Saxophones Trying to date my Amati Kraslice Tenor

[giulia's equinox]

Hi everyone!

A coworker's grandma passed away and her family passed her Amati Kraslice Tenor on to me.

It looks quite old (for example: the whole thing is silber, but the inside of the bell is gold), but me and my friends didn't have any luck finding something with the serial number.

The serial number is: 43826

I've added some photos, maybe this will help 🙂

Thanks already!!

 

[spike]

Amati started making horns in Kraslice 1946, that horn looks like it's probably an early sixties horn.
But I'm just guessing.
I don't know of a serial number chart for Amati horns.
Try contacting them directly : Výroba hudebních dechových nástrojů | AMATI

it's probably an early sixties horn

P.S. I'm gonna change my guess to the late fifties.

 

[thomsax]

According to serial # chart that Uwe Ladvig published in the magazine "Sonic" your Amati Classic is made in the late 50's or early 60's ("Classic" model started around #37 000 in 1955 and ended in 1972 around #100000). I think Spike is right. The name "Lignatone" was a name/brand for the Czeckoslovakia export company that was ran by the state. In DDR "Weltklang " was the export brand and was made by B&S. I like Amati saxes. Dark, fat and powerful tone. We often compare these horns to modern horns. I think that's wrong. You should compare them with Conn (Mexico), Selmer Bundy, Dörfler & Jörka stencils, Italian stencils ... from the same era. Nothing wrong with these saxes. I think Amati saxes are one of the best saxes when you compare stencils/beginner/student/low priced saxes from the late 50's/early 60's. But the keywork is better on modern horns.

 

[ac30kev]

As Spike says, you can contact them. I recently emailed them with details of my Amati serial number and they emailed back the next day with a year of manufacture.
Very helpful people (Eva and Ivana in my case).

That's a beauty by the way. How does she play?

 

[Taz]

Nice looking horn! I'm a big fan of Amati, I play a 1960 tenor. Not as pretty as yours but she sounds like a much superior horn.
Like the others have said just send them an email with the serial number on and wait with baited breath!

 

[spike]

Please keep us posted on your findings, I'd be interested to know more about the horn.
I don't have a lot of literature about the AMATI co-operative. The info about the saxophone makers in that area and from that era is scarce and confusing as they all worked together. In the "west" the Amati "Classic" horns were regarded as student horns, but the only reason for that was that they were cheaper than their western counterparts. The fact is they are very solid well built horns.
Where are you from - I get the impression that you're located somewhere in Germany perhaps ???
You used the word silber in your first post. 😉
Gruss - spike

P.S. Hi Giulia, just noticed your "Doorbell" post - Switzerland - okay that explains it.
Welcome to the Café de Sax.

 

[kevgermany]

Amati were formed post WWII when the Czech government nationalised the instrument makers, forming them into a single company. Main makers were Kohlert and Keilwerth. Kohlert and Keilwerth then restarted in W Germany. Amati continued to use the Keilwerth name until the J Keilwerth in Germany forced them to stop. Immediately post war the saxes produced were from old Kohlert and Keiwerth parts, as far as I know.

One thing to watch on your sax - the bell key guard is mounted on the toneholes, not the sax body. A good knock here will distort the toneholes and make the low notes unplayable. So take care.

 

[sdt99]

Am I the only one that thought the title of this thread had a vaguely sexual connotation ? Knowing how much some folks develop pride of ownership in their particular brand of sax.
My gut reaction was "You know that's kind of kinky - I'd stick to dating the opposite sex and just play the saxophone. I'm sure this reflects badly on me - suppressed something or other.

Anyway, I digress, nice looking sax. Age is not a negative with saxes, and even within models not considered to be very good they often vary from model to model and some can be good players. The greater difficulty is that the low financial value of some of the lesser brands can make justifying an overhaul difficult, even if that's what's required to bring them to good playing condition.

