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If you played a Buffet and didn't like it, tell me why...

6K views 31 replies 18 participants last post by  tjontheroad 
#1 ·
Honestly, I'm tired of hearing that a Buffet saxophone can't do. My SDA alto is the best sax of any pitch I've ever tried and the whole idea of it's not as good as this-or-that is total B.S. IMHO.

So, I wanna hear from you...

1) If you tried a Buffet, tell me honestly what you didn't like and made you move on.

2) What sax was so much better than whatever, you sold your Buffet as if it was old, out of date, ground beef for today's (or yesterday's) prime cut.

3) If you did sell a Buffet, have you regretted it (or not) and why?
 
#3 ·
I had played a friends Buffet Tenor, and frankly, I ALMOST CAME CLOSE to liking it more than a Conn or a Mark VI. I think that they are different, but Great, Great Intonation and tone. I highly admire the designer of the Buffet Saxophones. I think they are extremely Grat for Classical Music, Even Rock and Roll. The French, once again, knew what they were getting theirselves into!
 
#4 ·
When I was at university, there were three players that played buffets, two altos and a bari. I thought the bari was fine. The alto--so-so. I don't think it was the horn per se, just that it was different from my horn.

Also, I think there was an unwritten 'rule' back then. Clarinet players play buffets, sax players play selmer. Maybe not right, but, hey, it was the '70s.

Times change....
 
#6 · (Edited)
If you like your horn be happy. There's nothing wrong at all with a Buffet. I've thought the tenors were better than the alto SDA's, but I need a horn to be set up the way I like in order to get the most from the experience. Most people don't have their horns set up the way I prefer, so it's almost impossible to make a call. I've never owned an Buffet however, but I have had them on trial before and the owners almost always sent them with leaks.
 
#7 ·
I've played a few Buffet altos in the past. I always thought they had a compact sweetish tone but not as big as I like. Jackie sounded great on his old Buffet on all those old classic sides, but I'd rather blow a Selmer, King, SML or Conn.

BTW, the last Buffet I tried was yours, TJ. I was at Sam Ash in Manhattan having some work done by Matt. He asked my opinion of your horn. Matt did a great job with it, but I'm afraid I wasn't in love with the horn itself. I think my style of playing was fighting with the nature of the thing.
 
#8 ·
Howdy.
I've been reading along in this forum for a while, but just registered now to post a response to your question.
I had a nearly mint four-digit Buffet SDA tenor that I sold off to buy a Selmer.
My Buffet was a top-quality horn. The intonation was great. The action was smooth and fast -- with the exception of the left hand pinky keys. They truly slowed me down. The Selmer, with its tilting platter, is much easier for me to play than the SDA.
Build quality on the SDA was every bit as good as the Selmer. Lacquer on the Buffett is better than the Selmer. Engraving on the Selmer is prettier. As I recall, the Buffett neck strap hole is in the wrong place for playing standing up, but that's no big deal.
Tone quality is really where my two horns parted company. The SDA had one clear, ringing voice which was great most of the time. But I found that particular sound difficult to shape or change, particularly at higher volume.
At higher volume, my particular Mark VI opens up with a different quality of tone. It gives a huskier sound, a more resistant feel, and I think it projects better.
I find my Selmer to be a more expressive instrument than my SDA was. The SDA played like it was riding on rails, if you know what I mean, while playing the Selmer is more like sailing a boat.
I don't regret selling the SDA. It was time for somebody else to play it. They're lovely saxophones, and I expect that their prices will continue to rise as more people figure that out. Enjoy your Buffett.
 
#9 ·
tjontheroad said:
Well, this is all nice here, but I wanna know why those who think so ( if any ) why a Buffet suck.
O.K. Well, I played at an Old Country Buffet and the management treated us like trash. We had to enter through the kitchen, people kept complaining about how loud it was, and the management stiffed us at the end, deducting our drink charges from our pay. Worst of all - the only thing they gave us to eat was...ZITI!!

(playing this buffet sucked so hard we left them with a stink bomb in the kitchen on the way out.)
 
