Aristocrat and mpc's

6418 Views 12 Replies 9 Participants Last post by betelsax, Oct 25, 2008

Daddymack

Discussion Starter · Jun 18, 2007

Hi

Brand new to this forum.. I am a little different in that I don't play, but my son does. He has been playing for several years and I am surprising him for his birthday with the Aristocrat I just bought...

It is serial number 387077... and is pre-selmer from best I can tell and from what I have been told.

here is a couple pics...

I am looking at getting him an mpc. Yes, I know he really need to try them.. so it could change. As a result I don't want to spend too much but getting him something that will allow him to play Jazz, concert and a little messing around he does with his friends.

I am looking at:

Zinner - Lomax Classic NY
Hard Rubber Meyer
Otto Link super tone master
Otto Link NY
Otto Link hard rubber
Frank Wells Chicago

any of these better suited for that horn? any other suggestions?

Probably close to a 5*, 6, 6* or medium facing..

Thanks in advance for your help and comments!

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Dave dix

· #2 · Jun 18, 2007

Not a pre-selmer with that neck but should be a nice player. Try the otto link but its better for him to play test them first
Dave

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Daddymack

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jun 18, 2007

hmmm...

Neck may not be original but identical to a 62, which clearly falls into the pre-Selmer...

Also, from what I have been told the way Beuscher is engraved on the sax, and the serial number (Selmer started with 400xxx)... then changed their numbering...and marks...it is pre-selmer... but it could have also been in the interim.. Selmer didn't change anything for a bit after they took over... so the first year or so.. they were identical....

either way... I do appreciate the input... as to the otto's

Steve

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Daddymack

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jun 27, 2007

Hmmm

Found that the 62' has the same neck so I do think it is original....

Vertical Beuscher... ... ... and it is identical to the 62.... :? if its not preselemr.. it appears to be identical...but my horn has been relaquered

still looking for ideas on mpc's any other ideas? thanks again!

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saintsday

· #5 · Jun 27, 2007

Dave is right about it being post Selmer. Not only by the neck, but by the serial. http://www.musictrader.com/buescher.html Some of these Selmer horns play very nicely.
A mouthpiece is a very chancey gift. If your son has been playing for a while, he really needs to be involved in the choice.

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Hurling Frootmig

· #6 · Jun 27, 2007

I've seen pre-Selmer altos with serial numbers as late as 394k. This horn is in that zone of where Buescher may or may not have been owned by Selmer.

Regardless of that - these horns are still pretty decent. I would recommend some like a hard rubber link or one of the Jody Jazz HR* pieces.

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Bootman

· #7 · Jun 27, 2007

These Bueschers need a big chamber mpc, baffle is fine too but it must have a big chamber behind it. Metal Links work very, very well on this model. The HR mpcs too if this is your preference but I have always found that metal on tenor and HR on alto work best.

Other options are
Runyon
HR Link
Berg Larsen (2 chamber)

I think you will find that the Link metal has the sound that you are really looking for from this sax.

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saintsday

· #8 · Jun 27, 2007

A Berg 3 chamber or an old HR Brilhart work very well, too.

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Pinnman

· #9 · Jun 27, 2007

I thought the Selmer take-over was 380K. Anyway, this is the Buescher (not Selmer) design from 359K on. It has cheaper material - keywork especially - than my Big B, but I see no reason why a Morgan Jazz L should not do the trick.

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Daddymack

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jun 28, 2007

Thanks everyone for the suggestions!

big chamber... preferably metal... is what I should get...

Her is what i found in doing some more research... it seems like someone worked at Beuscher during this period could give us the truth... but...

A guy that has as similar looking one that was stamped with
a 106XXX number with a S40 underneath it was told that when
Selmer took over they restarted the numbering system at
100xxx with a (S) number below it. Then once they started
actually making the horns they got back in sequence at 400XXX.
The 62, number 379xxx that is exactly the
same as the mine is, Just not in as good of condition. I even read
one article from an expert on old horns that claims there were
no major changes in the saxophones until the 405XXX 's. :?

so.. more info to add to the confusion..lol...

but like you guys have said... its so close... it is in really nice shape.. and my son finally got to play it today with a crappy mpc.. and loves the horn.. he said even with the thing he was using.. it was so much better than his previous horn. he can't wait to get a new mpc.

Thanks again for your suggestions!!

Steven

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joelsp

· #11 · Jun 28, 2007

I have practically the exact same sax. A metal link STM sings on these.

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rstokoe

· #12 · Oct 25, 2008

I also recently acquired a Buescher Aristocrat tenor (for my son) which I have been trying to identify. It looks exactly like the one in the pictures linked above. The engraving is a block letter vertical "Buescher" and a smaller script "Aristocrat" above and at a right angle to that. The serial number is 111XXX with S-40 below the SN. From what I have been able to finde from searching the web, my best guess is that it was made by Buescher after they were bought by Selmer in 1963.

I would like to point out that according to the Selmer SN info at http://www.conn-selmer.com/content/resources/serialno.php#Selmer
the SN is in the range of Selmer's SNs for 1963 which is about the year that the previous owner purchased it (used). Is it possible that immediatly after Selmer acquired them that Buescher-made instruments used Selmer SNs for a while?

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betelsax

· #13 · Oct 25, 2008

You can't go wrong with a Link STM; it is almost the standard on saxes like these. But a mouthpiece is the most critical and sensitive aspect of sax playing and one that is most affected by the player's particular physical make up. Choosing someone else a mouthpiece is tantamount to buying a woman a purse. She'll thank you profusely and tell you how nice it is, but she won't carry it out of the house. Better, by far, would be to get a number of pieces from one of those stores that allow a trial period.

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