Keilwerth New King

1958

This New King series by Keilwerth is highly underrated, both the altos and the tenors. They super solidly built (Deutsche Gründlichkeit! ) and they really sound top-notch. Big and full, a direct sound with great projection and lots of volume. Also handy: they have large tone holes and the valves therefore only need to open a little. That gives you speed. If you practice enough of course… The intonation is very easy. In short: this is a problem free, super easy playing and free blowing instrument. Pricewise a quarter of a Selmer Mark VI, soundwise equivalent. Only disadvantage: the plastic keyguard, a novelty at the end of the fifties. Plastic becomes brittle after so many years and then it snaps if you tighten the fastening screws too hard. At exactly these points this one also snapped. It is glued well, but it doesn’t look any better. For € 50 I build a custom-made simple keyguard to replace it or keep it in reserve. Furthermore, they have, like the Keilwerth SX90R (and  Conn until just after WW II) round tone holes. A super fat horn!

See Robin Verheyen, Belgian jazz saxophonist with the same instrument: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-yiB_u0iC0