#11 · (Edited)
I play tested a Buffet S3 at USA horn. It was supposed to be built in 1991 and sat in music store for a 15 years and was bought in 2006. The owner played a month and had a accident that ruined his sax playing. Mark was selling it for him for $1800 on consiqnment. I almost bought it for my daughter(she ened up w/ a SX-90 keilwerth{she likes the cannonball/keilwerth feel}). I thought the tone was ok(nothin w/ the tone was special). Feel was quite similar to my USA Omega tenor. Action was noisy in the left hand. Engraving was beautiful. When I say tone was ok;I mean it was good but didn't blow me away. If it blew me away,I would have bought it and told my daughter to get used to the feel. It has a nice low register similar tro Keilwerth(I think Keilwerth may have had a hand in building this saxs). The tenor was a mix of selmer and keilwerth characteristics. If he would have dropped to 1500 or 1600 I'd of bought it!!! The noisy left hand keys(and yes the horn was regulated and the keys made the characteristic popping sound when pressed up and down indicating good seal) really bugged me that's why I ultimately moved on.
 
#12 ·
Diminishing return

My theory about why the S3 is not great a Buffet horn compared, say, with the DA, SDA, and S1 is this: A horn maker will grow over time and come up some best models. And any model it makes after that one top model is just not that great. This is the same as the diminishing return in economics.

I think it is fair to say that, in the case of Buffet, the diminishing return point was the S1; in Selmer's case, it was the VI; in King's case, it was the Super 20; and in Conn's case, it was the 30M.
 
#13 ·
heath said:
If you like your horn be happy. There's nothing wrong at all with a Buffet. I've thought the tenors were better than the alto SDA's, but I need a horn to be set up the way I like in order to get the most from the experience. Most people don't have their horns set up the way I prefer, so it's almost impossible to make a call. I've never owned an Buffet however, but I have had them on trial before and the owners almost always sent them with leaks.
I do really like the SDA and even though I'm not (yet ;) ) the greatest sax player in the world, I can still tell when a horn speaks to me.

Interesting that I'm the opposite view. I think the altos are better than the tenors.

BarrySachs said:
I've played a few Buffet altos in the past. I always thought they had a compact sweetish tone but not as big as I like. Jackie sounded great on his old Buffet on all those old classic sides, but I'd rather blow a Selmer, King, SML or Conn.

BTW, the last Buffet I tried was yours, TJ. I was at Sam Ash in Manhattan having some work done by Matt. He asked my opinion of your horn. Matt did a great job with it, but I'm afraid I wasn't in love with the horn itself. I think my style of playing was fighting with the nature of the thing.
I think that is what people are not getting about a Buffet. You don't always need a big roaring tone to get on top of the bandstand. That "sweetness" can cut through just fine if you know how to use it. I also have a Conn 6M with the Metro neck and it's a great horn, but it's much harder to rein in. It's always on at full throttle. OTOH, the SDA can make music at any speed. So I guess our styles are different.

Matt did a most excellent job on my horn. I've been thinking of taking my Conn to him as well.

Carson said:
Howdy.
I've been reading along in this forum for a while, but just registered now to post a response to your question.
I had a nearly mint four-digit Buffet SDA tenor that I sold off to buy a Selmer.
My Buffet was a top-quality horn. The intonation was great. The action was smooth and fast -- with the exception of the left hand pinky keys. They truly slowed me down. The Selmer, with its tilting platter, is much easier for me to play than the SDA.
Build quality on the SDA was every bit as good as the Selmer. Lacquer on the Buffett is better than the Selmer. Engraving on the Selmer is prettier. As I recall, the Buffett neck strap hole is in the wrong place for playing standing up, but that's no big deal.
Tone quality is really where my two horns parted company. The SDA had one clear, ringing voice which was great most of the time. But I found that particular sound difficult to shape or change, particularly at higher volume.
At higher volume, my particular Mark VI opens up with a different quality of tone. It gives a huskier sound, a more resistant feel, and I think it projects better.
I find my Selmer to be a more expressive instrument than my SDA was. The SDA played like it was riding on rails, if you know what I mean, while playing the Selmer is more like sailing a boat.
I don't regret selling the SDA. It was time for somebody else to play it. They're lovely saxophones, and I expect that their prices will continue to rise as more people figure that out. Enjoy your Buffett.
Welcome to forum :)

I must have a strong pinky (likely from playing guitar) 'cause I never really notice the heavy pinky cluster action that many folks like you have mentioned before. Engraving doesn't matter much to me, but I think the Buffet engraving is very original and well done. Nothing is cooler than the sparkle lacquer. I always get positive comments about it. As fair as tone, I like your riding on rails analogy. Just remember even a rollercoster has rails :D

gary said:
O.K. Well, I played at an Old Country Buffet and the management treated us like trash. We had to enter through the kitchen, people kept complaining about how loud it was, and the management stiffed us at the end, deducting our drink charges from our pay. Worst of all - the only thing they gave us to eat was...ZITI!!

