F.E Olds - SUPER Alto Saxophone - Very Rare

This is another one of those you probably won't run across many of them in your lifetime.  I bought this from a relative whose uncle had it in high school band in Los Angeles area and then went to the Army and passed away.  It sat in various family closets for many years.  The octave key mechanism was broke but my tech repaired it. There is some push in on the post for the bell key guard. There are a few small dings. Please see pictures  It has some old pads which will need replaced but all the keys function fine. It was playing a bit until some of the pads started falling out as the shellac is all dried up.  You have a choice between the original brown alligator case which is missing both latches and a bit beat up or this black alligator case that is fully functional and a bit fancy.
History on this saxophone from what I found on the web. BTW I knew the Kanstul's rather well as they were personal friends.

The Olds Super Sax history, from a former executive at F.E. Olds & Son:

The Kanstul family runs Kanstul Music, a producer of Brasswinds previously associated with Benge. Zig Kanstul started his career working for FE Olds in the early 50’s as a technician reaching the top of the company and overseeing it’s success and decline.

According to Mr Kanstul, the Olds Super sax was made in small numbers until WWII interrupted civilian production, at the Los Angeles, CA F.E. Olds plant. The company hired a former Martin employee who had moved to the LA area. As a result of this hire, Olds developed the Olds Super sax models intended for the professional market. This was part of the company’s evolving product line.

Mr Kanstul thought that less than 2,000 [horns] were produced, something beyond a prototype run, and enough to build interest in the new line. Full production wasn’t ever achieved and the tooling was put in storage. The [low] serial numbers reflect the pre-production nature of the Olds Super line. The instruments were not produced for the WWII effort or under government contract, but they were [available] at the beginning of the war.

The similarity to Martin instruments is explained by [having a] former Martin employee who did the design and tooling. Based on the timeframe, the Olds Super has common roots with he Martin Committee II line. In order to avoid patent problems, the tooling was Olds proprietary production hardware and much of the construction differs from Martin instruments. The keywork, tone hole shapes, [octave key] mechanism, and guards were unique to the Super Olds line.

Post-war Olds Saxes were all made for the European branch of Olds, the more familiar [Parisian] Ambassador and Parisian models. The US Olds plant never produced additional Olds Super saxes. The tooling was shipped to a sax manufacturer in Holland as Olds production ended. It was last known to be rusting in a container in a small plant in Holland. (I failed to note the name of the company.)

Given Olds popular brasswind products and their postwar outsourcing of saxes, the Olds Super sax wasn’t important to the company. No one [even kept documentation] on production or serial numbers. Mr. Kanstul considered the sax line as a product that never developed it’s own market.

Conclusion: An Olds Super sax isn’t a Martin Stencil, although it shares manufacturing