Saxophones Buescher Aristocrat 1965 - recently acquired!

[saxplorer]

I'm now the proud owner of a 1965 Buescher Aristocrat Tenor, my first GAS purchase off the fleabay. And I'm really rather chuffed.

Link here: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=141079761434&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSA:GB:3160

Interesting history. Would love to validate some of that.

"This instrument was probably manufactured in 1965, some 5 years after Buescher was bought out by Selmer. What has made this sax difficult to identify is that the serial number is the only engraving on it, except for “Buescher” on the G# key. After the Selmer takeover, my understanding is that the tooling remained essentially the same, up to about the mid - 400,000 serial"

"used to play on board the Atlantic Liners to New York and back"


I paid £207 as can be seen, and for that money it seems to me, a fine beast. In good nick, nice tone - to my ear (even if I am going somewhat flat when I try too hard in the upper register) - Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/saxplorer/hesitating-blues

One thing I find awkward and that is the low C# requires an awful lot of effort from the left hand pinky. And when I first picked it up, it felt a little "twisted" in my hands, but I've more or less accommodated to that now.

I'll take some pics when I get a chance and add them here.

 

[thomsax]

Nice mellow/round sound. Try as many mouthpieces you can on your Beuscher. Bring your saxophone+some listenings saxfriends to a mouthpiece dealer/shop and try as many as possible. Don't be afraid to think "out of the box".

Selmer US took over Beuscher in december 1963. The first Beuscher Aristocrate had split bell keys but later the had left side bell keys. The last Aristocrate had the bell keys more like the 400 model. I have some letters from Vincent Bach company, that owned the Beuscher brand, in the 80's and the confirmed that TT soprano saxes were made until 1969 on special orders. I guess it was classical players that wanted new Beuschers. I don't how they manufactoried these saxes. Old inventories, blanks or made them from "scratch" ... ? So maybe your Beuscher is one these saxes.

 

[Jane M L]

[QUOTE/]One thing I find awkward and that is the low C# requires an awful lot of effort from the left hand pinky.
[/QUOTE]
I have the same trouble with my newly acquired Beagnier Vito. I think Matt Stohrer might have a video on Youtube on the Buescher, but till I can find that, here's his take on a Conn with stiff C# key: http://www.stohrermusic.com/2012/01/low-c-stiff-on-a-conn-10m/

 

[jonf]

My parents bought me one of those, exactly like that one, as my first sax, when I was 15. Still got it now, 33 years later. I dont play it much these days, but that's because I have a Yani T992. It did me very well for many years. I always played mine with a Lawton metal, which worked very well.

You'll get used to the keywork, if I managed as a callow 15 year old, I'm sure you'll cope.

 

[Adrian63]

Thats a nice horn man; well done. Ade🙂

 

[saxplorer]

As promised, some pictures.

 

[Ads]

Wow - a Purple Logo Buescher !! ..

Lovely condition, congrats, always had a soft spot for the True-tones and Aristos, I`m sure this is a sweet horn too

 

[thomsax]

Very nice and it's a Aristocrate model. When I looked at the bay side I clicked on a sax that was an old True-Tone tenor! Now I undertand better.

These saxes are still popular and the bluessax players like them.

 

[arock]

I also have a 400xxx serial aristocrat Tenor. I like to use my vintage 60's Brilhart metal Levelaire MP. The original MP is very mellow. The old Metal Levelaire MP talks.

 

[saxplorer]

I also have a 400xxx serial aristocrat Tenor. I like to use my vintage 60's Brilhart metal Levelaire MP. The original MP is very mellow. The old Metal Levelaire MP talks.

... as it turns out, from my very modest mouthpiece selection I am using the Rico Metallite, which I believe was designed by Brilhart. ....

 

[kevgermany]

Yes, the ricos we're designed by Brilhart

 

[altissimo]

Aristocrate ???