Hammerschmidt Saxophones

Helen

Helen

Content Expert Saxophones
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Hammerschmidt is a brand of German vintage saxophones that pops up occasionally on eBay either as itself, or as a stencil horn. We've discussed them here before in the DABICO/Hüttl thread. Hammerschmidt traditionally sold their horns under the name Klingsor.

I have had a Hammerschmidt page on my website since discovering in '08 that my Hüttl alto is actually a Hammerschmidt stencil. With new information I recently received from German saxophonist, historian, and repair tech Uwe Ladwig, I just today updated my Hammerschmidt page complete with photos illustrating the various points Uwe's research identified. There are some new photos there as well which some of you might find interesting.

If you like obscure, European saxophones with lots of bells and whistles, you gotta' love Hammerschmidt.
 
The octave mechanism looks similar to that on my Yamaha baritone. There's the same dual vents being opened ever so slightly one after another.

On my horn, there is a small spring that allows the lower vent to be opened up to the play in the flat of the spring, whereupon the second vent is opened. Very distracting once you notice it there, right under the limits of your clear vision.
 
They're also very pretty horns.

I have a couple comments and questions:

* Have you seen any Hammerschmidt sopranos and/or baritones?

* Another way I can tell that the nickel-plate tenor on your new page is the newest of the bunch is because it doesn't appear to have an Eb vent key.

* You missed one model. This is one of the most striking horns I've ever seen. Sometimes, simple certainly can = beautiful. I think that this one is a somewhat newer version of the tenor you have under the one from www.vatera.hu, but the keywork definitely looks similar.

Speaking of these pretty horns, you don't mention Josef Hammerschmidt. According to the modern Hammerschmidt website, Karl's sons were Willi, Erwin, Erich, Walter, Alex and Otmar. I wonder if, considering how different the Josef Hammerschmidt horn and the horn from Marktplaats.nl are from the other horns pictured, if there weren't two different Hammerschmidts putting out horns.

Just a theory!

* I don't think that the split-bell-key Hammerschmidts were made during or post-WWII. I think they were made in the 1930's, if not earlier. The reason I say this is because the latest split bell key horns I've seen from other manufacturers are mid-1930's (IIRC, the latest was about 1935). I understand that Hammerschmidt says that they started sax production in the 1950's, but I see no reason for them to start with a split-bell-key horn, primarily because the other big-name German horn manufacturers post-WWII (Amati, Keilwerth, Kohlert) all produced single-side bell key horns. It's almost like saying that Ford is reintroducing the Model T to compete with the Chevy Volt.

* Did you ever find out why they changed the name from "Klingsor" to "Klingson"?

* Did you ever find out who makes the modern Hammerschmidt saxophones? They're listed in the Hammerschmidt catalog ....
 
pete said:
They're also very pretty horns.
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+1 I couldn't agree more. Too bad about their inconsistency however. It prevents them from being a great brand.

pete said:
* Have you seen any Hammerschmidt sopranos and/or baritones?
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No actually I haven't. It's strange that I haven't come across any in all the time that I've been trolling for the brand.

pete said:
* Another way I can tell that the nickel-plate tenor on your new page is the newest of the bunch is because it doesn't appear to have an Eb vent key.
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Actually that's not really an indicator so much of the age of the sax as it is of the model. If you notice Dave Denton's acrylic key guarded tenor on the page directly below the horn with the Zephyr-like key guards, his has a newer serial number newer (047XX) than my nickel plated one (043XX) with metal key guards. During this time they were producing at least these 2 different models of horns.

pete said:
* You missed one model. This is one of the most striking horns I've ever seen. Sometimes, simple certainly can = beautiful. I think that this one is a somewhat newer version of the tenor you have under the one from www.vatera.hu, but the keywork definitely looks similar.

Speaking of these pretty horns, you don't mention Josef Hammerschmidt. According to the modern Hammerschmidt website, Karl's sons were Willi, Erwin, Erich, Walter, Alex and Otmar. I wonder if, considering how different the Josef Hammerschmidt horn and the horn from Marktplaats.nl are from the other horns pictured, if there weren't two different Hammerschmidts putting out horns.

