Vito (Leblanc)
Vito is a brand name of Leblanc which was started in 1951.
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".
There were also Vito saxes and flutes. Some saxes may have been assembled in the USA, but they were
basically of foreign manufacturer. This author has no information concerning where the flutes were manufactured.
Addendum: 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.
The following information was provided by the original author of this post concerning the origin of Vito saxes or component parts.
- 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 - (VSP Soprano, Alto and Baritone Saxophones)
- 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