These horns
appeared around s/n 73xx and by the end of this model's run,
they had most or all of the "22 Features"
(see Fred Cicetti's article)
-- so much so that most of the posts I've seen say that these
horns play as well as or better than the newer SML's.
The design
is essentially a slight tweaking of the "Model
49" design. It IS significantly different from the
pre-WWII Rev. B or Coleman Hawkins models and resembles more
a Buffet than a Buescher.
It appears that SML started putting matching serial numbers
on some of these horns' necks and only manufactured models
with rolled tone holes.
There is a definite break in the Rev. C model
chart: after s/n 78xx, some adjustment screws started appearing,
as well as adjustable felts.
A sterling-silver
neck was offered as an option for some horns. While this
option may have continued into the Gold Medal series of horns,
I've only seen evidence of this in one post on SOTW from a
user with a silver neck AND BELL Marigaux alto (allegedly.
He might have really had a Marigaux Eb alto clarinet). It
would be logical, however, that SML did offer the silver neck
on some of their other horns: SML began an association with
King around
1960. King produced both the Silver-Sonic and Super 20 horns
and (many of) these had sterling silver necks -- and the King
Silver-Sonic had a sterling silver bell.
===========
I've recently
found a nice looking silver alto badly listed on eBay as a
"Chinese Saxophone" . It doesn't seem to have the
SML engraving on the right side of the bell (it may have been
buffed off) -- and, like some Rev. C altos, it has a model
number engraved on it: "Model
260". I don't really have any desire to lump this
horn in with the Supers or "Model 49", because "260"
doesn't really mean anything to me. Neck taper? I dunno.
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