[prowdYAS62owner]

I'm looking at a Buescher Bari on ebay (though I don't know the age or model), and it comes with out a neck or mpc. Should I buy it (as it stands now, the price is looking pretty low, though it could jump of course) and deal with the hassle of finding a neck, or look for a more complete horn?

thanks in advance

 

[prowdYAS62owner]

Oh by the way, the horn looks likes its in good shape as far as easily spotted damage is concerned.

 

[Grumps]

No neck. No deal

Vintage necks are near impossible to find when you need them for a specific brand/model and are expensive to replicate (and that takes time as well).

 

[prowdYAS62owner]

Thanks

 

[eldrad]

I agree. Go try some horns man, you can't commit to something you haven't played. Would you buy $3000 running shoes without trying them on?

 

[JayeLID]

No neck. No deal

Vintage necks are near impossible to find when you need them for a specific brand/model and are expensive to replicate (and that takes time as well).

Exactly....replacement necks, even if they have the same tenon diameter...are expensive and seriously, if they are not the same length, taper, bore as the original...they can wreak havoc on a horn's intonation.

Listen up...vintage Baritones are SO dirt cheap these days, you can probably peg one on eFlay for $400-500 and put another couple hundred of work into it...and voila....there's your horn. Be vigilant...but by all means, buy the whole package (horn, case, neck...m'piece not important).

 

[prowdYAS62owner]

As far as trying things, I can't really do much. I'm in a musical wasteland. I have a couple pawn shops, but I dunno how many baris are laying around. Mikole Karr just recently moved out here, so I have a great technician to go to. But no source for saxes really. *sigh*

 

[JayeLID]

....yup, in which case you just eBay it and take a chance, but plan on $200-300 of tech work whatever you buy...build that into your budget.

As I said, the big horns are gong criminally cheap right now....pretty much any good vintage name brand horn is gonna be worth the risk.

You just wanna avoid things like significant bow dents, bent body tubes, damage/push-ins to the bell brace/body brace areas, numerous dings on either bow, and such....because there's only one way INTO a Bari...that means either taking off the bell or the upper bow...and right there, you are already over $100 in the hole without the tech even touching anything else....

I have landed 2 over the past 6 mos.; a Noblet low Bb for $500 which needed $250 of work, and a Conn 11M low A for $500 which needed $500 of work. Regardless of the tech work needed, they both came out to be hecka deals and solid players when all was said and done....

....no....hella deals, actually....

As one of my techs, Lee Kramka says (shaking his head in disbelief): "it's impossible to even put a value on vintage Baris these days....I feel that ANY decent vintage Bari in good playing shape has to be worth at least $2000....but the market is way down..."