 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: 3dogmom
Date: 2005-02-02 01:03
I hope you don't mind if I question your expertise about saxophones, which I know many of you play quite well. I have searched the internet, and this site, for information regarding the LaMonte name. Apparently it is related to Martin Freres, and I read Mark's history in the search archives.
Here's my question - in the back of the instrument closet in the school where I teach, I found an "old" appearing La Monte also sax. It plays great, really great. Does that make any sense? Now, I'm a clarinetist who doubled on the Bari a long time ago, but not much recently. I do play various altos in the course of my teaching. However, this model seems really outstanding. It does not play or sound like a student model. Do any of you have one of these horns? Any problems they might be likely to have?
Thanks for helping with a non-clarinet question.
Sue
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2005-02-02 01:09
In addition to any answers here, you may wanna try www.saxontheweb.net That (allegedly) is a big sax forum and they might be able to help too.
Alexi
[EDIT] - Changed from .com to .net on above address. Works much better
US Army Japan Band
Post Edited (2005-02-02 01:11)
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-02-02 01:23
Just remember - there are horns which will sometimes play as well or better than ones which cost tens of times more. I remember a guy who absolutely loved his Sears Trumpet (and he was a very good player too).
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-02-02 01:57
A posting on the http://www.saxontheweb.net site implies that the instruments were made by Martin Freres, since the Martin Freres Company was based in Lamonte, France.
There have been some LaMonte saxes listed on eBay in recent months...GBK
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Author: ron b
Date: 2005-02-02 03:43
My experience has been much the same as others here that, if you find a good playing horn, whatever the "brand", hang onto it 
- r![[cool]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/cool.gif) n b -
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Author: Gandalfe
Date: 2005-02-03 00:54
Just make sure that the sax plays in in tune. There are high and low pitch instruments too. The former are worthless except for playing by itself. You might want to pull out a tuner and check out the intonation. Remember though, unlike the clarinet, a good sax can have intonation problems with one or two notes and still be a good find.
Jim and Suzy
Pacifica Big Band
Seattle, Washington
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2005-02-03 19:05
It sounds like a "stencil" model. Made by any given manufacturer with over capacity, these instruments had different names stencilled on the bell to sell with dilution of the more famous name.
As Gandalfe mentioned, check with a tuner for accuracy to pitch.
If it sounds good, and plays comfortably assess the pad condition.
You may want to consider seriously the cost of overhaul on an unknown instrument that may not resell high enough to cover expenses.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2005-02-03 20:23
LaMonte was not a 'stencil' brand, as far as I know, it was Martin Freres' student line (like "Vito" is Leblanc's student line). I overhauled a LaMonte plastic clarinet some years ago, and as I remember it was pretty mediocre both before and after I worked on it (which may say more about my repair skills than the quality of the instrument.....hmmmmmmmm..................)
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2005-02-03 22:11
I yield the floor to the gentleman from the Mountains.
(Last thing I want is a donkey coming to adjust my point of view.)
I would like to reiterate that overhauling an instrument with no public following may not be cost - effective in the long run.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2005-02-04 14:15
SB, you are a gentleman and a scholar..........fear not, the Donkey won't be coming to your door, he says it's too cold up there where you live (he's kind of a Southern donkey, if you know what I mean).
Speaking about overhauling clarinets with little public following, your post has reminded me that I have this nice Couesnon Monopole Conservatoire clarinet awaiting some attention.................
As for whether or not any given instrument is worth overhauling, it's a bit of a crap shoot, viz: I have overhauled a few Buffet R-13s Bb clarinets and Leblanc bass clarinets that were absolute dogs, no matter how much work I put into them. On the flip side, my current 'best-playing clarinet' is one I bought for $30 and expected nothing from, it's a (believe it or not) 1930-ish Carl Fischer stencil made in Italy --- has a wonderful sound and plays very well in tune, but if I weren't doing the work myself I probably would never have put a cent into this instrument! My current 'best alto sax' is a 1950-s vintage King Cleveland, which was considered a student model, but for some reason it plays great -- better than many of the Selmer Mark V!s I've tried. You never know.....
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Author: woodchuck
Date: 2005-02-05 15:07
Hello Sue,
Does it say where it was made? It may well be a Freres horn, although I don't know if they made their own saxes or not. It may also be a stencil, as someone else suggested, who pulled that name out of the air because it was seen on other instruments. This may have been made in an era when quite often there was not much distinction between "student" and the better horns, not nearly like there often is today. Is it all brass? (the keys as well) or silver or? Are the bell keys on one side or the other, or one on each side? If I might paraphrase Mr Louis Armstrong, "If it sounds good, it is good."
Thanks,
Peter.
Somewhere between the classical
and the blues, is the flower
of the indigenous.
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Author: 3dogmom
Date: 2005-02-05 21:05
Peter,
It's at school right now, so I can't look at it. I do know it says something about being made in France, but I don't remember exactly how I know that or what it says. (After all, it's unlikely that it says Made In France. Must have been something else I read).
As to the keys, I will look on Monday and get back to you.
It's been great to get all this feedback. To some degree, I guess it doesn't matter what it's worth or what it says, as some have said. Right now it doesn't need an overhaul, it plays great and no money needs to be invested. I imagine it must have been donated to the school from somebody's closet. Fortunately I am able to borrow it... don't worry, everybody, I would much rather have a student playing it, and would loan it out in a flash it I could find a likely candidate. Maybe in the fall.
Thanks for your input.
Sue
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Author: woodchuck
Date: 2005-02-06 00:14
What's to worry? Life is about wading in and it's seldom if ever perfect, or maybe it is exactly perfect and the "mistakes" are part of that perfection. Some of the best evolutionary steps were "mistakes". hehe.
Somewhere between the classical
and the blues, is the flower
of the indigenous.
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