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123 Posts
Hello,
I'm new to the Buescher world. Haven't owned an alto for several years. Started looking for one a couple of months ago and got really jazzed about the TH&C, then became interested in other Bueschers.
Ended up with the 354xxx one pictured at http://www.saxpics.com/cpg143/index.php?cat=1857
The horn wouldn't play when it arrived so it went to my long time tech. In fixing the no play problem he determined the tone holes were not level and believes this problem was a factory "birth defect" Probably not a huge issue while the pads were still fairly soft. He leveled the tone holes, replaced a few of the original pads (50 year old pads and many still seal fine, wow) and did a regulation.
Now it really plays fine - really fast, quiet action and a bunch of other good qualities.
I've not played enough different horns to make well informed conclusions and would like to tap into the groups expertise. In comparison to my tenor, a late model MKVI, this Buescher feels great, very precise. In some ways the 141 seems a better horn, I've only tried it with one MP so far, a Meyer 8 small chamber hr, so far I find the 141 easy to play in tune and it opens up nicely in the upper register, lots of interesting timbres are available.
So I'm thinking about a Buescher tenor. Maybe a TH&C in really good shape would be comparable in $ to my 222XXX MKVI.
But, I read this from http://www.saxpics.com/buescher/aristocrat.htm:
"My opinion is that the "Series III" is probably the last really good Aristocrat. The horns that followed were slowly morphing into the Bundy II."
I have a Bundy II alto and find my Series IV Buescher a far superior horn - with not much in common between the two. Perhaps I'm missing something... Obviously Saxpics has seen far more horns than I have.
If the Series III a really good Aristro and my series IV is a lesser horn. But my 141 plays so well that I can't imagine how the series III could be dramatically better. Does someone here have experience with both models?
I've always regretted selling my BA alto, and decided that selling one's Selmer is not something that should be done without careful consideration.
However I'm really turned on by the TH&C appearance and am completely thrilled with my Series IV Aristro which on the face of it seems like a similar horn - Nortons, snapons, back bell keys. If the TH&C is a better horn than my 141 then I gotta think trading my MKVI in on a TH&C might work out OK.
I know this is a long note but I'm trying to sort things out and would welcome your insights.
thanks for your time and your thoughts.
I'm new to the Buescher world. Haven't owned an alto for several years. Started looking for one a couple of months ago and got really jazzed about the TH&C, then became interested in other Bueschers.
Ended up with the 354xxx one pictured at http://www.saxpics.com/cpg143/index.php?cat=1857
The horn wouldn't play when it arrived so it went to my long time tech. In fixing the no play problem he determined the tone holes were not level and believes this problem was a factory "birth defect" Probably not a huge issue while the pads were still fairly soft. He leveled the tone holes, replaced a few of the original pads (50 year old pads and many still seal fine, wow) and did a regulation.
Now it really plays fine - really fast, quiet action and a bunch of other good qualities.
I've not played enough different horns to make well informed conclusions and would like to tap into the groups expertise. In comparison to my tenor, a late model MKVI, this Buescher feels great, very precise. In some ways the 141 seems a better horn, I've only tried it with one MP so far, a Meyer 8 small chamber hr, so far I find the 141 easy to play in tune and it opens up nicely in the upper register, lots of interesting timbres are available.
So I'm thinking about a Buescher tenor. Maybe a TH&C in really good shape would be comparable in $ to my 222XXX MKVI.
But, I read this from http://www.saxpics.com/buescher/aristocrat.htm:
"My opinion is that the "Series III" is probably the last really good Aristocrat. The horns that followed were slowly morphing into the Bundy II."
I have a Bundy II alto and find my Series IV Buescher a far superior horn - with not much in common between the two. Perhaps I'm missing something... Obviously Saxpics has seen far more horns than I have.
If the Series III a really good Aristro and my series IV is a lesser horn. But my 141 plays so well that I can't imagine how the series III could be dramatically better. Does someone here have experience with both models?
I've always regretted selling my BA alto, and decided that selling one's Selmer is not something that should be done without careful consideration.
However I'm really turned on by the TH&C appearance and am completely thrilled with my Series IV Aristro which on the face of it seems like a similar horn - Nortons, snapons, back bell keys. If the TH&C is a better horn than my 141 then I gotta think trading my MKVI in on a TH&C might work out OK.
I know this is a long note but I'm trying to sort things out and would welcome your insights.
thanks for your time and your thoughts.