The roots of the Jazzophon lie in the area of Graslitz and Markneukirchen in the Saxonian Vogtland, an area that acted for years as the world's musicstore. This region was called the Musikwinkel. Refugees from the nearby Graslitz-region started producing musical instruments in the 17th century after they were forced to leave the recatholicising Bohemia. They started with violins, then gitars and cithers, woodwinds, harmonicas until almost every orchestral instrument was made in this region. At the start of the 20th century the instruments from the Musikwinkel-region had a 80 percent share of the worldwide market. From 1893 untill 1916 there even was a U.S. Consulate General in Markneukirchen. At that time Markneukirchen was about the wealthiest city of Germany, the wholesalers being the millionaires rather than the instrument makers.

The saxophone was invented by Adolphe Sax in 1841. He wanted to create an instrument that would both be the loudest of the woodwinds and the most versatile of the brass, and would fill the then vacant middle ground between the two sections. In the Roaring Twenties the saxophone became extremely popular as being the ultimate jazz-instrument. By the mid-twenties there was undoubtedly a saxophone boom, fuelled by a post-war demand for novelty. Production of saxophones in America reached a peak in 1924, when 100,000 instruments were produced. Five hundred thousand saxophones were sold in seven years, until the Wall Street crash signalled an end to this boost to the saxophone's popularity.

In the 1920s, jazz in Germany was a fad. Eager to look ahead after the crushing defeat of World War I, the part of Weimar Germany that embraced the modernism that swept through Europe was crazy about jazz. The "Salonorchester" turned to the new style, because dancers wanted it so. Radio also played a role in the popularization of jazz. In 1926, it began to regularly play jazz music, and by 1930 artists such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and others became popular to German audiences. People saw jazz as the "essence of the era's modernism," a strong surge toward greater equality and emancipation, posing as a perfect advocate for a democracy in Germany.

A shortage of cheap saxophones and good saxophone players triggered the design of the Jazzophon and the also sax-shaped Normaphon, invented by Richard Oskar Heber. Many non-standard instruments were introduced during this period. These included the Slide Saxophone, the Swanee-sax of 1922, the keyless Saxie of 1924, the Saxello of 1925 and the Conn-o-sax of 1928.

The first advertisement for the Jazzophon appeared on September 15th, 1926 in the 'Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau' from Leipzig, the trade magazine for makers of and dealers in musical instruments. It was an ad from Musikwarenfabrik Hans Rölz from the Czech Graslitz (now Kraslice). Rölz showed the Jazzophon as a novelty at the Leipzig-autumn fair. The editorial columns in the Zeitschrift paid attention to the instrument. The ad shows a sax shaped Jazzophon and also one in the form of a lyre. In March 1927, just before the Leipzig spring fair, Rölz advertised again, the lyre shaped Jazzophon had by then disappeared form the ad. The magazine had an extra jazz catalog from Rölz attached. In April 1927 he advertised once again, this time with a trumpet-shaped Jazzophon and that was it.

D.R.G.M.-registration

Marked Jazzophon D.G.R.M. 995305 on the mute and C.A.Wunderlich Siebenbrunn Vogtland Germany on the open bell. Ca 1930. Coll. Scott Robinson, US

At the time, for wholesalers such as Wunderlich, it was common practice to engrave their own name on the instruments, instead of the name of the instrument's inventor and/or maker. In Markneukirchen and the surrounding areas there were a few hundred instrument builders of all kind, and approximately twenty wholesalers. The wholesalers were able to dictate prices and conditions; thus, most of the instruments are not labeled by the builders but by the wholesalers.

In a catalog from around 1928 Wunderlich offers besides the soprano Jazzophon (priced at 90 Reichsmark) an alto and a tenor Jazzophon. Wunderlich also offers the Jazzophon in the form of a lyre and a trumpet shaped one.

Johan Michl & Sohn, Pfretzschner &Martin

A jazzophone with engraving Johann Michl & Sohn, Graslitz, was offered in 2006 at an auction in Vichy, France. Johann Michl & Sohn was known as a stringed and woodwind maker as well as a brass instrument maker in Graslitz, Bohemia from 1870 to c.1937.

In 1995 in an display in the exhibition Musical Innovations of the Industrial Revolution in the Cutler Gallery of the National Music Museum in Vermillion, South Dakota, there was a jazzophon by Pfretzschner & Martin from Markneukirchen on view, dated ca. 1925. The Deutsche Signal-Instrumenten-Fabrik Pfretzschner & Martin became in 1926 Signalinstumenten Fabrik Max B. Martin.

Miraphone

There is one Jazzophon marked Miraphone on the mute. After World War II the region of Graslitz, also known as Sudetenland, became once again part of Czechslovakia and most of the German population in Sudetenland was expelled. Thirteen instrumentmakers from Graslitz moved to the southern part of West-Germany to Waldkraiburg and started repairing musical instruments under the name 'Produktivgenossenschaft der Graslitzer Musikinstrumentenerzeuger eGmbH'. As of 1947 they built new instruments as well, branded Miraphone. The new Miraphone-logo was used from 1948 onwards. PR-manager Kari Theinert said: "Our company has actually built a whole series of Jazzophones. Unfortunately, there is no archived documentation or old catalog material anymore. The engraving of this instrument shows that it's manufactured around the late 60s at our facility in Waldkraiburg. Most of these instruments were exported to the United States."

