same horn ( this precious beauty in the salesman's hands which all of a sudden has become completely worthless in yours) that they were eagerly trying to sell someone else.

:) :)

by the way I have some mouthpieces on sale on Marktplaats:) ......Sjax, any interest?;)

I think I found your ads on Marktplaats (i started searching for 'Dolnet' and found your HP alto). The Rousseau tenor piece might be interesting... Don't you have any bariton mouthpieces for sale?

milandro

05-06-2007, 08:10 PM

Rousseau tenor ? Bariton mpc? No I only have a Selmer Metal Jazz Tenor and a Selmer Metal Jazz Alto for sale.
My Dolnet HP was on sale +/- 6 months ago but there have been others ....

Uwe Steinmetz

05-08-2007, 11:47 PM

Hi everyone, in case you wonder: I decided to sell my most loved gold plated ROYAL JAZZ Alto - very special circumstances, but the horn is just great. I hope it finds a great new home.

I am still enjoying very much my Dolnet curved Soprano and my Dolnet Flute with a customized solid sterling silver mouthpiece.

I had some very busy weeks but I will continue to work on the Dolnet website.

Best wishes, Uwe.

Meyer

05-14-2007, 04:09 PM

It arrived today!

A nice looking horn, good build horn, slightly lighter than my ´59 mrk VI, same weight as my Buescher Big-B.

Ergonomics quite good, keys are slightly more off-set as on the Selmer. The pinky table looks very "American" like an old Conn 10M. Not a design you would have expected on a ca. 1970 french build saxophone.

The top Bb key are too fra away from the B key, so you will have to hold your index finger almost vertical to play a Bb.

Sound is good, more calm and soft than the Selmer, not as classic as the Buescher, more volume than the Buffet Dynaction.

Tested with a Brihart Tonalin 3* with a 3* Vandoren reed.

It would be a good horn for ballads.

It is not a professional horn, but it´s not bad.

This is my initial impression, the horn will need to be regulated, and lubricated, so I will be back later.

Meyer

milandro

06-16-2007, 01:12 PM

the Dutch site Marktplaats has another HP Dolnet alto horn for sale.....

GeorgiaDawg

10-16-2007, 03:21 PM

I see this thread has been dead for a while but I just now found this site! I currently have a dolnet bari that I've had since high school. I loved it. Its beautifully stenciled and playes wonderfully. Although I haven't played in years, I played it for concert band, marching band, jazz band, and paradeds in high school. I love the sax for the sound, playbility, and the look. It has such a style. On that note, I've noticed its really hard to find info about Dolet in general. Why is that? I'd love to more about my sax including value and in the near future I'll be looking to restore it as its seen wear and tear from marching band and sitting in a case for 8 years.

AhCheung

10-18-2007, 03:36 AM

yaucante

10-28-2007, 11:11 PM

Well, I see good threads on Dolnets usually end up with high promises, and mine was guilty of that already a couple of years ago when I promised to report back on my new M70. Since then I changed job and moved several time, had a child, got married, had to buy a new car...so many things that prevented me to spend the time and money on the Dolnet. It is still sitting in its ugly black box, but when you open it, the red velvet interior contrasts nicely with the gold lacquer and art-deco features. It has a few tarnish spots and I reckon it's sad to let it sit there unplayed. I will post a few pictures very soon that might be of any use to that forthcoming Dolnet website. I did buy mine in Germany and I wished the seller was a bit more accurate in his depiction (dry pads, slightly bent body, keys in need of adjustment. Nothing too serious for Euros 700 but I will have to spend another 500 to make it fully playable). What's interesting is that the few techs I talked to about this horn in France (where I live now) thought Dolnet were not worth the while but when you asked them to be more precise, you had to understand they did not know much about them and did not want to bother repairing something unfamiliar. I think I'm gonna send it to a tech in the U.S that I bought my baritone from (King super 20, I love it). Just need to raise the cash! 'til then, we can still phantasize about the wondrous M70!!!!!

Cheers.

Yohann:D