Vito (Leblanc)
Vito is a brand name of Leblanc, started in 1951.
Actually, the trademark for Vito cites 7/23/1958 as the first use in commerce. The place where Vito saxes were originally made is Nogales Arizona at the Best Manufacturing Co under contact. In 1959 Best Mfg. Co went bankrupt closing late that year. Conn bought the plant reopening it in January 1960. Conn ran the plant through 1962 making its own model 50M alongside the Vito model. This is all reported in the various Arizona newspapers from the time period and included in the local business directories.
In 1978 Conn again produced Vito branded saxes In Nogales, Arizona after its return in the late 1960's first under the Artley subsidiary. Then in 1971 with the opening of the first USA manufacturing plant in Nogales Mexico Conn began making saxes. The Mexico sax operation became a parts making only facility in 1978 with instrument manufacturing moving to Nogales, Arizona. This is all reported in the various Arizona newspapers, law suites between LeBlanc/Vito and Conn, and demonstrated in a registry of saxophones of the time period.
History
Vito is a brand name for Leblanc USA, now part of Conn-Selmer USA. The Vito name was used for student through professional (Yanagisawa baritone saxophone) instruments. Leblanc USA was formed in 1946 by Vito Pascucci, and the French woodwind manufacturer, G. Leblanc Cie of France. To meet high demand, Leblanc USA started to manufacture clarinets in the US from plastic bodies and French keys. Eventually all of the parts were made in the US. These student clarinets were named "Vito".
Many, if not all, Vito flutes were "stencil" instruments manufactured in Japan by Yamaha. They were roughly the equivalent of a Yamaha YFL-200 series student instrument.
Some manufacturers of Vito instruments:
- Beaugnier of Paris, France - Beaugnier made saxophones as Beaugnier and stencils labeled Leblanc, Vito and Noblet for the French market and U.S. export and also Selmer for U.K. export.
- Yanagisawa of Japan - (Vito VSP: Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone Saxophones). These Yanagisawa stencils were marketed in the US as intermediate /professional model horns.
- Yamaha of Japan (7131 model Alto and also Tenor Saxophones)
- KHS/Jupiter brand (7133 model Alto and Tenor Saxophones).
Serial numbers
Vito Alto Saxophone Model 7131 Japan Stamped Serial Numbers.
These serial numbers ignore the leading zeros at the start of the serial numbers.
- 1970
- 1-500
- 1971
- 501-2155
- 1972
- 2156-3529
- 1973
- 3530-4421
- 1974
- 4422-12000
- 1975
- 12001-25603
- 1976
- 25604-30827
- 1977
- 30828-33947
- 1978
- 33948-38844
- 1979
- 38845-42434
- 1980
- 42435-47975
- 1981
- 47976-52455
- 1982
- 52456-58306
- 1983
- 58307-62177
- 1984
- 62178-68524
- 1985
- 68525-72535
- 1986
- 72536-78579
- 1987
- 78580-85091
- 1988
- 85092-89758
- 1989
- 89759-501000
- 1990
- 501098-510332
- 1991
- 510333-511518
- 1992
- 511519-515800
- 1993
- 515801-519845
- 1994
- 519846-526925
- 1995
- 526926-533097
- 1996
- 533098-537807
- 1997
- 537808-552998
- 1998
- 552999-560613
- 1999
- 560614-575843
- 2000
- 575842-587455
- 2001
- 587456-624567
- 2002
- 624568-654084
Vito Saxophone models
- Vito 7133SS Soprano Sax
- Vito 7131R(K) Alto Sax
- Vito 7133 Alto Sax
- Vito 7131T(K) Tenor Sax
- Vito 7133T Tenor Sax
- Vito 7190BA Baritone Sax
- Vito 7136 Alto Sax
- Vito 7140 Alto Sax