Recently I purchased a 1952 French made Le Blanc Beaugnier Vito Model 37 Alto Saxophone, on E-Bay. I paid a total of $270 US with shipping and tax included.
Then I sent it for repair to Tarpley Music Store, Lubbock, Texas. It was in clean enough condition that they only had to replace 5 pads, the neck cork and a few other tweaks for $211 US.
I bought an open box Gator Andante alto case for it for half price at $78, total investment $560. It also came with a like new Yamaha 4C alto and a generic beginner mouthpiece.
The original leather bound rectangular case was in reasonable shape, no musty smell. It was stored in a conditioned space during its life apparently. Only downside was the flax or cotton threads holding the case exterior cover edge strips had "dry rotted". A previous owner carefully installed hobnail tacks spaced about every 4 inches to hold the edge cap strips in place. I gifted the case to a friend, a competent tech who restores vintage saxes and their cases in southern California. You may have heard of him, he goes by the pen name PigSquealer on other saxophone forums. He was appreciative as he had not yet come across such a case yet, and that it was in so clean a condition.
My motivation was that although it is classified as a "beginner" instrument, others in various forums and blogs describe its build as of professional quality. In 2010 I purchased a "fixer upper", a well abused ex-high school 1952ish Model 37 Beaugnier Vito Low-Bb Baritone Sax. Once I restored it, plays like pro horn, very well in tune. It is very easy to altissimo on it.
The alto is "big boned". Missing the receiver plug, I bought a 26 mm (1.06 in.) universal for a tenor saxophone. For example, modern saxes such as the Yamaha YAS-23 use a 0.92 in. plug. It's cone diameter is larger, would neither fit in my Selmer Bundy II nor my Antigua Winds pro alto cases. The bell rim is the diameter of a modern tenor sax.
I was pleased to find that the Gator Andante hard case was a perfect fit. I only needed to press down the case top another half inch to add a new crease in its foam padding for its oversized bell rim. This case has to be appreciated, for it is one of the most stout cases I've seen for an alto. Although it lacks locking capability, the aluminum top and bottom case edge rim is wide enough that I could carefully drill and install a small hasp for a padlock. The buckles to latch it are definitely large and heavy duty.
Some have complained about the case's smaller accessories storage compartment and the mouthpiece holder socket cannot handle wider mouthpieces with modern Rovner style ligatures. For me these are not drawbacks. If need be, I bring an accessories bag with me.
Then I sent it for repair to Tarpley Music Store, Lubbock, Texas. It was in clean enough condition that they only had to replace 5 pads, the neck cork and a few other tweaks for $211 US.
I bought an open box Gator Andante alto case for it for half price at $78, total investment $560. It also came with a like new Yamaha 4C alto and a generic beginner mouthpiece.
The original leather bound rectangular case was in reasonable shape, no musty smell. It was stored in a conditioned space during its life apparently. Only downside was the flax or cotton threads holding the case exterior cover edge strips had "dry rotted". A previous owner carefully installed hobnail tacks spaced about every 4 inches to hold the edge cap strips in place. I gifted the case to a friend, a competent tech who restores vintage saxes and their cases in southern California. You may have heard of him, he goes by the pen name PigSquealer on other saxophone forums. He was appreciative as he had not yet come across such a case yet, and that it was in so clean a condition.
My motivation was that although it is classified as a "beginner" instrument, others in various forums and blogs describe its build as of professional quality. In 2010 I purchased a "fixer upper", a well abused ex-high school 1952ish Model 37 Beaugnier Vito Low-Bb Baritone Sax. Once I restored it, plays like pro horn, very well in tune. It is very easy to altissimo on it.
The alto is "big boned". Missing the receiver plug, I bought a 26 mm (1.06 in.) universal for a tenor saxophone. For example, modern saxes such as the Yamaha YAS-23 use a 0.92 in. plug. It's cone diameter is larger, would neither fit in my Selmer Bundy II nor my Antigua Winds pro alto cases. The bell rim is the diameter of a modern tenor sax.
I was pleased to find that the Gator Andante hard case was a perfect fit. I only needed to press down the case top another half inch to add a new crease in its foam padding for its oversized bell rim. This case has to be appreciated, for it is one of the most stout cases I've seen for an alto. Although it lacks locking capability, the aluminum top and bottom case edge rim is wide enough that I could carefully drill and install a small hasp for a padlock. The buckles to latch it are definitely large and heavy duty.
Some have complained about the case's smaller accessories storage compartment and the mouthpiece holder socket cannot handle wider mouthpieces with modern Rovner style ligatures. For me these are not drawbacks. If need be, I bring an accessories bag with me.
