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Sax on the Web Forum Archive / Buffet Archive / Buffet/Evette & Schaeffer area

Back 20 Messages

OnyxSax
User ID: 9683713 Feb 10th 9:08 AM
Buffet: The best kept secret in saxophones right now (Since SMLs and Bueschers are now out of the bag). Well built, good action, great sounding and less expensive than some of their other French cousins.

mostly alto guy
User ID: 0122954 Jul 22nd 10:39 AM
I saw that one--sure looks like a Dynaction--but there is also an 18-20 listed--pretty nice horn if you're looking for a vintage Buffet.

saxpics
User ID: 0220464 Jul 22nd 11:24 AM
The Olds that's pictured is an Olds Opera and looks close enough to a Buffet Dynaction (NOT SuperDynaction -- the seller is wrong in this).

Let's see:
- Olds Parisian: Probably made by Pierret
- Olds Parisian Ambassador: Probably made by Beaugnier
- Olds Opera: Made by Buffet

So, the only other major French manufacturers Olds didn't user are Selmer and SML (as LeBlanc "owned" Beaugnier) -- as far as we can currently tell :)

nJoy!
Pete

1ngram
User ID: 8652763 Jul 22nd 4:27 PM
The reference is http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=895010156

But I can't get any of the photos to come up so I can't compare it with yours saxpics or with my own Buffet SDA. Thanks for the info though.

Matt K
User ID: 0081374 Jul 22nd 6:24 PM
That's right, the one I saw was an "Olds Opera"
It was definitely a Buffet Dynaction.

crawford
User ID: 0882114 Aug 8th 9:25 AM
Schutch, I don't know about the serial #'s, but the neck could have been relacquered after being repaired at some point. Could be a replacement too.

madav
User ID: 9892733 Aug 8th 9:54 AM
I have an SDA tenor, the neck is also a slightly different colour to the body, but it has the serial no. scratched INSIDE the neck tenon together with the initials of someone who presumably made/fitted it. The scratches seem old enough (!), and the lacquer has the sparkle of the rest of the horn. As far as I know, noone ever started relacquering with sparkle lacquer so it seems to have been original this way.

MBushaw
User ID: 1920144 Aug 9th 11:25 AM
madav- My SDA alto had the same neck markings.
Wasn't Steve Goodson working on re-lac'ing a sparkle SDA and found the sparkle remained after stripping the old lac? Sorry I don't remember all the details....

madav
User ID: 1167284 Aug 9th 11:53 AM
sorry - didn't see that thread at all - have to hope Steve drops round to enlighten us !
I did have a good look at the lacquer tho' and comparing areas that are missing with unaffected areas I have the impression that the sparkle is in one of the first layers, and then protected with a non-sparkle layer. It's difficult (for me) to imagine how you get the sparkle effect directly onto sheet metal.....

MBushaw
User ID: 8632293 Aug 9th 12:33 PM
It's under Sax Body and Finish. I just bumped it to the top-

madav
User ID: 1167284 Aug 9th 12:51 PM
thanx - I'm off !

madav
User ID: 1167284 Aug 9th 12:54 PM
and I can't check it up myself for the moment because the SDA is in for tweaking and won't be ready for another week

ooohh - the tension is unbearable !

fraz
User ID: 9753653 Aug 24th 7:37 AM
Hoping to find a Buffet tenor for my teenager (who's getting pretty dang good). I assume this is a good choice, since she just got a Buffet SA 50's alto that has a sound she loves. I'm seeing S1 & SDA's as possiblities (this is just an uneducated guess on my part!) She seems to be a very sensitive player, and controls her tone and sound, appropriate to the piece and to the wind ensemble or jazz band.
Can you suggest a model/models that fit her style?

John T.
User ID: 1404584 Aug 24th 12:05 PM
MADAV, Thanks for the tip about the serial# scratched inside the Neck tenon.

My orig lacquer SDA tenor (8K) also has the # scratched inside but no initials.
The color of the neck and body are the same.

crawford
User ID: 1822634 Aug 25th 6:32 PM
I've got an S1 tenor with the initials and last 3 digits of the serial on the neck. Interestingly enough, the full serial plus the same initials are also scratched into the low C pad cup, underneath the pad. I suspect they must be the assembler of the horn's. Mine is marked "DP", what's yours madav?

madav
User ID: 1167284 Aug 26th 12:09 AM
well my SDA is a about a decade younger than your S1, and the initials are "PD" !.
My S1 alto however has also only the last 3 digits, with "MA"

1ngram
User ID: 8652763 Aug 28th 12:55 PM
My 1974/5 transitional SDA #22151 has 151 scratched inside the neck with what looks like the initials ZG. Maybe one day I will have the C pad replaced and have a look there too.

chuckey223
User ID: 0422394 Aug 30th 1:47 AM
i'm a newbie here. what's an sda? thanks, chuck

1ngram
User ID: 8652763 Aug 30th 3:54 PM
Super Dynacation

super20dan
User ID: 0255034 Sep 12th 8:27 PM
back in the 70,s i owned a olds opera. it is indeed a buffet. even came in a buffet case. i sold it for 75$.dumb!

