[KeyBoneSax]

I'm looking at an Buescher Alto, low pitch, serial 230,8xx, on the body. The seller states that the sax is from 'the 1920's', which makes sense for that serial number. However the from on the bell is pretty clear about it being Buescher, Aristocrat, Elkhorn Ind. The engraving is NOT 'Big B' nor 400 series.
No tone ring on the bell, but there is a narrow brass rim on the back side of the bell lip. LH bell keys, wire guards all around.
What model is this? Were there True-Tone horns that had Aristocrat in the engraving? Is it possible to swap an Aristocrat bell onto a True-Tone body?

 

[IBeOmega]

It sounds to me like the body from a True Tone was soldered to an Aristocrat bell, and who knows what the bow is. That sort of thing happened to Conns occasionally in the NWII-6/10M transitional era. I saw a horn once that was clearly from that period, with a serial number that put it in 1925.
Does the engraving look like these?
View attachment 54529 View attachment 54530

 

[KeyBoneSax]

That looks pretty close. I'll have to go back and look again. The other possibility is that we're misreading 280,XXX as 230,xxx for the serial number. 280,xxx would put it in the Aristocrat period, but the sellers label would be wrong. Either way, it played great. Just not many overtones. Very clarinet like to my ear. BTW, I should have said Elkhart, not Elkhorn. Elkhorn is in Wisconsin I think.

 

[cyclopathic]

The other possibility is that we're misreading 280,XXX as 230,xxx for the serial number. 280,xxx would put it in the Aristocrat period, but the sellers label would be wrong.

+1, I think it is 280,xxx series I similar to one @
http://www.saxpics.com/?v=gal&a=2596

 

[KeyBoneSax]

re: "That sort of thing happened to Conns occasionally in the NWII-6/10M transitional era" -

I find this interesting.... I'm surprised that key work from a split bell key design can be adapted to same side bell keys, or vise versa.
I'm not a repair tech or woodwind designer, so I'll take your word for it.
Do you know how it's done?

 

[cyclopathic]

I find this interesting.... I'm surprised that key work from a split bell key design can be adapted to same side bell keys, or vise versa.
I'm not a repair tech or woodwind designer, so I'll take your word for it.
Do you know how it's done?

There are some 1932-36 "made in Elkhart" Bueschers (prior to them going to engraving "Elkhart by Buescher"), which exactly that: True Tones with Aristocrat left side keys. The keywork for moved key was adopted/modified to accommodate difference. I haven't had a chance to compare TT and MiE side by side, but it looks like posts are at the same spots, so the change was to not to put 2 posts behind the bell and change one key. That has been done at the factory, so they probably used Aristocrat's key jig. Not sure if they cut and modified already made key, or made one from scratch.