Conn mercedes style C key guard, Buescher bow guard, Martin beveled tone holes, a Couturier left hand pinkie table and a neck octave... well, you tell me where that came from:
These are decent horns and that one is a gold plated top line model built by Courturier near the end of the L&H ownership. Actually I may have sold that one a while back as mine went to WA.
Couturier horns always baffle me and get , I think, often mistaken (I've done it many times) for other things. Some Italian horns too present features which appear to be inspired by many models and brands, Alfonso Rampone, for example, is often mistaken to be a Conn stencil (But the red rollers are often the giveaway!)
I see nothing unusual about this horn. All of the gold plated (Pan engraving) ones had that octave key. IT has 2 rods and is articulated so the pad moves directly up and is more stable as it has a shorter arm. Everything else appears the same as the ones I have owned.
Just that it has a lot of features that might throw off your generic stencil detective who might not have heard of these horns. Perhaps I should have put it in a more general forum section.
I see what you mean.....I see L&Hs being listed as Martin Stencils a lot. The easiest way to spor a Courturier from this period is the concave G# lever. Often it is L shaped and also opens the low C# which can be a real pain to get sprung correctly.
Conn mercedes style C key guard, Buescher bow guard, Martin beveled tone holes, a Couturier left hand pinkie table and a neck octave... well, you tell me where that came from:
"All LaPorte made saxophones
...
3. have thick simple bevelled toneholes (handcrafted, therefore slightly varying in shape) soldered onto the body. I call them „LaPorte Type" as most saxophones made since 1922 equipped with this type of bevelled toneholes were produced in LaPorte. Saxophones produced at the same time (twenties) by Martin have thick bevelled toneholes, too. But unlike those made in Laporte they have usually an inward sloping rim.
What makes things more complicated: Martin saxophones made between 1918 and ca.1921 and some stencils are lacking this feature, they look like the LaPorte type ones! So not all saxophones with 'LaPorte Type' toneholes are made in LaPorte! Vice versa: Saxophones with toneholes other than 'LaPorte Type' are not made in LaPorte. ..." #68 http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?113311-The-Forgotten-American-Manufacturer/page4
I recommend not to rely on one feature alone as there are similiarities which can be found on saxophones of different manufacturers as well as differences which easily could be changed e.g. keyguards. Note that there are some positive related features but also features which exclude a LaPorte origin.
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