The reason why I choose Buescher is that all about the tone. I have been looking closely for more than half a year to figure out why Buescher is so good to be a so nice a horn that even modern professionals never forget or still give credits for it.
Here's what we in this forum describe the tone of Buescher Big-B Aristocrat: sweet, best, killer, more focused that THC, less spread that THC, dark, brilliant, powerful, complex, powerful, wonderful, smooth, Buescher tone, special and resonant.
After college with an engineering major(now 24), I have always been dreaming to be an audiophile. What I am always wondering is to buy a sennheiser hd-650 headphone and DIY a headphone amp. But after listening to some great jazz saxophonists(Stan, Coltrane, etc) as well as some pop saxophonists, I was really in the mood of learning playing a sax and inspire my family and my friends. I found that the true satisfaction come from seeing your friends and family members' smiles by playing music to them. So, I dumped my selfish idea and try to buy a real sax.
Then, as you might wonder the real problem may come up when the budget is not unlimited. I directly come into this excellent forum and find without doubt that Buescher is one of the most popular vintage saxophone brand in USA. I know there's a lot of trash on ebay which sells used horns. But you guys may not believe it, I did buy a nearly brand new, yeah, an almost brand new without a scratch, 1951 Buescher 156 Aristocrat tenor(#345426 with 156 and without elaborate Big B engraving and snap-in style pads) for $725. I am so happy to get this saxophone and treat it like a treasure. I also buy a Selmer 80 C* and 10 rico #2 reed for the whole setup.
Although I can only get goose-like tone for about first 5 month, I really enjoy that experience. I cannot compare it with other horns, but I really tried to find some infomation about the serials No. and try to figure out if there's any reason for such a tank-like Buescher to quit the role of saxophone history. Here's I want to tell you Buescher lovers what I found based on the database and tons of pictures of saxpic's and other websites:
In the following, I am gonna divide the Buescher Aristocrat models into seven major periods with model's approximate total model production during them:
LIST A(Overview):
(produced 5,000) 1.New Aristocrat.(transitional model),1932-1934,262K-267K.
(produced 24,000) 2.Aristocrat I. (Small Bell with art deco),1934-1941,267K-291K.
(produced 9,000) 3.Aristocrat II Big-B.(Later models with 156 as well as Big-B engraving), 1941-1949, 291K-330K.
(produced 20,000) 4.Aristocrat II w/o Big-B.(all engraved with 156), 1949-1955, 330K-350K.
(produced 32,000) 5.Aristocrat III (157 model with nickel keys, begindegraded in quality), 1955-1963, 350K-382K.
(produced 280,000) 6.Aristocrat IV(Selmer edition,design totally changed, absolute a student horn), 1963-1983, 400K-684K.
(produced >=6) 7.Bundy I/II(Student horn which may evolved from Buescher), 1983?-today?(Serial not listed).
LIST B(Most of the following are base on real model pictures):
1931-1932: 260,125---262,000
1932-1933: 262,000---264,025---265,523
1933-1934: 265,523---267,356
1934-1935: 267,356---269,000
1935-1936: 269,000---272,896
1936-1937: 272,896---279,300
1937-1938: 279,300---284,418
1938-1939: 284,418---288,024
1939-1940: 288,024---291,000
1940-1941: 291,000---294,128
1941-1942: 294,128---297,527
1942-1945: 297,527---303,000
1945-1948: 303,000---312,000
1948-1949: 312,000---316,000
1949-1950: 316,000---332,000
1950-1951: 332,000---337,000
1951-1952: 337,000---345426(Mine is born in OCT, 1951)---347,000
1952-1955: 347,000---350,000
1955-1960: 350,000---360,000
1960-1963: 360,000---381,000
1963-today: (Selmer)
Hopefully, everyone could benefit from this serial chart collected by myself on their choice of buying a vintage sax.
I am also thinking that, Buescher engineers really experimented a lot before the mass production period of Buescher Big-B 156 model (9000 increased to 20,000 in two decades w/o BigB in order to reduce the cost and increase the revenue simutaneously). Also, I can see they tried to standardize their products with formal code after WWII (like 156,157,as well as other true tones and THCs).
Personally, I doubt there's a reduce in brass quality between Big-B engraved and not Big-B engraved "156" models. If any one you have both, I hope you don't bother to measure their weight. I consider after 1955, Buescher are putting 400s(also super 400s) and THCs(also made pre-WWII ones) into their professional line. They may want to try new models around that time since there's already a lot of Aristocrat around(90,000 totally). Until the final buyout by Selmer of France(they also bought Conn to eliminate two of the biggest opponent in USA, how smart!!!), Selmer changed every good thing about Buescher in order to not let Buescher models to affect their professional lines. That's what I can reasonably conclude so far.
Anyway, I do knew that you guys are really good at get the classy tone out of buescher, I hope someday I can too. Hope to be your friends always.
