This is how Bob described the instruments his father built for DABICO.
DABICO alto sax made by Hammerschmidt in Germany. This is a brand that my father sold under his company name. (Dayton Band Inst Co) These were stencil instruments made for him ,with some of his added touches. These were sold in the late 50’s. He also had instruments made by Schenklaars in Holland, this was mid to late 60’s. The first run of Dabico were more proto- type instruments for the time and the latter more student quality at a much lower cost to the customer.
When the US manufacturers made stencil saxes, the horns tended to be of the more stripped-down variety. In some cases, these US stencils were made with cheaper materials than their name brand counterparts, therefore they tended to be of a lesser quality as well.¹ Oftentimes the stencil saxophones designs were based on discontinued, but modified versions of pro horns. For example, the original Selmer Bundy saxophones, were Buescher True Tones with left-sided bell keys. The serial numbers on US stencil saxophones tended not to follow the numbering charts for the pro horns from the same manufacturer.
When a stencil saxophone originated in Europe, it generally was not of a stripped-down variety. For the most part, European stencil saxophones were offered with the same features as the horns they were stencilled from. Where they differed however, was in the engraving and usually in the number of finish options available.