Where to find information about Saxophones and Makers

I frequently get questions about where to find information
about saxophones and their makers.
At first I need to say that a lot of workshops didn't label some
instruments as the dealer who was buying had put his own name
on these instruments. Besides that, several producers had contracts
with a wide spread dealer field not to sell any of their saxophones
to other dealers.

That resulted in putting other names on an in fact the same
instrument. This was often the case in America but also in Europe.
This was the way to expand the business avoiding a justice cause.

These are the so called stencil instruments. For the USA market a
lot about these instruments and makers can be found at www.saxpics.com
It is often said that these american stencil instruments are of a lesser
quality.

For the European market and especially the French market you will
find much information at the www.luthiervents.blogspot.com site.
Contrary to the the American way of working the European stencils
seems to be of a better quality than their origin. In fact I doubt that:
Why would a factory change machinery and use of materials in order
to produce a different quality. Dealers are ordering instruments because
of the quality a factory provides!


Another source could be http://www.horn-u-copia.net/
This site contains the name of a lot of manufacturers.

If anyone has additions to this information feel free to E-mail me at:
acakoevoets@kpnmail.nl