R Malerne saxes

[spiderjames]

I came across a Malerne alto for cheap. I am guessing 70ish vintage. How do these horns stack up against other makes of similar vintage? Worth the time to overhaul?

[kornflakes]

Robert Malerne made some really nice instruments, he was a contemporary of the famed Noblet and Le Blanc and apparently worked very closely with them. Worked as a foreman for Noblet and played in Le Blanc's band. The instruments Robert produced were usually for the American market and stamped, 'Standard' 'Intermediate' or 'Professional'. His company was bought up in the 70's but his association with Noblet and Le Blanc goes back to 1904 from what little info i have gathered from internet resources. I have a very nice Malerne 'Professional' clarinet which has a lovely fruity sound comparable to Buffett E13/ YCL 650 IMHO. I'd love to find out how old my clarinet is but their does'nt appear to be a resource for dating Malerne.

[gravetlaks]

I must confess that I'm not actually a saxophonist, but I do own a beautiful Malerne 'Professional' **** Bb bass clarinet. I've also had no luck researching the instrument, but (despite various age-related problems eg worn cork, cracked pads etc, subsequently replaced) it does give an exceptionally beautiful tone. A very satisfying instrument!

[Louis Godin]

I also have a Malerne tenor sax, bought in 1975 used, also having alot of trouble researching . S/N 41xxxx. help

[Pinnman]

I picked up a Malerne tenor on Ebay, but there wasn't any marking (Standard, Intemediate, Professiona) that I recall. it featured nickle silver keywork which was in very good condition and with a nice dark tone, but I had to have some dents removed. The buyer in Carlisle was delighted with it - I think he had a bargain.

I still have a clarinet, this time marked Standard. Plays nicely with a really good tone. It's for sale if anyone is interested (UK probably, but it would be worth shipping further) - condition very good and in full working order. I did read once that Malerne Pro clarinets were up there with Buffert, Noblet, Selmer, etc.

From what I can gather, Robert Malerne worked for Noblet (as already posted) in La Couture Boussey alongside many of the other French woodwind makers. He sold out on retirement in 1975 - to SML because the management (his niece essentially) and his equipment were highly rated. SML, now something of a cult sax, only made saxes for another five or six years after this and now concentrate on oboes. As he worked for Noblet in 1904, he must have had a long working life.

[malernemaster]

I am the proud owner of a 70' ish Malerne Master tenor sax, almost gave it away, came to my senses and kept it. I,ve had it overhauled profesionally and have not regreted it one bit. Everyone That has heard it appreciates the sound, tone and quality. The repair shop has told me that it was well worth repairing but don,t get it refinished, it would hurt the tone. They are worth the money for anyone looking for a older sax with limited funds.

[malernemaster]

I am the proud owner of a 70' ish Malerne "Master" tenor sax, almost gave it away, came to my senses and kept it. I've had it overhauled profesionally and have not regreted it one bit. Everyone that has heard it appreciates the sound, tone and quality. The repair shop has told me that it was well worth repairing but don't get it refinished, it would hurt the tone. I was told they are worth the money for anyone looking for a older sax with limited funds, and now that I play it regularly I tend to agree. I belive you would not be disappointed if you found one in good shape and purchased it.

[Bar-Ron]

Malerne also let Buffet market some of their horns to America, the are proffessional horns with fast action and good intonation. I have an alto, I believe he made horns from the 40's to the 70's in a rather small shop.
Very little info on them. The fellow who runs the Bass sax Co-op on Yahoo has some info as he likes them.
My alto is a Evette stamped Malerne, Nickel chrome keys with very light and fast action! Plays bright and powerful with its stock mp. Is exact duplicate of early 60's late 50's Malerne. Beats a Bundy II in intonation and feel.
Plays better than many Taiwaners and sounds clear and strong with a number of mpcs.
I find the horn somewhat bright as it has a tight bore so a thick railed mps sounds best to me, like Runyon custom, Finesse or a Morgan protone.

[dsgarnett]

I have a tenor that I purchased used in 1977. Seems that it has all the markings of a Malerne (matching the photo's on saxpics).

It's serial number is in the 10xxx to 11xxx range. By the time I bought it, it has seen quite a bit of wear & tear. Has a replaced neck that was silver plated by the former owner.

It remains in great condition and has a superb sound. Intonation leaves a bit to be desired.

So, my guess is it had to have been manufactured pre-1970 and possibly as early as the 50's.

[spiderjames]

I owned and alto and currebtly have a tenor but unfortunately neither has ever been overhauled enough to be playable.

Your intonation problems could be the replaced neck. Try some different necks. I tried several on a Kohlert tenor that i have and the one that worked best on it was a cheaper king student model neck. I am not saying this one would work for you, just saying they don't necessarilly need to be expensive necks. Whatever works.

Before going to all that trouble make sure that the horn is in good adjustment and maybe try different mouthpieces.

The tenor I have know I intend to rebuild and sell so I'll let you know how the intonation is when I am done.

[michaelbaird]

Malerne also stenciled woodwinds for Linton USA

[tenorsaxist]

I own a malerne pro clarinet that needs some pad work, and I found a sight that has some serial number info, but will have to search for it, all i know is that if sn starts with a d than it is from around 1945
good luck

mine sounds really good, and could compete with a selmer and crampon any day!

[Connical]

I had a Malerne Stencil Tenor that I picked up really cheap at the local swap meet. It needed some upper stack pads and I decided to dump it on Ebay. It didn't generate much excitement and sold for just under $200.00 to a guy in France. Prior to shipping it, I decided to slap some pads where needed . Big mistake ! What a nice horn. This is one I should have kept. The guy in France knew what he was doing and grabbed himself a great horn for next to nothing. He left me a glowing email telling me just how pleased he was . The tenor had a big sweet sound, with a nice edge to the tone. The next Malerne I get will get some TLC before I decide it's fate. Lesson learned.

[BryanM]

I think I have one of their altos, the engraving and keyguards match up with pictures I've seen and most people say the keywork looks very similar to a buffet sd. It's a bit of a mystery, though, because the only distinguishing marks on it are a 4 digit SN that I'm told is stamped in a style common to Italian horns, and an engraving on the bell that says "Leggett Special." It's in a bit of disrepair, but I'm taking it in next month for a complete repad, setup and cleanup, so we'll see how it plays.

[SuperAction80]

Hey Brian, I found your horn less the engravings.
http://saxpics.com/the_gallery/Malerne/stencils/16610-Linton/DSCN5499.jpg

Note the Low Eb/C keys. They're identical to yours. To the best of my knowledge, Buffet never used that configeration. The low B/Bb mechanism, keyguards, and bell brace are also the same. Mystery solved I guess.

Can't wait to see what this one plays like after the overhaul.