Updated July 2026
- I have a page dedicated to Eugen Schuster saxophones here, on The New Bassic Sax.
- To see all the various Eugen Schuster saxophones I have catalogued over the years, check out their galleries in Bassic Sax Pix.
- Since not all the content for The New Bassic Sax has been uploaded yet, there are still links on this page that go to the original Bassic Sax for now. The links will be updated as the new content is created.
Who was Eugen Schuster?
Eugen Schuster was originally a trading company that sold stencil and brand-name band instruments in Germany before and after WWII. Although originally started in 1922, the company didn’t start making their own saxophones until after 1937.
Pre-1937, Eugen Schuster ordered their saxophones from Franz Köhler. After ’37, the Kroha brothers moved to Markneukirchen and headed up the saxophone production for Eugen Schuster.
According to reports I have read, saxophones were the only instruments that Schuster made. All other instruments were stenciled for Eugen Schuster by manufacturers in the Musikwinkel, or—since the company was a Buescher dealer at the time—sold under their American brand names.
Eugen Schuster-made saxophones bear a striking similarity in some respects to later Köhler, Oswald Wolfram, and Werner Roth. This is not a coincidence. Franz Köhler was instrumental in developing the skills of young saxophone builders, and he greatly influenced saxophone design in the region.
Eugen Schuster saxophone models & finishes
In order of what we see most commonly for sale:
- Majestic Aristocrat
- Majestic
- Majestic Professional 1930
I have not seen anything other than silver plated Eugen Schuster horns. However, the silver came in a variety of finishes, and even lacquer models were available.
The one that got away
The name Eugen Schuster hit my radar screen in May 2012, when Sax Quest had alto #1316 up for auction on eBay. In hindsight I should have bought it. I just didn’t need another alto.
The thing is, this horn came with its original bill of sale from June 1945. From a saxophone historian’s perspective, this is a really cool horn. From a player’s perspective? Who knows?
I have never played an Eugen Schuster-made saxophone. I keep hoping a tenor will pop up for sale in my neck of woods so I can try it out. I am hoping for an unrestored one, so I can see what it was like when it was made, not what techs have done to it over the years.
In conclusion then…
Eugen Schuster saxophones can be broken down into 2 broad varieties: 1. Those pre-1937, that were stenciled, and 2. Those post-1937, that were built in-house.
Overall these are among the more rare, or obscure if you will, vintage saxophone brands. It is unclear how many were made, and no, there are no serial # charts available for them either.
Something to keep in mind when vintage saxophone shopping: Rare DOES NOT EQUAL excellent, or necessarily even good.
Are these vintage Eugen Schuster saxophones good? I don’t know. I haven’t had the chance to try one. I would love to compare one to my Toneking or President. Then I would be be properly able to determine how good, or not, they really are.
