For information sake, I thought it would benefit others to share my experiences with identifying this saxophone's model number and stencil maker.
Information is a bit sparse on these Vito stencils. Some confusion exists because Le Blanc packaged these in their usual rectangular plywood framed cases with a naugahyde (plastic) exterior with sewn plastic cap strips along the edges. There are also sometimes errors in sales listing identification on Internet auction and sales sites.
I purchased this tenor in 2010, paid a little over $400 US from a Canadian seller advertising it in EBay US.
Mine appears to be an early one as the case is brown with an auburn red interior.
The later Vitos used a black case with black interior.
Because of various sales listing errors and Le Blanc using their own same case to sell all these stencils, initially I had mis-identified mine as a Yamaha YTS-23.
Exact year is a bit of a mystery as there were a lot of variables in their production (factory location, final assembly location, etc.). The Wikipedia page on Vitos is incomplete. Mine has a number carefully painted on the case end, leading me to believe that it was possibly a school loaner or music store rental until removed from service.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vito_(Leblanc) covers mostly the Yamaha models with serial numbers. The Jupiter 7133 is only mentioned once. The "T" suffix not mentioned denotes the tenor model.
Dr. Sax's website used to be available. AFAIK, he repaired saxes, finally retired. Fortunately the Wayback Machine made a copy at:
His listing, the most complete I've found has gaps. My tenor's serial number of 313xx is not covered by date. His listing does not cover my Beaugnier based Vito alto sax, serial number of 119xxA nor the Model 37. That alto came in a Le Blanc case but with a unique (nice!) leather covered exterior instead of plastic. A further mystery is that this alto appears like an earlier 1950's model but with its higher serial number, continued production into the 1960's, a span of possibly 15 years or more.
Here is my Vito showing its right side in a new Crossrock contour case.
This is the left side of my Vito:
This is the Vito stamp on its bell right side:
The backside bell brace shows the Le Blanc symbol:
Here is the left thumb rest next to the octave key and the neck strap hook:
Mine has no country of origin stamp although some others have "Taiwan" stamped near the serial number below the back thumb rest. It is possible mine had its final assembly in Le Blanc's plant in Kenosha, Wisconsin when it was still open. Since these were considered beginner instruments (although mine plays like an intermediate), serial number records are sparse.
Sometimes it is confused with the Vito 7131T. This is the Yamaha YTS-23 in disguise. A number of minor changes were made to both saxes to help mask their true identity to protect the brand name versions.
This is a photo of Jupiter's JTS-689, which is the closest match I could find to my Vito 7133T:
From https://reverb.com/item/63473706-jupiter-jts-689-687-tenor-saxophone-w-case-serviced sold in 2022 for $599 US, by Mill River Music & Guitar Shop, Northampton, MA
On My Vito Jupiter stencil, the bell pad protector guards do not have adjusters on the felt key bumpers to set the height for tuning, whereas the JTS-689 are adjustable. My Vito's neck octave key is without any ID stamp whereas the Jupiter is stamped. My Vito has no bell decorative engraving. From photos, it appears that the JTS-689 did not have any, either.
I love my Vito (Jupiter) tenor because I can get a very beautiful subtone out of it in its lower register. It plays like an intermediate.
Information is a bit sparse on these Vito stencils. Some confusion exists because Le Blanc packaged these in their usual rectangular plywood framed cases with a naugahyde (plastic) exterior with sewn plastic cap strips along the edges. There are also sometimes errors in sales listing identification on Internet auction and sales sites.
I purchased this tenor in 2010, paid a little over $400 US from a Canadian seller advertising it in EBay US.
Mine appears to be an early one as the case is brown with an auburn red interior.
The later Vitos used a black case with black interior.
Because of various sales listing errors and Le Blanc using their own same case to sell all these stencils, initially I had mis-identified mine as a Yamaha YTS-23.
Exact year is a bit of a mystery as there were a lot of variables in their production (factory location, final assembly location, etc.). The Wikipedia page on Vitos is incomplete. Mine has a number carefully painted on the case end, leading me to believe that it was possibly a school loaner or music store rental until removed from service.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vito_(Leblanc) covers mostly the Yamaha models with serial numbers. The Jupiter 7133 is only mentioned once. The "T" suffix not mentioned denotes the tenor model.
Dr. Sax's website used to be available. AFAIK, he repaired saxes, finally retired. Fortunately the Wayback Machine made a copy at:
Vito Serial Numbers
Doctor Sax repairs, buys and sells woodwinds...saxes, clarinet flutes and a variety of reed instruments. I strive to bring quality affordable instruments to people who want to play. I specialize in saxophones and other vintage instruments.
web.archive.org
His listing, the most complete I've found has gaps. My tenor's serial number of 313xx is not covered by date. His listing does not cover my Beaugnier based Vito alto sax, serial number of 119xxA nor the Model 37. That alto came in a Le Blanc case but with a unique (nice!) leather covered exterior instead of plastic. A further mystery is that this alto appears like an earlier 1950's model but with its higher serial number, continued production into the 1960's, a span of possibly 15 years or more.
Here is my Vito showing its right side in a new Crossrock contour case.
This is the left side of my Vito:
This is the Vito stamp on its bell right side:
The backside bell brace shows the Le Blanc symbol:
Here is the left thumb rest next to the octave key and the neck strap hook:
Mine has no country of origin stamp although some others have "Taiwan" stamped near the serial number below the back thumb rest. It is possible mine had its final assembly in Le Blanc's plant in Kenosha, Wisconsin when it was still open. Since these were considered beginner instruments (although mine plays like an intermediate), serial number records are sparse.
Sometimes it is confused with the Vito 7131T. This is the Yamaha YTS-23 in disguise. A number of minor changes were made to both saxes to help mask their true identity to protect the brand name versions.
This is a photo of Jupiter's JTS-689, which is the closest match I could find to my Vito 7133T:
From https://reverb.com/item/63473706-jupiter-jts-689-687-tenor-saxophone-w-case-serviced sold in 2022 for $599 US, by Mill River Music & Guitar Shop, Northampton, MA
On My Vito Jupiter stencil, the bell pad protector guards do not have adjusters on the felt key bumpers to set the height for tuning, whereas the JTS-689 are adjustable. My Vito's neck octave key is without any ID stamp whereas the Jupiter is stamped. My Vito has no bell decorative engraving. From photos, it appears that the JTS-689 did not have any, either.
I love my Vito (Jupiter) tenor because I can get a very beautiful subtone out of it in its lower register. It plays like an intermediate.