Is $475 a good deal for a beuscher aristocrat? Also would it be a good fit for me? I play a lot of bebop jazz and I tend to have a pretty big tone. I would ideally like to take it to college with me and have it be my tenor for the rest of my life. Is this a professional horn?
Good deal for a Buescher Aristocrat?
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There is no such thing as a tenor for the rest of your life!
I contacted the seller for a serial number but they haven't responded yet. It is advertised as being from 1967. On the same sight they also have a **** Sherwood Master (1922) and a King Voll True II (1933) would any of these if not my whole life last me happily into a professional career?
I'm playing an old unmarked horn that I got on ebay it was risky but it plays pretty good for a horn like that. I'm just looking for something much, much more than that.
A 1967 model is a few years past the Selmer buyout. By then, many of the original Buescher features may be gone, such as Norton springs and Snap-on pads. However, 1967 is still close enough to the buyout that Selmer may not have tinkered with the Buescher Aristocrat design yet. The design dates back to the 1940's Big B engraved Aristocrat, which continued throughout the 1950's with simpler engraving into 1963 (same horn). These are fine tenors, and I would think that any Selmer-made Buescher tenor built before 1970 would essentially be the same horn with cheaper Selmer pads and standard needle springs. In other words, it ought to be a very good instrument. The 1951 Aristocrat tenor is my horn of choice, and I would not hesitate to pick up a horn like yours as a backup, as it should sound exactly the same as my 1951 (same neck, body tube, bell, etc). Selmer bought Buescher to eliminate the competition to their French-made Mark VI, but wisely continued making the horns, calling them their "student" models. There WERE NO STUDENT MODELS before then, just stencils (i.e., Buescher would make their Aristocrat engraved as an Elkhart, with different engraving and somewhat simplified keywork, but same body tube, neck, and bell). Some time after 1970, the quality of build begins to deteriorate, but your 1967 is likely still the real Buescher build.
Jicaino and Saintsday and Bruce Bailey, who frequent here, probably can supply more detailed information than I, but I cannot see your being disappointed in this tenor for $475, IF it is in full playing condition, ready to go.
Sax Magic
Jicaino and Saintsday and Bruce Bailey, who frequent here, probably can supply more detailed information than I, but I cannot see your being disappointed in this tenor for $475, IF it is in full playing condition, ready to go.
Sax Magic
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1,390 Posts
Yeah Bruce, once a person gets bit by the vintage horn bug, one just wont do...
I can't even decide when I do a gig, which sax to use....the 37 Martin tenor, the 52 selmer tenor, the 29 wurlitzer c melody, made by Martin, or the the 26 Conn curved sop. or the 35 Conn 6m , or the 22 Buescher true tone,or the 53 king bari, or the 63 Selmer alto, or the 28 buescher c melody,or the ......................... ..><><><><><><><><><><><><>you get the idea...
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I'm not sure I agree with that. I still have my original 1949 Buescher tenor I started with in 1972, and it is still my main horn. Unless it's stolen, it's my tenor for life.
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The Buescher is the better instrument, and you'll find the keywork is a lot easier to cope with than the other options you mentioned.
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