Saxophones RARE Prototype Soprano Saxophone

[JayeNM]

Well.. .an interesting piece of history nonetheless. And as I said, whoever it was who made these Buffet-esque knockoffs, some are reportedly quite decent....

 

[turf3]

If OP would show us some full length front left back and side views of this thing (the McLean soprano), someone here might be able to hazard a guess who made it. As I said in a post that got disappeared, it looks fairly well executed, and the degree of plating wear implies someone was happy enough with it to play it quite a bit.

 

[JiJi]

An order placed with a manufacturer in Houli, but the production of these 1980s vintage items—made in Taiwan—is not documented.

I don’t think the identification issue is merely a matter of photographs.
This appears to be a preliminary soprano model, made in Taiwan, which predates the Mark VI. Similar examples are not to be found online. The design of this model is specific to a soprano only in terms of its straight shape and its octave mechanism; the rest is conceived in the style of an alto saxophone.
In addition to the G# left pinky mechanism, it also features a distinctive "adjusting bar" (shape of double leaf on the plate of F#) key linkage.
This shape is distinctive of OEM production: Loizel, Tafenglang, Cafact, Keytone, Orient...

If you look closely at the finishing details on the keys, it’s more like they were crafted using a file!

Cordialement.

 

[turf3]

I don’t think the identification issue is merely a matter of photographs.
This appears to be a preliminary soprano model, made in Taiwan, which predates the Mark VI. Similar examples are not to be found online. The design of this model is specific to a soprano only in terms of its straight shape and its octave mechanism; the rest is conceived in the style of an alto saxophone.
In addition to the G# left pinky mechanism, it also features a distinctive "adjusting bar" (shape of double leaf on the plate of F#) key linkage.
This shape is distinctive of OEM production: Loizel, Tafenglang, Cafact, Keytone, Orient...

If you look closely at the finishing details on the keys, it’s more like they were crafted using a file!

Cordialement.

No it does NOT predate the Mark 6. The story of its creation is documented above. It dates from the early 1980s.

 

[JiJi]

Sorry, I thought that was understandable.
Not the originals but taiwanese copies, of course !

 

[turf3]

Well, let's clarify. The Selmer Mark 6 soprano was introduced around 1954. A time when the Far Eastern saxophone manufacturing industry, with the exception of early days in Japan, wasn't even a glint in the milkman's eye.

The Selmer Mark 6 soprano mechanism harkens back to the 1920s for sure. Even to the 1910s. No front F, old old style LH table, in line palm keys. Interestingly though, they did fit it with the superior teeter-totter octave mechanism. I have not read anything that indicates whether or not the acoustic design of the Mark 6 soprano was updated from the older models or not.

The rather curious soprano being discussed here, stamped "McLean and Payne", has an origin that none of us can yet be positive about (OP hasn't provided the kinds of photos that MIGHT help in nailing it down). However, upthread it's reported that Rene McLean reports a production run was made in Taiwan. I'd say that's a pretty solid indication. It appears in some areas to be possibly a knockoff of a Buffet soprano, but detailed examination of the mechanism up and down would be needed to judge just how much of it comes from Buffet and how much from other designs; and that detailed examination in comparison to models made by known companies would be needed to make a guess as to which factory it came out of.

What we can see so far is that the LH table is old style hinging direction; the design of the LH table touches is derived from Buffet but not identical. (this affects its connection to the lower stack, and the locations of the bell tone holes and the operation of the low C# key, so it's a very significant design choice.) The octave mech is very old style, as you find on American sopranos from the 1920s. The palm keys are separate, as in many old American sopranos, as in Selmer sopranos from SA80 onward. They're tall like modern ones not short like old American horns have. No front F, but no one was putting front Fs on sopranos till the SA80 and the Yamahas started.

All the evidence is that the "McLean and Payne" enterprise was from the early 1980s. By this time, I believe that the Taiwanese manufacturers were making knockoffs of the SA80/Yamaha style layout: front F, new style LH table, separate and tall palm keys.

So if someone contracted with a Taiwanese company, they'd have been asking for something that was NOT typical of current production. That's why I wonder if this thing might actually be from a European manufacturer - but I don't know enough about their designs of the time to say any more. JayeLID does reference "Taiwanese made Buffet knockoffs" which I was not aware of. I wonder, did those "Taiwanese made Buffet knockoffs" have the 1920s style octave mech?

I'm not exactly sure when Selmer introduced their Super Action 80 soprano, but it would have been sometime around 1979-1980, and it had modern keywork - front F, large LH table, separate palm keys. No idea if there were any acoustic changes at that time, compared to the Mark 6.

 

[JiJi]

I’m not sure if this is accurate, but the release date for the SA 80 soprano is said to be April 1981. This saxophone does not appear to be a Selmer copy, even though it resembles one in terms of how it plays. The left hand features a C key designed like that of a modern soprano saxophone—a feature not found on Buffet Dynaction or Mark VI models.

 

[turf3]

I’m not sure if this is accurate, but the release date for the SA 80 soprano is said to be April 1981. This saxophone does not appear to be a Selmer copy, even though it resembles one in terms of how it plays. The left hand features a C key designed like that of a modern soprano saxophone—a feature not found on Buffet Dynaction or Mark VI models.

You're right; the plot thickens; the low C# pad is spring opened but the touch is hinged old-style. If it were direct acting it would be on the other side of the horn.