Holton Saxophone; Serial number registry

[LaPorte]

Mr. LaPorte-- You did not capitalise "french". This error could start a new European war.

Oh, I'm very sorry. I'll make up for my error: I play a French alto saxophone ('The Special', Holton Chicago) and it sounds goood (far better than me)!

[soybean]

The complete Holton serial number chart (saxophones only) is just on the way to SOTW. So I hope it will be available very soon.

I am in process of sending the lists to Harri (founder of SOTW). We are just trying to figure out the best file format to use. It should be viewable soon.

[JayePDX]

Dunno if I am too late, then, but add my 241 Tenor, serial #164,3xx...lacquered brass, left side bell keys, bell engraving reads: "Holton...241...Elkhorn, Wis....U.S.A."

[geauxsax]

Holton fans: Should "Couturier" be added to the title of the Holton sectioN--maybe in parenthesis, since they (at least to me) seem vital to early Holton development and production.

Thoughts?

[jazzbug1]

Sure- Why not-- Or start a separate thread, as people viewing various makes would think "what?" and investigate. This way a nearly unknown make would receive some deserved attention, as I have found them to be excellent players.

[bruce bailey]

Sure put the Courturiers in BUT you may start getting L&H fans claiming it as theirs!

[jazzbug1]

L and H bought horns from Buescher also. I am currently restoring a Buescher-L and H C melody. Could L and H fans be Large and Heavy or Laughing and Happy or Lame and Hopeless or....

[Harri Rautiainen]

Holton fans: Should "Couturier" be added to the title of the Holton sectioN--maybe in parenthesis, since they (at least to me) seem vital to early Holton development and production.

Thoughts?

Any other opinions on this?

[soybean]

Dunno if I am too late, then, but add my 241 Tenor, serial #164,3xx...lacquered brass, left side bell keys, bell engraving reads: "Holton...241...Elkhorn, Wis....U.S.A."

Thanks. It's never too late. LaPorte/Felix has finished the list, but it's always possible to find new information that we don't have.

[Walter Webb]

[QUOTE=Harri Rautiainen;1131756]

Holton fans: Should "Couturier" be added to the title of the Holton sectioN--maybe in parenthesis, since they (at least to me) seem vital to early Holton development and production.

Thoughts?

Yes, Harri, add Couturier to the Holton section because as soon a people associate them with Holtons, their price will drop precipitously!

Hey JazzBug, whatever happened with the Cout. alto with the whimsical clown face?

[bruce bailey]

Speaking of the clown face models....there have been several on ebay including a soprano. There is a gold plated soprano for sale here at SOTW too.

[LaPorte]

Holton fans: Should "Couturier" be added to the title of the Holton sectioN--maybe in parenthesis, since they (at least to me) seem vital to early Holton development and production.

Thoughts?

Any other opinions on this?

The Couturier/Lyon&Healy saxophone is a unique design by E.A. Couturier and has its own history which is researched by Steve Mumford and me.

Although there were interesting connections between E.A.Couturier and Frank Holton, I vote to give 'Couturier/Lyon&Healy' a separate category just like 'Holton'.

I would be glad to write some contributions about Couturier and L&H on SOTW.

Felix

[LaPorte]

LaPorte/Felix has finished the list...

This research is based on excellent info given by many people here on SOTW.

Special thanks to soybean, jazzbug1, bruce bailey and geauxsax!

@geauxsax: The next update, your REVELATION II tenor will be included!

Felix

[LaPorte]

Frank Holton began producing saxophones in Chicago (Revelation model) 1917 (Reference:Leblanc). The production in Elkhorn was continued spring (April 1918; Ref.: Holton Loyalist).

Serial number registry on early 'pre-Elkhorn' saxophones, engraving:

Made by
Frank Holton Co.
Chicago

# 639 Eb alto
# 759 Eb alto
# 848 Bb tenor
# 1169 C-melody s.p. 'deluxe'-engraving
# 1189 Eb alto
# 1200 Eb alto

Felix

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Saxophone...n-c-melody.htm

[JayePDX]

LaPorte...great job.


And I LOVE seeing the link and Holton name displayed so prominently at the top of the Forum homepage, too !!!

[soybean]

Here is a link to the Holton serial number list as researched and created by LaPorte. Finally, we have the first accurate list of serial numbers for vintage Holton Saxophones! Previous lists found on the internet were based on Holton brass instruments (trumpets, etc) and not applicable to Holton saxophones which had their own numbering prior to 1932. If you look at the bottom of the new page, there is a link to a pdf file showing the extended serial numbers to 1979.

I am very happy that the serial number registry I started has resulted in a valuable addition to our knowledge of saxophone history.

http://vintage.saxontheweb.net/Holton.html

[soybean]

Speaking of the clown face models....there have been several on ebay including a soprano. There is a gold plated soprano for sale here at SOTW too.

Bruce, did Conn also make clown face baritones? My friend has one like that, but it's a stencil. He claims it's a Conn, but i wonder.

[geauxsax]

LaPorte...great job.


And I LOVE seeing the link and Holton name displayed so prominently at the top of the Forum homepage, too !!!

Agree 100%--that's awesome! Thanks LaPorte.

[LaPorte]

Speaking of the clown face models....there have been several on ebay including a soprano. There is a gold plated soprano for sale here at SOTW too.

Bruce, did Conn also make clown face baritones? My friend has one like that, but it's a stencil. He claims it's a Conn, but i wonder.

Hope you don't mind answering without asking me, but I've recently examined exactly that question.

The L&H saxophone catalogue from 1926 shows the LaPorte made saxophones: alto, soprano C-melody and tenor. Surprisingly the baritone saxophone shown in that catalogue is indeed made by Conn. Apparently no baritones were produced at that time in LaPorte.

Why is that surprising? As I've two baritone saxophones in my collection, both made 1928 (the year when Holton purchased the factory from L&H) without any doubt made in LaPorte, one marked 'Lyon&Healy' with the 'face'*, the other 'Frank Holton' with the typical engraving of the REVELATION model. Both saxophones are exactly the same except plating and engraving. Holton otherwise sold LaPorte made saxophones exclusively as 'Collegiate' and some as 'Beaufort American'.

The serial# of your friend's baritone would definately give the answer.

Felix

*The 'clown face' seems to me the face of a singing or crying native American.

[soybean]

The serial# of your friend's baritone would definately give the answer.

The bell says; Norbert J Biehoff, Artist Model,
Pat Applied For: B 202010 L