(playing this buffet sucked so hard we left them with a stink bomb in the kitchen on the way out.)
LOL :D

I happen to like ziti. I think ziti is also getting a bad rap here on this forum and you guys need to stop! ;)

sycc said:
I play tested a Buffet S3 at USA horn. It was supposed to be built in 1991 and sat in music store for a 15 years and was bought in 2006. The owner played a month and had a accident that ruined his sax playing. Mark was selling it for him for $1800 on consiqnment. I almost bought it for my daughter(she ened up w/ a SX-90 keilwerth{she likes the cannonball/keilwerth feel}). I thought the tone was ok(nothin w/ the tone was special). Feel was quite similar to my USA Omega tenor. Action was noisy in the left hand. Engraving was beautiful. When I say tone was ok;I mean it was good but didn't blow me away. If it blew me away,I would have bought it and told my daughter to get used to the feel. It has a nice low register similar tro Keilwerth(I think Keilwerth may have had a hand in building this saxs). The tenor was a mix of selmer and keilwerth characteristics. If he would have dropped to 1500 or 1600 I'd of bought it!!! The noisy left hand keys(and yes the horn was regulated and the keys made the characteristic popping sound when pressed up and down indicating good seal) really bugged me that's why I ultimately moved on.
Yellowhorn said:
My theory about why the S3 is not great a Buffet horn compared, say, with the DA, SDA, and S1 is this: A horn maker will grow over time and come up some best models. And any model it makes after that one top model is just not that great. This is the same as the diminishing return in economics.

I think it is fair to say that, in the case of Buffet, the diminishing return point was the S1; in Selmer's case, it was the VI; in King's case, it was the Super 20; and in Conn's case, it was the 30M.
While I've never played an S3, it is likely true like today's Selmers the later Buffet models are not as interesting to many players.

----------------------------------

Well there's only one way for me to convince you guys my horn is the best. I need to keep playing/practicing until I can make it roar without question :D
 
#14 ·
gary said:
O.K. Well, I played at an Old Country Buffet and the management treated us like trash. We had to enter through the kitchen, people kept complaining about how loud it was, and the management stiffed us at the end, deducting our drink charges from our pay. Worst of all - the only thing they gave us to eat was...ZITI!!

(playing this buffet sucked so hard we left them with a stink bomb in the kitchen on the way out.)
Are you okay?
 
#20 ·
bfoster64 said:
He's talking about Jimmy Buffett, not Buffet Crampon.
Yeah, but I think they're related. If I'm not mistakin', Buffet Crampon's a distant cousin of Jimmy's. Plays in a Zydeco band over in Lafayette.
 
#21 ·
Buffet Crampons...sounds like a strap-on pair of spikes for your sandals.
 
#22 ·
Crampons... yes to get a better grip.

TJ it's a bit difficult to answer your thread because SDAs, S1 and S3 (especially those made in collaboration with JK) are all very different animals (dunno about older horns like the Dynaction and the "18-20").
I was glad when I could get an SDA but what made me part with it is that I found a good S1 --- the ultimate sax for me, I've been classically untrained -- which I intend to keep.... at least until I can play it against an S1 Prestige (copper body), maybe one day?
 
#23 ·
You got the Crampons part, but I should have said 'flip-flops' instead of sandals and the reference to Jimmy Buffet might have been caught also!
 
#24 ·
AhCheung said:
Crampons... yes to get a better grip.

TJ it's a bit difficult to answer your thread because SDAs, S1 and S3 (especially those made in collaboration with JK) are all very different animals (dunno about older horns like the Dynaction and the "18-20").
I was glad when I could get an SDA but what made me part with it is that I found a good S1 --- the ultimate sax for me, I've been classically untrained -- which I intend to keep.... at least until I can play it against an S1 Prestige (copper body), maybe one day?
Ah nevermind...

It was just a rant at week moment (beer and wine will do that). I'm over it now.
 
#25 ·
The only thing that I don't like about my SDA tenor is the left hand pinky keys. Going from low B to C# I always get a little C natural in between. The gap is just a little too big. My brothers SDA tenor also does this. Anyone find a way to solve this little problem? Great horn in every other aspect in my opinion. Love that LUSH tone quality and power when pushed.
 
#26 ·
The solution is practice, practice, and pratice. Do you have the same problem with other, non-Buffet horns? If you do, then it is only you, not the SDA, that have this problem.

Unlike the clarinet, the sax does not have alternative keys to avoid the C when you move from the low B to C#.
 
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