Introductory Statement:
there are alleged differences between the ...
* New King
* New
King Special
* Toneking
* Toneking
Special
* and Toneking EX ("Exklusiv")
... models: the Tonekings
have altissimo D# trill keys, the New Kings don't. The EX is supposed to have
all the features of the Toneking and may have additional engraving and
additional pearl inlay. The Special model of whichever version is supposed
to be almost identical to the Toneking EX model, but without the pearl
inlay and seem to feature altissimo F# keys.
Unfortunately, these rules are hardly rock
solid: there are Special models without rolled tone holes and some Tonekings
with straight tone holes. In other words, probably it's just a marketing
thing and the only constant and fundamental difference between
the New King and Toneking (excepting Special models) is that the Toneking
has an altissimo D# trill key -- up to a certain point -- so if you see a New King model with
rolled tone holes, it's as good as the Toneking EX, it just doesn't
look as fancy and doesn't have an altissimo D# trill. There
is no data to back up an assertion like, "The New King uses older
tooling than the Toneking" (for instance, as is the difference
between the SML and SML
Standard models).
However, if you can read German, g'head
and take a look at this
article.
Anyhow, the New King design was Keilwerth's
first flagship top-pro model design, but only became wildly successful
when the Series III was introduced -- and became Keilwerth's most often
stencilled horn (sometimes unengraved, sometimes custom engraved, but
you can always tell it's a New King by the distinctive keyguard).
The Toneking was probably introduced just prior to World War II and was also
used for a stencil model, but by relatively few companies.
There are several different incarnations of the New King/Toneking
design:
* Series I: from about 10xxx to 20xxx:
In my opinion, the nicest model. An elaborately engraved horn with
funky offset side chromatic Bb/C and altissimo E vent keys, a microtuner
neck and rolled tone holes.
At the same time that the New King Series I was available, Keilwerth also had the Champion model as an alternative. This "step down" idea was popular with manufacturers like Selmer (the Adolphe Sax model), Conn (the Pan-American model), Buescher (the Elkhart model) and others: they're not necessarily "intermediate quality", but they're not as elaborate as the "super pro" line.
The Champion model lacks the offset side keys and additional pearl keytouches of the New King model. I don't have enough data to determine if the bore is any different. Maybe, but, considering that these horns were made in such low quantities, it's more probable that it's not.
* Series II: bevelled tone holes and
left-hand bell keys were used on about 500 to 1000
horns after Keilwerth moved from Czechoslovakia to
Germany. These horns are such a radical departure from the Series
I, they could be considered a completely different model. I believe
this is intentional, as Amati co-opted the Toneking name and design
(see below). There may also not have been any Tonekings of this series.
This model may have been developed in conjunction with Kohlert, as some rumors suggest.
The other interesting thing about these horns is that
they're one of the four I'm aware of that had bevelled tone holes.
The others are early
Couesnons, Martin and possibly
some early Bueschers.
* Series III: from about 21xxx to 45xxx:
The introduction of the horns with the stunning lucite keyguard --
but the elimination of the microtuner neck. Rolled tone holes seem
to be added randomly to these models.
I've been asked about the horns that have METAL keyguards in the same shape as the lucite ones: are they original? My answer: possibly.
I can imagine, because the lucite keyguards are so brittle, that after a year or two, Keilwerth offered the metal guard as an option -- or they used them as warranty replacements. However, I've been unable to find a serial number range for "just metal" or "just lucite", so the idea that the metal keyguards are replacements, either from the factory or other 3rd party company, is probably the most accurate.
In 1956, an interesting horn shows up: the V. Kohlert & Sons model with a label, on the back, that reads, "JGK: The Best in the World" and "Made in Czechoslovakia". It's an odd horn because it doesn't look like any other New King model. The reason for this is because I don't really believe it's a Keilwerth, but an Amati horn. Take a look at the below article regarding the Amati Toneking and my notes on the Kohlert page.
* Series IV: from about 45xxx to 905xx.
These are a somewhat cheaper looking horn, with sheet-metal keyguards.
You can make the argument that, because the New King Series
IV was used as the model for the H-Couf Royalist (an intermediate horn)
and for the Bundy/Bundy
Special stencil (the Special model had rolled tone holes), the playability
of this model stepped down dramatically. I've found bunches of folks
that would dispute this, though -- their primary argument being the
existence of the New King Special models.
I can confirm that the Keilwerth-made Bundys are great
horns, but remember that they ARE student horns, were marketed as
such and these may
be made from lower quality materials and may lack in some features (see
this
link, which compares a Series I to an Esquire model tenor).
There are very few New King baritones -- of any series.
Keilwerth definitely
did make baritones for Selmer (in the form of the Bundy -- there were
no Bundy Special baritones). According to the Keilwerth Forum, the baritone
was custom-made model up until the H-Couf product line. The bass was
probably not even introduced until the H-Couf model line and, according
to advertisements from that time (the low A bass was a prototype, not a production horn), if you wanted an H-Couf bass, you needed to submit
a deposit and wait six months.
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