Parisian Ambassador
Low Bb / Pierret Baritone
Lacquer

Archived Instrument
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  This made in France bari is a low Bb Pierret stencil based on their Competition model and stamped "Parisian Ambassador". I guess the date of manufacture to be the late 50s. It has no S/N, I suspect the F# trill key guard on which it is normally stamped was replaced. Like other Parisians or Parisian Ambassadors it has a front F key and a modern LH pinky cluster and the ergonomics are SBA era-like. It has newer pads with no leaks (mostly rivet, but 4-5 with brown resonators).

A few improvements were made by the previous owner: a rod soldered in as a pants guard (this model originally doesn't have the pants guard which can be problematic when seated) and the RH thumb rest was repositioned for comfort. On the positive side: the intonation is very good an even power between notes; tone is definitely 'French', with a refined aspect that, in our opinion, would blend well in a sax quartet and classical styles (the previous owner was using it in big band setting, though); it has no major dents, no pitting and a thick relacq that should stand the test of time. On the negative side: many nickel keys show some brassing; it shows traces of repairs (dedenting, a few resolders); it has a few dings on the body and neck (no effect on playing or intonation); the neck was repaired at some point in the past and a non-original brace put in; the neck receiver has a small crack but according to the last owner it's stable and didn't evolve during a year of intensive playing. It comes in a heavy functional black contoured case. To sum up, this is a decent looking vintage bari that is a solid yet affordable player suitable for various styles.