Lets talk Buescher serial numbers

[Daktion]

I think it's a general consensus that Buescher offered the updated roller G and front F post 200,xxx. Adding to that, some then say Buescher offered this key layout as an option earlier and usually it is late 19x,xxx. I've seen a TT alto that was 193,xxx with the new layout and it was the earliest s/n I've seen. However, this auction on ebay changed that http://cgi.ebay.com/1920s-Buescher-Tenor-C-Melody-Saxophone-w-extras-EX_W0QQitemZ7408118680QQcategoryZ16234QQrdZ1QQcmdZ ViewItem ... see, the c melody was ahead of the pack ... for awhile at least :D

I'm wondering... does anyone have a 1925-26ish catalogue that actually states the updated key layout as an option?

[Captain Beeflat]

Referring to "Saxgourmet's" charts shews this horn to be post 1925 & pre 1930......nothing remarkable there...all seems to tie in pretty well.....late 1920's is what one would expect.

[paulwl]

185k tenor here (http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=84393104&size=o), front F, pearl G#, satin gold plate.

Buescher was putting out ±2000 units a month in '25 (175k-202k = per cmelodysax.co.uk (http://www.cmelodysax.co.uk/saxophones/serial-numbers.htm)).
The C melody on Daktion's cite is 190k.
Assuming ±193k as switchover point for the alto, it's very reasonable that they tooled up for each horn one-at-a-time in late 1925.

Doing the tenor first might just have been a response to the more awkward palm key feel of the bigger horns. Remember altissimo wasn't a selling point in the '20s — it was seldom used and poorly understood.

[cmelodysax]

Daktion, I hate to go against the general consensus, but I have currently have two 190,xxx Buescher C-Mels (and I've had a third, also 190,xxx) which all have the new G# and front-F. I've never seen any 190,xxx saxes with the old keywork.

The highest serial number Buescher C-Mel I have with the 'round-pearl' G# and no front-F is 182,xxx. Seems my mission in life is to buy all the Buescher C-Mels around that period until I find exactly where the changeover occured.... Well, someone has to do it ! ;)

The latest Buescher C-Mel I have (232,xxx) also has changes to the RH palm keys and aux F#, as well as other subtle re-sizing and re-positioning - but the forked Eb and G# trill inexplicably remain !

Regards, Alan.

[paulwl]

The latest Buescher C-Mel I have (232,xxx) also has changes to the RH palm keys and aux F#, as well as other subtle re-sizing and re-positioning - but the forked Eb and G# trill inexplicably remain !Ditto on my 256k C.
"Changes to the aux F#" makes me wonder...Does your 232k have the redesigned key (changed from a big pad around the back of the tube to a small pivot key right under the lower stack)? Mine does.

[cmelodysax]

Paul - Yes - is this what you mean ?

http://www.cmelodysax.co.uk/saxophones/gallery/jpegs/goldbuesch-bottkeys.jpg

It's on ebay at the moment (item 7408421542 ) if you want to see any more pics.

[paulwl]

That's it!

[Daktion]

my 226k cmel has that side key and no rear pad as well.

btw Alan... what happened with your last auction? I remember looking at it a couple days before it was supposed to end and saw the bids at a hefty amount (for a cmel of course :D) .... I was thinking Alan should be happy with the end result. good luck this time around :)

[cmelodysax]

Daktion - when I was checking out the sax, I noticed the bell stay was loose at the body end, so I cancelled the auction whilst I cosidered my options. Because the low-B cage has an arm back to the main body (effectively doing the same thing...) taking the strain, I hadn't ever noticed ! So I don't know how long it's been like that, a week or decades ?

It's now fixed and back on ebay, maybe it'll sell, maybe it won't (the original high bidder bought elsewhere). It's such a lovely sax that I won't be sorry if it doesn't go (although the bank will...) - but as my alto & tenor are also Martin, I tend to play (and enjoy) my 30's Martin C-Mel more. But this really is too good a C-Mel to stay in a case ! It's a players horn, not a collectors showpiece.

Sorry, starting to sound like a promo....... Here are some (admittedly poor, better ones coming) pics of my preferred Martin C-Mel - note no forked-Eb or G#-trill mechanisms - and it plays as good as any 30's Martin tenor I've tried ! The laquer is really dark deep bronze, the pics don't do it justice at all. Never seen a comparable one on ebay, or at a dealers - there must be some more somewhere, I suspect as cherished as mine is.

http://www.cmelodysax.co.uk/saxophones/Martin-lacq-frontf-104863.htm

Oh, and to get the topic back on course, has anyone found a set of Buescher serial numbers that don't seem to go backwards (or overlap) around 1929-30 ? I understand that some numbers are from different sources, on the set I have -

(e.g.) 1928 235250
1929 275275
1930 255250
1931 260125

[paulwl]

Simplest explanation: typo. 245275 most likely.

[cmelodysax]

Doh !

[Daktion]

I agree it's a typo mostly... I use this list myself.... it has a nice roll-over feature and I'm a sucker for bling :D

http://www.drrick.com/buesc.html

[cmelodysax]

So 1918 to 1930 was a combination of the Roaring Twenties, and the home entertainment C-mel revolution.... Not including stencils !