Paul Cavour Saxophones

[jools]

Genuine enquiry.

What does anyone know about these saxes? - I know they're old and French. My first tenor was a Cavour and I loved it. All silver plate and beautifully engraved. All my text books fail me in any background about these horns. Nothing. But who was he? and why did they stop making them? I'm guessing it all happened pre-1930 (from the key design of the one I had)

 

[Jules]

We had one in the shop a year or so back and had real problems finding any information on it what so ever. The keywork was a bit crude but it had a nicely fat, mellow tone ot it.

 

[jools]

yeh, the tone of the tenor I had was really lush. Very reminiscent of the 30's players. But as you say, the keywork was a bit unwieldy. Gorgeously made horns tho, really nice decorative detailing. Very French.

 

[jonf]

That one on eBay looks very different to the one that was in Sax.co.uk. Completely different keys. The good Mr Cavour seems to have been pushing out pretty varied stuff.

It looks like it's got elements nicked from Conn, some from Buescher. It does look like it's built like a brick s***house, though. Needs a repad, obviously, but still looks very tempting.

 

[jools]

Absolutely nothing on the net about the guy. All the forums seem to ask the same question. There is even argument about if he was Italian or French. And yes Jon, there is a lot of postings on other sites where people have compared various design features to all kinds of brands, including the early A. Sax Selmers. A bit of a 'hybrid'. What little info there is out there seems to suggest that they were more famed for making trumpets and other brass (tho usually silver plate).

 

[Pete Thomas]

Yes, it is obviously got a few Conn features - Eb trill key, RH G# key.

I hope it's low pitch.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Yes, it is obviously got a few Conn features - Eb trill key, RH G# key.

I hope it's low pitch.

 

[Bobby G]

I hope you get this one Jools, and at a good price. I have some questions about older styles of key layout vs lush sound of these older horns, but I'll do it in another thread I think.

 

[jools]

Hmm -the 'offset' bell keys remind me of the "Chu Berry", and the 'wire' keyguards' were a Conn styling. But maybe it's the other way round. As the instrument was born in Europe, it would be interesting to discover if their designs were in fact copied/developed by the American makers.

If someone ever wrote a book, a comprehensive history, of the instrument it would be classic. I know there are some very good ones out there, but none of them fully comprehensive, as it seems new stuff pops up all the time. I find it especially fascinating the way that some of the principal designers moved about and took their ideas with them (For eg: Head technician Gus Buescher, who left Charles Conn's factory in 1888 to build trumpets initially. His family settled in Indiana from Germany)

 

[jools]

PHEW!...
---
---

That's me out then. Thank god (like I can afford to buy more kit right now. And my missus would have gone beserk!).

 

[Pete Thomas]

Jools, when did I say that? (Your signature) Or is it the other Pete Thomas

 

[jools]

[No message]

 

[PaulyT]

"To play the sax- blow in the small end and move your fingers around."- Pete Thomas.

Pete Thomas wrote:
Jools, when did I say that? (Your signature) Or is it the other Pete Thomas

Sounds like something a drummer would say - and be proud of saying!!

:laugh:

 

[Bobby G]

I thought that was the Blue Peter way to play-in-a-day :laugh:

 

[Pjonah]

Graham Chapman Monty Python once said that to play the flute you blow in one and move your finger up and down and the music comes out the other end! so true.....

 

[Bobby G]

Hello Pjonah, nice to see you're still around!

 

[jools]

The Cavour alto sold for about 80odd quid. I hope the buyer enjoys it. It's gonna cost a few hundred to make it a 'player' - and then... who could? (See BobbyG's other post about 'vintage ergonomics')

Oh well. Interesting to see though, I'd love to know who he was (Paul Cavour that is, not the buyer - unless he/shes reading this, in which case tell us all about it)