 

[giulia's equinox]

According to serial # chart that Uwe Ladvig published in the magazine "Sonic" your Amati Classic is made in the late 50's or early 60's ("Classic" model started around #37 000 in 1955 and ended in 1972 around #100000). I think Spike is right. The name "Lignatone" was a name/brand for the Czeckoslovakia export company that was ran by the state. In DDR "Weltklang " was the export brand and was made by B&S. I like Amati saxes. Dark, fat and powerful tone. We often compare these horns to modern horns. I think that's wrong. You should compare them with Conn (Mexico), Selmer Bundy, Dörfler & Jörka stencils, Italian stencils ... from the same era. Nothing wrong with these saxes. I think Amati saxes are one of the best saxes when you compare stencils/beginner/student/low priced saxes from the late 50's/early 60's. But the keywork is better on modern horns.

Thanks for the Info! Me and my friends bet on some years and we were all off quite much 🙂

I like the sound of it too, I'm still struggling with playing the lower notes since I'm a beginner but I'm improving every day.

 

[giulia's equinox]

Amati were formed post WWII when the Czech government nationalised the instrument makers, forming them into a single company. Main makers were Kohlert and Keilwerth. Kohlert and Keilwerth then restarted in W Germany. Amati continued to use the Keilwerth name until the J Keilwerth in Germany forced them to stop. Immediately post war the saxes produced were from old Kohlert and Keiwerth parts, as far as I know.

One thing to watch on your sax - the bell key guard is mounted on the toneholes, not the sax body. A good knock here will distort the toneholes and make the low notes unplayable. So take care.

Thank you so much for the warning! I have to buy a new case for sure since the one it came with is extremely old and always falls open :S

 

[giulia's equinox]

As Spike says, you can contact them. I recently emailed them with details of my Amati serial number and they emailed back the next day with a year of manufacture.
Very helpful people (Eva and Ivana in my case).

That's a beauty by the way. How does she play?

With my best friend, who has played the saxophone for a long time, she plays quite good!
The Octave Lever doesnt work though, so I'm gonna have to fix that. But I'm probably gonna give it a full restore in some time but I have to save up for that first, my student life doesnt give me the possibility to just spend that kinda money on the spot 😉

 

[thomsax]

Thanks for the Info! Me and my friends bet on some years and we were all off quite much 🙂

I like the sound of it too, I'm still struggling with playing the lower notes since I'm a beginner but I'm improving every day.

I use to play an Amati baritone to low A. In the 3-hornsection (trumpet, tenorsax and barisax) we share the baritone playing. We use to have a low A bari because some songs are in keys that need the low A. The Amati low A is better than the Yani low A when it comes to to low tones. And the low A can be run with the left hand pinky cluster as well. Good for me that is not used to low A baris. Enjoy your Amati tenor. And practise long- and low tones. Keep you bottom tones together.

 

[Hassles]

FWIW: Amati didn't start using Classic / Super Classic / Super Classic Deluxe until some time in the 70's.
My Amati Toneking dates from 1972. Lignatone were made for Export markets.

 

[thomsax]

I base my information from a chart in "Sonic - Magzin für Holz- und Blechblasinstrumentarium". I have read lots of good and intersting articles by Uwe Ladwig in the magazine. So this is my #1 Amati sourch! And you have anothe one .... I think we both agree that Amati are fine saxes and overlooked.

 

[Hassles]

I base my information from a chart in "Sonic - Magzin für Holz- und Blechblasinstrumentarium". I have read lots of good and intersting articles by Uwe Ladwig in the magazine. So this is my #1 Amati sourch! And you have anothe one .... I think we both agree that Amati are fine saxes and overlooked.

I am a fan of Amati. I dated both my 72 Toneking tenor & 71 Toneking alto via Amati themselves.
I cannot recall the dates of the legal stoush between Keilwerth and Amati that forced Amati to change their model designations.
My Amati's still bear the JK Best In The World logo.

 

[PigSquealer]

FWIW Amati is still alive and well. I wonder if they have a company historian willing to help answer questions ?
Would be good public relations to engage.
@thomsax @Hassles or others could put together a questionnaire and contact them. Good clear contact information is on the site.

ABOUT US

www.amati.cz

 

[Hassles]

I ain't sure about historian but I have "always" found them to be good communicators.

And yes Amati is today and has long been the largest manufacture of saxophones in Europe.
Anyone recall their re-introduction of the V. Kohlert & Söhne tenor saxophone ?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KgYd4311TI
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