Here we have a mid 50's King Zephyr Alto. This horn has very slick keywork making it a very solid horn for fast passages. I was very impressed by the mechanics of this horn when I took it down for repad. Sometimes when you get deep into a repad, you will find certain keys need to go on the horn in a certain order and can only fit a certain way. This horn was just a delight to work on. his one was relacquered at some point early in it's life, but the engraving is still pretty clear and the sound is big. You can see also that the new lacquer is starting to age, but is in stark contrast to the original lacquer of the 30's Zephyr below.
Here you get a good look at the keys and at the unique "double-socket" attachment of the neck. This was intended to limit and reduce leaks, but as it turns out there seem to be more problems with this style than the regular style necka attachment. This particular horn has no leaking problems and sings freely and openly. What a horn!
The earlier you get back into thses vintage horns, the clunkier the keywork gets. Todays horns have fabulous keywork, but lack the real sound of the instruments of old. It is a compromise that some are unwilling to take because they cherish the SOUND. This older Zephyr has some very clunky keywork. I think King did some incredible renovations to the Zephyr between the 30's and 50's because the Zephyr above feels real good under the fingers.
Here you can see the dark honey aged patina of old lacquer. This is what to look for when you are shopping for a vintage saxophone. It means that all that good metal is still intact. Some people think that is why vintage instruments have that sound they do - either the thickness of the metal or the composition of the metal is what gives them the sound they have. I personally tend to think it is a combination of the crafstmen who built them and the metal.