[Jazzsax01]

Yesterday I bought a Selmer Bundy II alto sax from Craigslist...$100! Play tested it and it looks and works great, may need some work but nothing extensive:bluewink2: The only thing I'm unsure of is the year it was manufactured; I can't find anything online about these student horns! The serial number is 1224175. If anybody can help, it would be greatly appreciated...

 

[SephirothTNH]

Probably early 90s. There really is no serial number list for these. I think earlier versions followed the Buesher serial numbers but no one's ever cared to try and compile serials for these later bundy IIs. They can be decent students horns but aren't looked at too fondly by most. A little digging on the forums here turned up this info:

905XXX and was bought new in summer 1984 By geauxsax
953xxx bought in 1986 but there was a yellow card with some instructions dated 7/85 by Fltenor
1122XXX that was bought brand new in the early 1990's. by kcp

 

[Scaler]

779560 purchased in 1980 by guest on Sax People
875000 dates to 1983 per Selmer publication (end of list)
968202 predates Fall of 1996 by Firebug25

1106900 is my pre-owned Bundy II alto (older than the new horn purchased by kcp).

The last Bundy II saxes were 1995 when Buescher replaced Bundy II on the engraving.
Buescher engraving was replaced by Selmer engraved on the bell during the following year-1996.

 

[Jazzsax01]

Thanks for the info guys! I've been playing the flute for a number of years now and just starting to learn the sax, hope I'll get caught up before school starts again. Anyway, I won't need much more than a student horn for now. Maybe in a couple of years I'll upgrade. Does anybody have an opinion on my saxophone, assuming it's from the early 90s, vs. an earlier horn?

 

[milandro]

welcome to SOTW.

Enjoy your horn, despite it not being particularly old or sought after it can bring you joy and help you learning.

You paid very little for your horn, just enjoy it for what it is and don’t seek some sort of validation which in all honesty, nobody con give you more than you can give yourself.

 

[Jazzsax01]

Thanks, I agree with your statement, I guess I'll just enjoy it while I have it!

 

[Stocker]

Probably 1996, based on my research.

The last Bundy II saxes were 1995 when Buescher replaced Bundy II on the engraving.
Buescher engraving was replaced by Selmer engraved on the bell during the following year-1996.

What's your source for that? As far as I can tell the Bundy II and Buescher Aristocrat 200 were sold simultaneously until Selmer dropped the Buescher line altogether in the early '90s (later reviving it for their first experiment with instrument-shaped objects from the Far East). I believe the Bundy II ran through 1997 when the AS300 and 1244 (the latter unchanged except for engraving) came about.

 

[Scaler]

Probably 1996, based on my research.

+1

What's your source for that? As far as I can tell the Bundy II and Buescher Aristocrat 200 were sold simultaneously until Selmer dropped the Buescher line altogether in the early '90s (later reviving it for their first experiment with instrument-shaped objects from the Far East). I believe the Bundy II ran through 1997 when the AS300 and 1244 (the latter unchanged except for engraving) came about.

Serial number research that I've compiled points to the possibility that the Buescher Aristocrat 200 (Selmer product line) began, or was first introduced after the Bundy, and prior to the Bundy II. You'll find the Aristocrat 200 numbers between #738k, and 978k, and possibly outside of that range.

There's a serial number gap between the 1960's-1980's early model Bundy instruments end-of-production, and beginning of the Bundy II numbers (in my list) that begin very close to, and actually below #800k. Note to ebay sellers, Bundy II saxophone serial numbers always begin with a 7, 8, 9, or a seven digit number starting with 1.

The AS110, AS210, and AS300 altos appear in the 1997 catalog, and there's no listing for the Bundy II. The 1997 tenors that are listed include the TS100, TS200, and 1244.

Interestingly, the Winter NAMM article appearing in the May, 1998 JazzTimes (America's Jazz Magazine) p. 69, mentions Selmer's release of two new alto saxes, AS300, and AS210. You would think the Selmer '97 catalog would have been out for over a year before the article's author lists those two models in the JazzTimes article. I'll dig up articles, or references for the Bundy II discontinuation that I can find this weekend.

 

[Stocker]

The Bundy II and Aristocrat 200 are identical except for the branding (the 1978-up Signet and 400 are also identical to the Bundy II except for branding, finish, and accessories).

The last Bundy on my list is at 721000, and the first Bundy II at 747000 (purportedly purchased new in August 1979). The break between the Aristocrat and the Aristocrat 200 is between 732000 and 738000. The new USA saxes appear in a May 1978 brochure.

The last Buescher sax I've seen is at 949000; I know the Buescher name ran at least through 1991 as I have Selmer documentation from 1991 showing Buescher clarinets available.

Selmer's 1997 catalog has a printing date of November '97, so that may explain the article.

 

[maddenma]

The last Bundy on my list is at 721000, and the first Bundy II at 747000 (purportedly purchased new in August 1979).

Interesting, because several people had these when I was in HS, and I graduated in 1975.

 

[JfW]

Thanks for the info guys! I've been playing the flute for a number of years now and just starting to learn the sax, hope I'll get caught up before school starts again. Anyway, I won't need much more than a student horn for now. Maybe in a couple of years I'll upgrade. Does anybody have an opinion on my saxophone, assuming it's from the early 90s, vs. an earlier horn?

I've owned a couple Bundy IIs that I picked up for around what you've paid for yours, albeit needing some work. I sold both eventually. A few years before that I bought a very dilapidated YAS-23 that became my first project in saxophone repair. I gave that to my nephew who was a budding instrumentalist in school band. I miss that Student Yamaha. I don't miss either of those Bundy IIs.

Considering the cost of most instruments: playable saxophones rate fairly expensive, so $100 is a very good deal for a beginning doubler. That instrument should serve you well indeed. However, if you offered me your horn for $100, I would just be bored by it all.