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Saxophones What model Martin and year

Ambros

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I bought a Bari a few years ago and have been unable to date it or find out much about it. It's got a Lewin Paris 'Artist Model The Continental ' stencil with two different numbers on it in different places; '239' on the back and '7257' on the side. Anyone help with age or model? It plays beautifully despite the battering it's had. Sorry unable to post pics at present.
 
Kinda hard to help you without photos, unfortunately.

Until you can post photos, can you tell us whether it has same-side bellkeys ...or opp-side bellkeys ?

Is it keyed up to high F ? Or just Eb ?

Does it have a front F key ?

And I assume it has beveled holes ? which is why you have ascertained it to be a Martin ?
 
Although MOST Lewins are Martin stencils, not all are. Your bari might be French-made.
 
As an addendum to the above, I think I've seen only sop and alto Lewins that are Martin stencils. If memory serves, the sole tenor I've come across was most likely a Pierret. Not to say Martin stencils weren't ever used for the larger horns of course; new information always welcome.

My feeling also is that although stencils in the strictest sense, the Lewins are re-badged Handcrafts rather than second line saxes as is more common with US stencils.
 
Thanls for the info - here are a couple of pics
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Non-bevelled tone holes, cross-hatched F#, number (vertical?) on the side ... I'm still thinking Pierret. Nothing to suggest Martin anyway.
Is the G# touch also cross-hatched? Half-moon shaped?
 
Non-bevelled tone holes, cross-hatched F#, number (vertical?) on the side ... I'm still thinking Pierret. Nothing to suggest Martin anyway.
Is the G# touch also cross-hatched? Half-moon shaped?
Thanks for your comments, that's really interesting, I'll do some research on Pierret.
 
Actually ... I'm leaning away from Pierret ... think I was mistaken about the cross-hatched F#.
So ... the field is wide open!
 
Look at those ferrules with the fascia/scroll motif. Nice.

It's got a Front F, too ! Interesting....

Perhaps Italian ????

Good mystery....
 
As an addendum to the above, I think I've seen only sop and alto Lewins that are Martin stencils. If memory serves, the sole tenor I've come across was most likely a Pierret. Not to say Martin stencils weren't ever used for the larger horns of course; new information always welcome.

My feeling also is that although stencils in the strictest sense, the Lewins are re-badged Handcrafts rather than second line saxes as is more common with US stencils.

I'm not sure that Lewins saxes are made by Martin?!?!?! I saw a Lewin alto with soft solded toneholes but that was not based on a Martin sax. Saxes with soft soldered tone holes were made in Europe as well. In USA Courtier, LaPorte, IN made saxes with softsoldered one holes. Soft soldered toneholes on bigger saxes? I think Conn made Martins bass saxes!
 
I'm not sure that Lewins saxes are made by Martin?!?!?!

Not all of them to be sure, but the altos and sops I've seen definitely were. There may well have been other alto and sop makers, but I've not so far come across any; maybe others have. Lewin was a pre-war London importer, and evidently sourced instruments from a variety of manufacturers. There was also Lewin Freres in Paris; don't know if there's a connection.
 
Doing a quick image websearch on Bing returned a few Lewin Alto saxes which were definitely Martins....
 
Having done some more digging on french made horns, thanks for the tip stitch - I think this could be Rene Guenot with the nailfile f# & g# keys. I found info on a RG tenor horn with 3 digit serial number 228 made in 1935.
 
First one has the nailfile F#alt...straight holes...could be the same mfr. But the keyguard feet don't match Ambros's.

The SOTW first two pics looks like an old Martin.
 
Interesting ! Same sorta ferrule surface design.

Look at the guardfeet, tho......different guardfeet than the Baritone here in question.

Maybe 'they' sourced different guardfeet at some point ????
 
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