Just a theory!
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I didn't include the horn in the examples, but it is in my Hammerschmidt Gallery. It's been there since my new site was launched. The reason I didn't mention the horn is that is was marked as being built by Josef, and it is not marked as a Klingsor. As you point out, Josef is not one of Karl's sons. No where in my research, nor in Uwe's, did the name Josef come up. I was going to ask Uwe about that and see if he knows anything about this horn. At this point I'm not sure what its origins are, so I purposely didn't include it on the "official" Hammerschmidt page.

pete said:
* I don't think that the split-bell-key Hammerschmidts were made during or post-WWII. I think they were made in the 1930's, if not earlier. The reason I say this is because the latest split bell key horns I've seen from other manufacturers are mid-1930's (IIRC, the latest was about 1935). I understand that Hammerschmidt says that they started sax production in the 1950's, but I see no reason for them to start with a split-bell-key horn, primarily because the other big-name German horn manufacturers post-WWII (Amati, Keilwerth, Kohlert) all produced single-side bell key horns. It's almost like saying that Ford is reintroducing the Model T to compete with the Chevy Volt.
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I see your logic, and it makes sense, but according to Uwe they were. He researched it by talking to the people who built them, as well as the production manager, and the then owner of the company.

pete said:
* Did you ever find out why they changed the name from "Klingsor" to "Klingson"?
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They never changed the name. Klingson was what they marketed their clarinets, flutes, etc under. Klingsor is what they marketed their saxophones under.

pete said:
* Did you ever find out who makes the modern Hammerschmidt saxophones? They're listed in the Hammerschmidt catalog ....
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Actually that's a good question. I had speculated in my blog over a year ago that based on the price, that the current Hammerschmidt company is having student model saxophones made in Asia. Uwe mentions in his article that the origins of the "Klingson by Hammerschmidt" saxophones with a 6 digit serial number is unclear.
 
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MartinMods said:
Very nice. The ones I'm making now are real inlay. The brass spatula is hollowed out and the pearl fits in firmly, without screws, with a brass rim all the way around.
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If you are talking about the pinky touchpieces, I guess you are leaving some of the pearls full metal to fit the roller rod screws? I assume you glue the pearls, or use a very firm fit, or slightly push the brass rim around them to hold (like some models have to hold the round pearls)? I don't like the screws holding it and pressing on them, especially when some of the slots are a bit burry like in that photo.
 
Further to the models that Hammerschmidt built. In the 1969 Klingsor brochure it lists 3 different models of alto & tenor Klinsgors available. They are designated Model A, B, & C. Model A has the most bells & whistles, including all the extra trill keys and fork Eb, and 22 pearls. Model B didn't have the fork Eb, high D trill key, and only had 9 pearls. Model C didn't have a front F key, G# trill key, and only had 7 pearls. The baritones, J. Keilwerth stencils, were available in either low Bb or low A versions. High F# was an option on Hammerschmidt-made altos and tenors only. J. Keilwerth stencils (sopranos and baris) didn't come with that option.
 
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clarnibass said:
If you are talking about the pinky touchpieces, I guess you are leaving some of the pearls full metal to fit the roller rod screws? I assume you glue the pearls, or use a very firm fit, or slightly push the brass rim around them to hold (like some models have to hold the round pearls)? I don't like the screws holding it and pressing on them, especially when some of the slots are a bit burry like in that photo.
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This is on a rebuilt Martin Handcraft alto:

All the spatulas - side keys, palm keys, chromatic F#, front f, octave key, LH + RH pinkies, have peal (or stone/gem) inlay. There is enough brass left at roller fittings to support the roller screws. The pearls are set with a very precise, firm fit, and the brass rim is slightly compressed around them. Additionally, I'm adding retaining screws from the underside, through the spatula floor.

The brass pad cups all have a concentric machined groove and brazed copper (or silver) inlay, with engraving around the outside. The pad cup/key arms have brazed copper (or silver) trim as the top angled edge. Body couplings, receiver, and tenon have copper (silver) trim rings

The body has been completely stripped, chopped, offsetting the lower stack. Tone holes are brazed back on. The entire (outer) bell, body, and neck surface (excluding tone hole rims) area is covered with a brazed (lower temp), Elaine M Goodwin inspired, brass (opt. brass, copper, nickle) mosaic, buffed to a perfect finish, with clear lacquer. Bell's engraving area (for name and blah, blah, blah) is a solid copper (silver) inlay. Bell interior is brass. Keys are lacquered brass (with aforementioned trim).

Body mosaic surface is milled at post setting locations to maintain post height.
 
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