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Sax on the Web Forum Archive / Buffet Archive / "Just" Buffet Crampon, con't

Anita
User ID: 0750024 Aug 20th 6:16 PM

I just came across an old post on from Sherry on the "Hard to Find Saxes" area that caught my eye.
She describes seeing a horn that said just "Buffet Crampon" and nothing else. However, she didn't mention much additional info, like a serial number or bell to body brace style, etc.

I have a Buffet Crampon alto that I thought was a "Super Dynaction" and now I'm unsure. It looks like a "Super Dynaction," has the appropriate serial number 49XX (1957), has the oval "BC" bell to body brace, has characterstic flat resonators with the big screw (didn't know that till the repairman told me), has "Buffet Crampon" engraved on the bell, but NO engraved "Super Dynaction on the side of the body. I wrote to Buffet/Boosey & Hawkes, trying to get info, but have not heard back from them. Someone knowledgeable about vintage saxes theorized that perhaps the "Super Dynaction" wasn't engraved on the early S.D.'s.

I'd love to know if anyone knows of a S.D. alto with a serial number before 5000 that DOES have the "S.D." engraved on the body.

John T.
User ID: 0303694 Aug 20th 8:24 PM
Thats an Early SDA, but you should look at the keywork to be absolutely sure.

If the keywork does differs (your horn has either an Eb vent key and/or a G# trill key), then, its a transitional horn with Dynaction and SDA
characteristics.

Check out Pete Hales Reference site on Buffet SDA's.

http://www.saxpics.com/buffet/super_dynaction.htm

Anita
User ID: 0750024 Aug 21st 4:30 PM
John, Thanks for your input. They keywork looks like it should be SDA (no Eb vent key and/or a G# trill key) but it doesn't have the same engraving on the bell as the one shown at Pete's saxpics. The engraving is similar and some of the components are identical, but it's not a match. It looks from the serial number list that the SDA began with 4700, so mine might be one if the first 250 SDA's manufactured.

Sure would love to make contact with someone else who has a very early SDA to compare notes.

madv
User ID: 1167284 Aug 22nd 1:52 AM
I've got a late DA at 45**, and this is also slightly "transitional". No Eb vent, but it does still have the G# trill. It has the expected flat sheet metal bell brace, but the keywork for the high forked F fingering has been redsigned, similar to the SDA.
I described the differences with an SDA in the "SDA v DA" thread further down.
If the neck on your sax is also without a brace and the octave key has a long plate (approx 4 cm) to operate the neck octave pip, I would say you have an SDA.

Anita
User ID: 0750024 Sep 3rd 5:49 PM
madv, Thanks for your input! Finally got my "SDA?" #49** (1957) horn back from the repairman and checked out the neck and octave key as you suggested. (no brace; yes to long octave key plate). Can you please describe the keywork redesign differences you mentioned for the high forked F fingering? I'm not sure what I should be looking for and I'm somewhat mechanically impaired.

I no longer have the time to play sax (I'm primarily a classical oboist and used it for infrequent doubling) and am getting ready to sell my "baby" of 30 years. Wish I could find some sort of ABSOLUTE documentation before I try to sell it as a SDA. Sure wish it had the SDA engraved on the body! I even took a peek inside the neck and found 7 B49**
scratched in it. Was hoping to find some miraculous key to my puzzle there, but alas....

Thanks,
Anita

madav
User ID: 9892733 Sep 4th 3:21 AM
check out the www.saxpics site - can't be beat ! - but basically the SDA the body octave pip is lower on the body than the [preceding DA. Thus necessitating a redesigned octave mechanism including oval plastic thumb rest (rather than pearl button), different key shape, and the forked F key, instead of being curved is square - simply looks a bit more modern, since it still works the same.
Sounds to me that someone simply didn't get around to engraving "Super Dynaction" on your sax.

Anita
User ID: 0750024 Sep 4th 7:28 AM
madav, Thanks for the further clarification! The pics at saxpics ARE great, but my computer monitor is old and small and lacks contrast, making it harder to pick up the small details I needed to see in the keywork. Your verbal descriptions have helped a lot.

The picture of the bell engraving did came through well. Though there are similarities, mine varies from the pic of the SDA posted there.

Everything you mention that should be there is there, so I quess you're right, the SDA was just never engraved on the body. Maybe they didn't engrave it on the very early ones or... maybe it was a Friday afternoon around 4:55.