Jazzophone marked Miraphone, 1960's, coll. Erik Totham, California US

Other known Jazzophon's

Trumpet shaped Jazzophon, engraved Jazzophon D.G.R.M. 995.305,  Trompetenmuseum Bad Säckingen

Jazzophon of the late Frank Tomes, Londen, here played in 2009 by David Staff. No maker or dealer's name, only D.R.G.M. No. 995 305. Tomes bought it from John R.T.Davies, who bought it from a music shop in Rome while on tour with the 'Temperance Seven' a British 20s style jazz/dance band. 

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1 - 2. Jazz-o-phone.  c. 1926,  brass, understood to be German. One thumb lever directs the sound through the muted bell, while the other thumb lever controls the wah-wah. Sold by Sid Glickman, New York US in 2010

3. Jazzophon D.R.G.M. 995.305. Coll. Attilio Berni, Fiumicino, Italië,

4. Professional Jazzophon D.R.G.M. 995.305 brass, auctioned at Sotheby's in 1983

5. Jazzophon D.R.G.M 995.305. Coll. Robert Ullery, Virgina, VS, 

6. Jazzophon D.R.G.M 995.30 Coll. Museum Bad Säckingen, Deutschland,

7. Jazzophon, details unknown

8 - 10. Jazzophon D.R.G.M. 995.305 1920's. Hartenberger World Music Collection, Missouri, VS

11. Jazzophon Coll. NMM Vermillion, South Dakota

The Normaphon was a saxophone shaped trumpet with only one bell, invented by Richard Oskar Heber (1872-1938) from Markneukirchen. Between 1900 and 1935 he produced brass instruments under the Norma-brand at the Schützenstrasse 36 in Markneukirchen.

Richard Oskar Heber at work                                                         Schützenstrasse 36 Markneukirchen photo's copyright Ines Ann Heber  

Heber advertised the Normaphon as very appropriate for  'Jazz-Band und sonstige Effekt-Kapellen'. Roughly 100 Normaphons were built from approximately 1924/25 until 1930, and were distributed through wholesalers such as C.A. Wunderlich in Siebenbrunn, R.O. Adler and C.G Glier in Markneukirchen, Ammon Gläser in Erlbach and M. J. Kalashen in New York. The Gebrüder Schuster in Markneukirchen, 'Fabrik und Export von Musikinstrumenten und Saiten', from 1854, had the Normaphon in their Katalog Nr. 70, (ca. 1929). Normaphons were sent out to musical directors all over the world to promote the new instrument.

Alto Normaphon in Eb, originally nickel plated, serial number 0104. On the bell: C.A. Wunderlich Siebenbrunn Vogtl. coll. Gerard Westerhof

Normaphones can be found amongst others at the National Music Museum of the University of South Dakota, the Edinburgh University Collection of Historic Musical Instruments, the MIM in Phoenix, the Museum of Musical Instruments of the Leipzig University, the HJM Brass Collection in Turku, Finland and the Trompetenmuseum in Bad Säckingen.

Bobby Bradford and Tom Guralnick 12 april 2004, photo Mark Weber

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1. soprano Normaphon D.R.G.M. Germany sold in 1998 through Butterfield & Butterfield

2. alto Normaphon, D.R.G.M. serial number 0344, acquired in 2010, coll. Han Savelkoel, Nederland

3. alto Normaphon  serial number 0441, coll. Heikki Moisio Turku, Finland

4. tenor Normaphon coll. NMM, Vermillion South Dakota VS, acquired in 1977, on permanent display at the Meredith Willson Museum in Mason City, Iowa

5. tenor Normaphon D.R.G.M. serial number 0315 coll. Edinburgh University, UK

6a. alto Normaphon, serial number 150 coll. Scott Robinson, Teaneck New Jersey, VS

6b. tenor Normaphon, serial number 350, coll. Scott Robinson, Teaneck New Jersey, VS

7. tenor (?) Normaphon D.R.G.M. coll. MIM, Phoenix VS., until 2011 Fiske Museum, Claremont, VS (Albert Rice speaks of an alto, D.R.G.M./GERMANY"—sold by C.A. Wunderlich)

8. tenor (?) Normaphon, D.R.G.M. Germany, restauration with new mouthpipe in 2012 by Robb Stewart, coll. Rick Schwartz

9. tenor Normaphon D.R.G.M.  C.A.Wunderlich  Siebenbrunn Vgtl.  serial number 0196 coll. Museum  für Musikinstrumente der Universität Leipzig

10. tenor Normaphon serial number 0238 coll. Tom Guralnick Albuquerque VS

Leopold Renz

Normaphone in Bb, coll. Musikinstrumenten Museum Markneukirchen

Leopold Renz, Instrumentenmacher, Berlin, N58 Gaudystr.14, made this tenor instrument, with a total length of 277 cm. Günter Dullat, who used it for the cover of his book Blasinstrumente names it also a Normaphone and states that the Normaphone (this Normaphon?) in the nineteen twenties was developed by Robert Schopper (1859-1938) in Leipzig. Renz worked as an instrumentmaker from 19196 onwards, and from 1927 under his own name.

