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The Grafton saxophone was an injection moulded, cream-coloured acrylic plastic alto saxophone with metal keys, manufactured in the UK by the Grafton company, and later by 'John Dallas Ltd'. They have a plangent, rather brittle sound. Only Grafton altos were ever made, due to the challenges in making larger models (i.e. the tenor) with 1950s plastic technology. Production commenced in 1950 and ended after approximately ten years. However, a few last examples were assembled from residual parts circa 1967. All tools, machinery and jigs required to manufacture the Grafton were sold for scrap and subsequently destroyed in 1968.

Designed by Hector Sommaruga, an Italian living in London, the saxophone was named after "Grafton Way", his address during the late 1940s. The basic saxophone design was patented in late 1945. Creation of the first non-working prototype took place in 1946, and commercial production commenced in 1950. The selling price of the Grafton was £55 i.e. approximately half the cost of a conventional brass saxophone. Contemporary marketing literature described the Grafton as a "Tone poem in ivory and gold". The decision to make it mainly from acrylic plastic was motivated not by a belief in any special acoustic qualities, but simply because of its much lower cost and ease of production. The serial number on a Grafton appears in an unusual location: it is stamped onto the main body of the saxophone at the front, approximately 2 cms above the top B key operated by the player's left hand. Serial numbers run to a maximum of five digits.

Grafton saxophones have a very distinctive appearance due to their 1950s Italian style. The mechanical action of Graftons has an unusual "spongy" feel to it, without the quick, "snappy", positive feel of other more conventional saxophone actions. The plastic technology used in the Grafton dates from the late 1940s and is therefore nowhere near as robust as the injection moulded plastics used in the 21st century. The basic problem with Grafton saxophones is that they are brittle. As a result, component parts can easily crack, fracture or snap off during normal use. Not surprisingly, Graftons are challenging to overhaul and repair when compared to saxophones made entirely of metal e.g. Selmer or Conn. For these reasons, and their comparative rarity, it is very unusual to see a Grafton being played by performers in the 21st century. As a general rule, Graftons are now regarded purely as collectors' items (i.e. for display purposes only) because they are so easily damaged, which detracts from their monetary value.

The most notable player of a Grafton saxophone was Charlie Parker. While in Toronto, Charlie Parker and “the quintet” were scheduled to perform at Massey Hall, but Parker had pawned his saxophone - some sources say to buy heroin. A sales representative for Grafton (or the owner of the company, depending upon from whom one receives the story) asked Parker to use a Grafton for a Massey Hall gig in May of 1953. Although Parker was under exclusive contract to use only one type of saxophone whilst gigging in the United States, outside the U.S.A. he was free to use any sax he wished, including this Grafton. The recording of Parker (credited as Charlie Chan due to contract issues) can be heard on the CD "Jazz at Massey Hall - Bud Powell, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Max Roach." The Grafton saxophone that Parker used (serial number 10265) was sold at the Christie's auction house in London in September 1994 for £93,500 sterling. The buyer was the American Jazz Museum, located in Parker's home town of Kansas City, Missouri.

Ornette Coleman used to play a Grafton, originally because it was the cheapest saxophone he could replace his first tenor with after it was stolen. In the late fifties and early sixties, Coleman was sometimes known as "the man with the plastic horn". However, Coleman subsequently replaced his Grafton with a white-lacquered Selmer alto instead.¹²

Legacy

As of 2008 there are no manufacturers of plastic saxophones. It would be very difficult to predict the tonal qualities of a modern plastic saxophone without making a prototype and testing it. However, it is certain that a plastic saxophone made in the 21st Century would be much more robust than the Grafton. This is because plastics technology has advanced significantly since the 1950s. Superior polymers now exist which are much more durable, not to mention the possibility of using carbon fibre composites for some parts.

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