With regards.
Peng.(learpot@yaho.com)
Here's what we in this forum describe the tone of Buescher Big-B Aristocrat: sweet, best, killer, more focused that THC, less spread that THC, dark, brilliant, powerful, complex, powerful, wonderful, smooth, Buescher tone, special and resonant.
After college with an engineering major(now 24), I have always been dreaming to be an audiophile. What I am always wondering is to buy a sennheiser hd-650 headphone and DIY a headphone amp. But after listening to some great jazz saxophonists(Stan, Coltrane, etc) as well as some pop saxophonists, I was really in the mood of learning playing a sax and inspire my family and my friends. I found that the true satisfaction come from seeing your friends and family members' smiles by playing music to them. So, I dumped my selfish idea and try to buy a real sax.
Then, as you might wonder the real problem may come up when the budget is not unlimited. I directly come into this excellent forum and find without doubt that Buescher is one of the most popular vintage saxophone brand in USA. I know there's a lot of trash on ebay which sells used horns. But you guys may not believe it, I did buy a nearly brand new, yeah, an almost brand new without a scratch, 1951 Buescher 156 Aristocrat tenor(#345426 with 156 and without elaborate Big B engraving and snap-in style pads) for $725. I am so happy to get this saxophone and treat it like a treasure. I also buy a Selmer 80 C* and 10 rico #2 reed for the whole setup.
Although I can only get goose-like tone for about first 5 month, I really enjoy that experience. I cannot compare it with other horns, but I really tried to find some infomation about the serials No. and try to figure out if there's any reason for such a tank-like Buescher to quit the role of saxophone history. Here's I want to tell you Buescher lovers what I found based on the database and tons of pictures of saxpic's and other websites:
In the following, I am gonna divide the Buescher Aristocrat models into seven major periods with model's approximate total model production during them:
LIST A(Overview):
(produced 5,000) 1.New Aristocrat.(transitional model),1932-1934,262K-267K.
(produced 24,000) 2.Aristocrat I. (Small Bell with art deco),1934-1941,267K-291K.
(produced 9,000) 3.Aristocrat II Big-B.(Later models with 156 as well as Big-B engraving), 1941-1949, 291K-330K.
(produced 20,000) 4.Aristocrat II w/o Big-B.(all engraved with 156), 1949-1955, 330K-350K.
(produced 32,000) 5.Aristocrat III (157 model with nickel keys, begindegraded in quality), 1955-1963, 350K-382K.
(produced 280,000) 6.Aristocrat IV(Selmer edition,design totally changed, absolute a student horn), 1963-1983, 400K-684K.
(produced >=6) 7.Bundy I/II(Student horn which may evolved from Buescher), 1983?-today?(Serial not listed).
LIST B(Most of the following are base on real model pictures):
1931-1932: 260,125---262,000
1932-1933: 262,000---264,025---265,523
1933-1934: 265,523---267,356
1934-1935: 267,356---269,000
1935-1936: 269,000---272,896
1936-1937: 272,896---279,300
1937-1938: 279,300---284,418
1938-1939: 284,418---288,024
1939-1940: 288,024---291,000
1940-1941: 291,000---294,128
1941-1942: 294,128---297,527
1942-1945: 297,527---303,000
1945-1948: 303,000---312,000
1948-1949: 312,000---316,000
1949-1950: 316,000---332,000
1950-1951: 332,000---337,000
1951-1952: 337,000---345426(Mine is born in OCT, 1951)---347,000
1952-1955: 347,000---350,000
1955-1960: 350,000---360,000
1960-1963: 360,000---381,000
1963-today: (Selmer)
Hopefully, everyone could benefit from this serial chart collected by myself on their choice of buying a vintage sax.
I am also thinking that, Buescher engineers really experimented a lot before the mass production period of Buescher Big-B 156 model (9000 increased to 20,000 in two decades w/o BigB in order to reduce the cost and increase the revenue simutaneously). Also, I can see they tried to standardize their products with formal code after WWII (like 156,157,as well as other true tones and THCs).
Personally, I doubt there's a reduce in brass quality between Big-B engraved and not Big-B engraved "156" models. If any one you have both, I hope you don't bother to measure their weight. I consider after 1955, Buescher are putting 400s(also super 400s) and THCs(also made pre-WWII ones) into their professional line. They may want to try new models around that time since there's already a lot of Aristocrat around(90,000 totally). Until the final buyout by Selmer of France(they also bought Conn to eliminate two of the biggest opponent in USA, how smart!!!), Selmer changed every good thing about Buescher in order to not let Buescher models to affect their professional lines. That's what I can reasonably conclude so far.
Anyway, I do knew that you guys are really good at get the classy tone out of buescher, I hope someday I can too. Hope to be your friends always.
With regards.
Peng.(learpot@yaho.com)