Saxophones King Zephyr 1942 US Army

[Saxodental]

Hi
Anyone have any information on US Army King Zephyr Tenors…
I read somewhere that they were actually hi quality instruments essentially de-badged because of wartime when like many other saxophone manufacturers Conn 10Ms etc were reassigned to make Bomber Plane Dials and the like.

 

[Dr G]

Hi
Anyone have any information on US Army King Zephyr Tenors…
I read somewhere that they were actually hi quality instruments essentially de-badged because of wartime when like many other saxophone manufacturers Conn 10Ms etc were reassigned to make Bomber Plane Dials and the like.

What do you mean by “de-badged”?

 

[Tuppertn]

Horns made by contract for the US military (the only horns allowed to be made in the US during WWII) were required to be professional quality, silver plated and engraved with a "US", "USN" or "USQMC" somewhere on the horn. The brand badging was retained. Other companies were allowed to make horns as well, just in relatively small numbers and only under government contract.

Here's a military contract Zephyr tenor on Ebay right now...

 

[mark_addy]

So was USQMC (as my baritone) a great war thing, rather than (ahem) 39-45?
😎

 

[Tuppertn]

So was USQMC (as my baritone) a great war thing, rather than (ahem) 39-45?
😎

No. Military contract horns weren't made only during wartime, but they were the only horns made in the US during the war. They were all required to have the special engraving. The OP asked about the quality of military horns and whether they were "de-badged" during the war. I don't think that was the case.

 

[ESJohn]

USQMC
United State Quartermaster Corps
Just curious why there would have been a specific marking for them?

This quote from qmmuseum.army.mil (US Army Quartermaster Museum):
"During World War II, the Quartermaster Corps operated on a scale unparalleled in history, with theaters of operation in the Mediterranean, northern Europe, the Pacific, and even the China-Burma-India Theater. Thousands of Soldiers were trained to fill specialized roles; and they performed heroically in far off places such as Bataan, Leyte, Salerno, Normandy, and Bastogne. At the height of the war, Quartermasters were providing over 70,000 different supply items and more than 24 million meals each day. When it was over, they had recovered and buried nearly a quarter of a million Soldiers in temporary cemeteries around the world."

 

[Tuppertn]

They're the supply and logistics guys. I would imagine they're the ones who placed the actual orders for the instruments and distributed them to the relevant units.

 

[eb424]

Nearly bought one in a shop in oxford a few years ago. The sax was not in the best condition laquer wise but was a great sounding and playing sax

 

[Saxodental]

Mine is definitely a US Army Issue ..even played it at VE Day Dance at Army Museum in Chelsea and did all the well known Miller Solos on it !

 

[ESJohn]

Don't want to stray too far from the subject, but you might enjoy this article about the band from the USS Arizona:

The Saga of Navy Band 22 - The Syncopated Times

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor 82 years ago, December 7, 1941 became “a date that will live in infamy,” as President Franklin D. Roosevelt told the

syncopatedtimes.com

 

[Ivan]

Quartermaster Corps ... they performed heroically

With the notable exception of Crapgame from Kelly's Heroes

Crapgame: Hey, Oddball, this is your hour of glory. And you're chickening out!
Oddball: To a New Yorker like you, a hero is some type of weird sandwich, not some nut who takes on three Tigers

 

[PigSquealer]

So was USQMC (as my baritone) a great war thing, rather than (ahem) 39-45?
😎

No. Here’s a little bit more about the history.

https://qmmuseum.army.mil/research/history-heritage/general-history/Short-History-Of-The-Quartermaster-Corps.html

I wouldn’t be surprised to see a 1890’s Conn with USQMC on it. Depending on your bari’s maker the SN# should be accurate to year made.

I have a 1931 Holton alto example.

 

[Jimmymack]

Nearly bought one in a shop in oxford a few years ago. The sax was not in the best condition laquer wise but was a great sounding and playing sax

I tried to buy that one but he took it off the market.

 

[eb424]

I tried to buy that one but he took it off the market.

Lol Whod have thunk it..theres not many in the uk..tried an sml whilst there couldnt get a note out of it..

 

[turf3]

Well, the US Army was in existence from the 1770s till now. It didn't disappear during interwar periods. Of course there was a lot more activity, in military bands as well as everything else, during WW1 and WW2; but there were military bands during the whole 20th century, ordering instruments and having them engraved.

These appear to have been sold later as "surplus" which is how we civilians get our hands on them.