Thanks for your help!
Anita

Anita User ID: 0750024	Aug 20th 6:16 PM I just came across an old post on from Sherry on the "Hard to Find Saxes" area that caught my eye. She describes seeing a horn that said just "Buffet Crampon" and nothing else. However, she didn't mention much additional info, like a serial number or bell to body brace style, etc. I have a Buffet Crampon alto that I thought was a "Super Dynaction" and now I'm unsure. It looks like a "Super Dynaction," has the appropriate serial number 49XX (1957), has the oval "BC" bell to body brace, has characterstic flat resonators with the big screw (didn't know that till the repairman told me), has "Buffet Crampon" engraved on the bell, but NO engraved "Super Dynaction on the side of the body. I wrote to Buffet/Boosey & Hawkes, trying to get info, but have not heard back from them. Someone knowledgeable about vintage saxes theorized that perhaps the "Super Dynaction" wasn't engraved on the early S.D.'s. I'd love to know if anyone knows of a S.D. alto with a serial number before 5000 that DOES have the "S.D." engraved on the body.
John T. User ID: 0303694	Aug 20th 8:24 PM Thats an Early SDA, but you should look at the keywork to be absolutely sure. If the keywork does differs (your horn has either an Eb vent key and/or a G# trill key), then, its a transitional horn with Dynaction and SDA characteristics. Check out Pete Hales Reference site on Buffet SDA's. http://www.saxpics.com/buffet/super_dynaction.htm
Anita User ID: 0750024	Aug 21st 4:30 PM John, Thanks for your input. They keywork looks like it should be SDA (no Eb vent key and/or a G# trill key) but it doesn't have the same engraving on the bell as the one shown at Pete's saxpics. The engraving is similar and some of the components are identical, but it's not a match. It looks from the serial number list that the SDA began with 4700, so mine might be one if the first 250 SDA's manufactured. Sure would love to make contact with someone else who has a very early SDA to compare notes.
madv User ID: 1167284	Aug 22nd 1:52 AM I've got a late DA at 45**, and this is also slightly "transitional". No Eb vent, but it does still have the G# trill. It has the expected flat sheet metal bell brace, but the keywork for the high forked F fingering has been redsigned, similar to the SDA. I described the differences with an SDA in the "SDA v DA" thread further down. If the neck on your sax is also without a brace and the octave key has a long plate (approx 4 cm) to operate the neck octave pip, I would say you have an SDA.
Anita User ID: 0750024	Sep 3rd 5:49 PM madv, Thanks for your input! Finally got my "SDA?" #49 (1957) horn back from the repairman and checked out the neck and octave key as you suggested. (no brace; yes to long octave key plate). Can you please describe the keywork redesign differences you mentioned for the high forked F fingering? I'm not sure what I should be looking for and I'm somewhat mechanically impaired. I no longer have the time to play sax (I'm primarily a classical oboist and used it for infrequent doubling) and am getting ready to sell my "baby" of 30 years. Wish I could find some sort of ABSOLUTE documentation before I try to sell it as a SDA. Sure wish it had the SDA engraved on the body! I even took a peek inside the neck and found 7 B49 scratched in it. Was hoping to find some miraculous key to my puzzle there, but alas.... Thanks, Anita
madav User ID: 9892733	Sep 4th 3:21 AM check out the www.saxpics site - can't be beat ! - but basically the SDA the body octave pip is lower on the body than the [preceding DA. Thus necessitating a redesigned octave mechanism including oval plastic thumb rest (rather than pearl button), different key shape, and the forked F key, instead of being curved is square - simply looks a bit more modern, since it still works the same. Sounds to me that someone simply didn't get around to engraving "Super Dynaction" on your sax.
Anita User ID: 0750024	Sep 4th 7:28 AM madav, Thanks for the further clarification! The pics at saxpics ARE great, but my computer monitor is old and small and lacks contrast, making it harder to pick up the small details I needed to see in the keywork. Your verbal descriptions have helped a lot. The picture of the bell engraving did came through well. Though there are similarities, mine varies from the pic of the SDA posted there. Everything you mention that should be there is there, so I quess you're right, the SDA was just never engraved on the body. Maybe they didn't engrave it on the very early ones or... maybe it was a Friday afternoon around 4:55. Thanks for your help! Anita