MAX KEILWERTH PERIOD
F. X. Hüller & Co saxophones are quite rare. Every now and then a “World” or “Champion” saxophone shows up in one of the forums or on eBay.
The brand usually will be associated with Max Keilwerth.
He came into the company to build up the saxophone department in 1923 but he began to operate independently in 1926.
Max Keilwerth kept supplying his former employer with saxophones until 1931.
For a long time i believed the serial number 20000 matched with the year 1923 and took for granted all split bell key horns were built under the guidance of Max Keilwerth.
Untill a Chez collector sended me copies of a 1920's FXH cataloque.
This cataloque contained French style ''World'' saxophones that came in the models A, B and C.
Lately i received pictures of a split bell key FXH ''Professional'' tenor which was marked:
''F.X. Hüller & Co 30-8-35'', followed by a tip of a German collector who pointed me on a 1930 FXH ad that shows a French style ''World'' saxophone ( Biography page, 2nd row, pic 1 ).
This probably means Max Keilwerth's involvement in the company only lasted during the era ( 1923-1931 ) wherein saxophones were built, with a French style body to bell brace and the bell keys on the left side of the horn. Not throughout the company’s entire saxophone production period.
Which raises the question: who developed and built the 1st period FXH horns? It must have been a master saxophone builder who made works of art, form contra bass al the way up to sopranino and everything in between!
I have seen quite a few Max Keilwerth saxophones, built after his time at FXH, like the Mars, President, Globe and several stencils.
When it comes to the keywork of these horns i noticed the only real innovation, only took place at the end of his ''Pure Tone Trade mark'' era.
The pictures below ( 20th row ) show an alto which obviously was the predecessor of the post-war Hohner President ( after WW-II Max Keilwerth ended up working for the Hohner company in Trossingen ).
It still has rolled tone holes, a micro tuner and the ''Pure Tone trade mark'' stamp ( unlike Hohner ).
But it has the same eyebrow key guards and the same left hand pinky cluster like the Hohner saxophones.
In the beginning of the '' Pure Tone Trade Mark'' era he changed the shape of the G# nail file key.
A Chez collector was so kind to send my copies of a 1920's FXH cataloque, see the 8th,9th and 10th row, below.
Tobi a German collector discoverd a ''Champion'' alto which is a transitional model with the bell keys still on the left side ( see pictures, 7th row ).
At some point, during the MK period, the models ''Professional'' and ''Champion'' were available too.
first row: World alto ( model A or B?, as in the cataloque below ) source ebay.de
second row: C.A. Wunderlich tenor ( FXH World model C stencil, as in the cataloque below ) source ebay.de
third row: World soprano ( model A or B?, as in the cataloque below ) source ebay.com
fourth row: C.A. Wunderlich alto ( FXH stencil ) source ebay kleinanzeigen
fifth row: MK period Hessische Musikwerke Frankfurt tenor
sixth and seventh row: FXH baritone
eight row: pic 1 to 3 World alto source aukro.cz / pic 4 1931 bill source Vaclav / pic 5 MK period C.A. Wunderlich with World stamp source Intune
ninht row: unbranded FXH tenor ( compared with the HMF tenor on the fifth row this horn has improved palm keys, a microtuner and a straight body to bell brace )
tenth row: C.A. Wunderlich alto ( FXH stencil with the same features as the later 1st period World de luxe model ) source ebay kleinanzeigen
eleventh row: Champion alto, transitional model ( bell keys still on the left side ) source Tobi
twelfth to fourteenth row: 1920's FXH cataloloque
fifteenth row: pic 1 Max Keilwerth / pic 2 Mars / pic 3 Globe / pic 4 President / pic 5 post war Hohner President / pic 1,3 & 4 source eBay.de / pic 2 source Tobi
sixteenth row: Globe alto, the most affordable version, keyed to low B, no front F key, no F# triller key and no micro tuner source bazos.cz
seventeenth and eighteenth row: New Brunswick International baritone ( Max Keilwerth stencil )
nineteenth row: Max Keilwerth special alto with a roller on the little Bb key source ebay.de
twentieth row: Mars alto
twenty first row: President alto ( late model, serial number 7216 ) source aukro.cz