Back 20 Messages

OnyxSax User ID: 9683713	Feb 10th 9:08 AM Buffet: The best kept secret in saxophones right now (Since SMLs and Bueschers are now out of the bag). Well built, good action, great sounding and less expensive than some of their other French cousins.
mostly alto guy User ID: 0122954	Jul 22nd 10:39 AM I saw that one--sure looks like a Dynaction--but there is also an 18-20 listed--pretty nice horn if you're looking for a vintage Buffet.
saxpics User ID: 0220464	Jul 22nd 11:24 AM The Olds that's pictured is an Olds Opera and looks close enough to a Buffet Dynaction (NOT SuperDynaction -- the seller is wrong in this). Let's see: - Olds Parisian: Probably made by Pierret - Olds Parisian Ambassador: Probably made by Beaugnier - Olds Opera: Made by Buffet So, the only other major French manufacturers Olds didn't user are Selmer and SML (as LeBlanc "owned" Beaugnier) -- as far as we can currently tell :) nJoy! Pete
1ngram User ID: 8652763	Jul 22nd 4:27 PM The reference is http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=895010156 But I can't get any of the photos to come up so I can't compare it with yours saxpics or with my own Buffet SDA. Thanks for the info though.
Matt K User ID: 0081374	Jul 22nd 6:24 PM That's right, the one I saw was an "Olds Opera" It was definitely a Buffet Dynaction.
crawford User ID: 0882114	Aug 8th 9:25 AM Schutch, I don't know about the serial #'s, but the neck could have been relacquered after being repaired at some point. Could be a replacement too.
madav User ID: 9892733	Aug 8th 9:54 AM I have an SDA tenor, the neck is also a slightly different colour to the body, but it has the serial no. scratched INSIDE the neck tenon together with the initials of someone who presumably made/fitted it. The scratches seem old enough (!), and the lacquer has the sparkle of the rest of the horn. As far as I know, noone ever started relacquering with sparkle lacquer so it seems to have been original this way.
MBushaw User ID: 1920144	Aug 9th 11:25 AM madav- My SDA alto had the same neck markings. Wasn't Steve Goodson working on re-lac'ing a sparkle SDA and found the sparkle remained after stripping the old lac? Sorry I don't remember all the details....
madav User ID: 1167284	Aug 9th 11:53 AM sorry - didn't see that thread at all - have to hope Steve drops round to enlighten us ! I did have a good look at the lacquer tho' and comparing areas that are missing with unaffected areas I have the impression that the sparkle is in one of the first layers, and then protected with a non-sparkle layer. It's difficult (for me) to imagine how you get the sparkle effect directly onto sheet metal.....
MBushaw User ID: 8632293	Aug 9th 12:33 PM It's under Sax Body and Finish. I just bumped it to the top-
madav User ID: 1167284	Aug 9th 12:51 PM thanx - I'm off !
madav User ID: 1167284	Aug 9th 12:54 PM and I can't check it up myself for the moment because the SDA is in for tweaking and won't be ready for another week ooohh - the tension is unbearable !
fraz User ID: 9753653	Aug 24th 7:37 AM Hoping to find a Buffet tenor for my teenager (who's getting pretty dang good). I assume this is a good choice, since she just got a Buffet SA 50's alto that has a sound she loves. I'm seeing S1 & SDA's as possiblities (this is just an uneducated guess on my part!) She seems to be a very sensitive player, and controls her tone and sound, appropriate to the piece and to the wind ensemble or jazz band. Can you suggest a model/models that fit her style?
John T. User ID: 1404584	Aug 24th 12:05 PM MADAV, Thanks for the tip about the serial# scratched inside the Neck tenon. My orig lacquer SDA tenor (8K) also has the # scratched inside but no initials. The color of the neck and body are the same.
crawford User ID: 1822634	Aug 25th 6:32 PM I've got an S1 tenor with the initials and last 3 digits of the serial on the neck. Interestingly enough, the full serial plus the same initials are also scratched into the low C pad cup, underneath the pad. I suspect they must be the assembler of the horn's. Mine is marked "DP", what's yours madav?
madav User ID: 1167284	Aug 26th 12:09 AM well my SDA is a about a decade younger than your S1, and the initials are "PD" !. My S1 alto however has also only the last 3 digits, with "MA"
1ngram User ID: 8652763	Aug 28th 12:55 PM My 1974/5 transitional SDA #22151 has 151 scratched inside the neck with what looks like the initials ZG. Maybe one day I will have the C pad replaced and have a look there too.
chuckey223 User ID: 0422394	Aug 30th 1:47 AM i'm a newbie here. what's an sda? thanks, chuck
1ngram User ID: 8652763	Aug 30th 3:54 PM Super Dynacation
super20dan User ID: 0255034	Sep 12th 8:27 PM back in the 70,s i owned a olds opera. it is indeed a buffet. even came in a buffet case. i sold it for 75$.dumb!