The saxophone - so strongly associated with jazz - was seen in Germany as the anti-German instrument, proposes Günther Dullat in his book on nearly forgotten wind instruments. That didn't mean the end of the saxophone production in Germany. In 1938/1939 C.A. Wunderlich still sold saxophones, engraved with with a swastika and an eagle, used by the German Luftwaffe. And in 1939 Ernst Hess Nachf. from Klingenthal offers on the last page of his catalog offers a Saxie, a little saxophone-like instrument, because "how often do small village bands not like having a saxophone". In the same catalog Hess proudly announces their making the new Herms-Niels fanfares with which the glory of Hitler was praised at the Reichsparteitag in 1938.

Other sax shaped trumpets 

The Jazzophon  Background of the Jazzophon Other sax shaped trumpets Other double-bell trumpets Other sax shaped instruments Sources,  links and contact

 

 

 

 

Sax shaped trumpet, maker unknown

Rotary valved

Rotary valved trumpet, coll. Diether Grosche, Düsseldorf, Germany                                     ditto, coll. Trompetenmuseum Bad Säckingen

coll: Tromptenmuseum

Keilwerth

Keilwerth Toneking 3000 serialnumber 27963, collection Jim Glass.

Between 1982 and 1986 instrumentmaker Julius Keilwerth in Nauheim build a sax shaped trumpet with one bell, named Toneking 3000. Keilwerth originally worked in Graslitz but moved after the war to Germany. This trumpet was devised by Gerhard Julius Keilwerth, grandson of Julius. He states that there were build no more than 100. Jim Glass bought one from Matt Stoecker. It pops up on Ebay every now and then. There's one in the collection of the Trompetenmuseum in Bad Säckingen, serialnumber 312600.

Gary Anderson performed in February 2010 on the Keilwerth Toneking 3000 (from 2.16"). He said the lead pipe  comes at an angle that makes pressing it to the lips a challenge.

DEG

DEG sax shaped trumpet. Left: formerly collection Eric Totman, California;  right: collection Band Museum, Pine Bluff Arkansas

In 1994 trumpeter Nargo apparently played on a DEG-trumpet with the Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra in Gold Rush, live at NHK TV (from 0.40' and from 2.29')

Andy Taylor  and  Eddie Veit

                                                

Jazzophone from Andy Taylor                              Flugelbased sax shaped trumpet from Taylor       Sax shaped trumpet from Eddie Veit           Trumpet from Peter Rieblinger

British manufacturer of instruments Andy Taylor build another sax shaped trumpet, called Jazzophone. "We built this example because it hadn't been done for years and was a lot of fun. It was primarily used at exhibitions as a conversation piece." Taylor also build a flugel based instrument. 'There was never any commercial intent with them at all', he says. 'The flugel based one was far easier to play due to being able to control how you held it against the chops.'

The Jazzophon Background of the Jazzophon Other sax shaped trumpets  Other double-bell trumpets Other sax shaped instruments Sources,  links and contact

The Jazzophon    Background of the Jazzophon   Other sax shaped trumpets   Other double-bell trumpets    Other sax shaped instruments   Sources,  links and contact

Sax Nietphone          Rebuild King baritone

Somewhere around 2003 Paul van Bebber, former employee of Schenkelaars, manufacturer of musical instruments in Eindhoven, built the Sax-nietphone using a lot of different parts. He built the instrument for street musician George Glandorf of Schellinkhout . "Getting it tuned was the most different part", George says. Here George plays it in his Nuts and Notes act, performing in Hengelo (Ov), 2009.

To the right an old King 1165 baritone, reshaped by Ian Church from Seattle.

Tim Sullivan and the Sax-o-tuba            Oren Marshall playing the Orenophone

An interesting experiment is this sax-o-tuba, build in 2010 by Harvey Hartman from Boyertown (PA) and Tim Sullivan (Lausanne). It's made out of a King 2341 Bb tuba, cut back to a CC-tuba. It's played by tuba-soloist Sergio Carolino from Portugal, and named Lusophone. The adjective 'Lusophone' means Portugese speaking. To the right the Orenophone Mike Johnson from the UK build for Oren Marshall. Marshall performs Bach's Badinerie from the Orchestral Suite No 2 in B minor on it.

Ian Church with the Jazzophone    Finished with Rustoleum High Gloss

Ian Church and Harvey Hartman build this Jazzophone from a King 1140 marching tuba in 2011. A 19-inch bell, .687-inch bore and four valves. It weighs 26 pounds, measures 6 feet. For sale in October for $3100.

If you have any more information about the Jazzophon, the Normaphon or other sax shaped or double-bell trumpets, or have comments, corrections, suggestions or picture submissions, if you feel any content is in violation of copyright, or for information regarding this site's content, please contact me!

The Jazzophon Background of the Jazzophon  Other sax shaped trumpets  Other double-bell trumpets  Other sax shaped instruments  Sources,  links and contact