Klarinet Archive - Posting 001001.txt from 2000/05

From: LeliaLoban@-----.com
Subj: [kl]King Super 20 Tenor Sax
Date: Mon, 22 May 2000 08:48:55 -0400

Mary W. Balch wrote,
>I have a tenor sax student that recently found a King Super 20 Tenor
>Saxophone at a music store. The price on the instrument was 1800.00. Is
>this a reasonable price? Is this a good saxophone? I have no knowledge on
>antique saxophones, but the salesperson said that it was made sometime in
the
>70's. Is this true?

Not necessarily. It's crucial that you get the serial number and check it
out. That would be a good price for the original (pre-1965) Super 20, if
it's in playing condition, IMHO. If it's not playable yet, a complete repad
can cost about US$300-350 (depending on where you are) and dent work or other
restoration can run the tab up considerably. A full overhaul might be around
$500 or more on a tenor. If it's not silver- plated, the value for a sax
that's been relacquered is considerably less than for a sax with its original
lacquer.

Sites with sax serial numbers:

Lars Kirmser's Music Trader:
<A HREF@-----.html">Lars Kirmser's Music
Trader, Index (serial #s, info)</A>

Steve Goodsen's Woodwinds:
<A HREF@-----.com/">Steve Goodson Woodwinds LLC, New
Orleans, LA ...</A>

H. N. White began making the King Super 20 in the mid-1940s, just after WWII.
It's a fine- quality, professional sax. In 1965, White's widow sold the
company. The new owner, Seeburg, continued making the King Super 20 until
1975, just five years before the company discontinued the King saxes (but
continued to make student quality brasses). You might want to check Deja
News for past discussions of the post-White sale Super 20s on the
alt.music.saxophone newsgroup, since there's disagreement about whether
Seeburg maintained the quality. I don't have personal knowledge of saxes
made this recently. (I got interested in the old ones because I own a 1924
King Saxello soprano that I'm totally in love with.)

The name King is now part of the UMI conglomerate. Today's King saxes are
low-end instruments and have nothing to do with the old H. N. White Kings. I
don't know whether they're currently selling anything called a Super 20, but
IMHO, nothing in the current King line would be worth $1800 used. I would
not want a King sax made after 1975.

Hope this helps--
Lelia

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