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Saxophones Buescher true tone 1925

eb424

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Hi guys and girls.. i have only been playing ( if you can call it that lol) for a couple of years. The chance to buy the above sax in fantastic condition repadded not with the originals came up for £325 came up and i couldnt resist. The oppurtunity to own and play a sax from that era got the better of me. I know that they are the cheapist vintage sax you can get but most people i know say send it back as it's awkward and out of tune. I read reviews before buying and they seemed a bargain. Any thoughts and advice greatly appreciated...help Eddie
 
Well I am not sure where you got the info that TT's play out of tune. I have refurbished at least 20 of 'em and compared to most other split-bellkey models/brands of that era, they intone pretty well...

BIG question is....a 1925 is right at the cusp regarding a design change to the model

So....what is the serial # ? Or ...if you don't know that....

...is the G# pinky touch metal with a roller ?....or is it a round pearl touch ?

The former are excellent saxes...considered by many (myself included) to be the BEST split-bell key Altos ever made. (I am assuming you are talking about an Alto ?) The latter, however, are not sought after due to the odd ergos on the pinky cluster....so those don't command high prices.

Many folks will say (with some foundation) that a TT of that era is not the greatest choice for a beginner to start on...and that view has some merit...as horns of that era generally have more intonational flex/response based upon the blower/player than, say, a reputable modern horn.

But given you have a couple years under your belt already...that may be less of an issue in your instance.

(BTW...it's B-U-E-S-C-H-E-R ;))
 
£325 sounds like a bargain.

I used to own a True Tone alto and it was the best sounding alto I have played. Intonation was fine - no problems. Vintage Bueschers have a good reputation for being easier to play in tune than other vintage saxes.

However the keys were not in the right place for my large hands, and changing back and forward between the TrueTone and my modern saxes was too difficult. If it had been my only saxophone then I might have got used to it. Building up some of the keys with Sugru helped.
 
Sorry about the spelling lol I'm dyslexic I once went to a toga party dressed as a goat... (meant in good humour).. Just picked up the sax it's a beauty serial no 145531. I bought it as I heard good things about the sax everyone who owned one loved it and I hope to be joining that list.. I'll get it to Dawkes on saturday. I wanted to make it my only alto but was miffed by what a couple of people said.. maybe it would just be easier to continue my learning on my series v.. Thanks for all the replies and guidance I think I've got a good one...
 
I have one of a simlar age, as well as a veritable swarm of other altos. I really like the Buescher, it has a lovely tone, and it plays in tune with a modern mouthpiece - in my case a metal Yanagisawa 7. Too many people are happy to peddle myths about vintage saxes. If someone tells you your sax is no good, just ignore them.

One genuine negative about these saxes is the keywork is really designed for small hands. Like Nigel I find some of the keys awkward, I have got pretty big hands, and the palm keys are a bit low for me. Nigel's sugestion about bulding them up a bit with Sugru is a good one, if you have big hands. You can also get key risers from Oleg (which is what I use). Try playing it on a daily basis for a couple of weeks to see how you get used to it before making any modifications.
 
Thanks for all the good adviceall I feel a bit better about owning one now..can't wait to try it...
 
...is the G# pinky touch metal with a roller ?....or is it a round pearl touch ?

Please correct me if I'm wrong, don't the older TT's with the round G# also lack a front F?
 
Hi it's metal the 2 keys below have a roller. Layout seems almost the same as my hanson v alto but no high f key. Sounds lovely and deep but a bit quieter.. think I'm going to love it...
 
It looks like this....
 

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Oooh, good for you, I've been hoping to try one of those out for a little while now but there just aren't any near me at the moment. However, I was in New York City over the weekend and I peeked in Roberto's Winds (without a mouthpiece, so I wasn't trying anything anyway) and they were asking $3500 for one of their true tones!
 
Ouch it seems an ok sax but quiet.. should they be played with a metal mouthpiece.. I'm using a kanee based on a meyer.. easy blow though find the keys ok but only just tried it out.. seems a bargain tbf..
 
The old Bueschers are often used by classical saxplayers. "Sweet" tone. What kind of music are you playing? I know a player (semi-pro, into rock, blues, soul...) who was on a TT tenor, from the 20's , with Berg Larsen metal (med. open/1 chamber) for many years. Not easy to play in tune when the sax was "pushed"(loud). The saxes from the 20's were designed for the music and the music technology back then. In the mid 30's all major manufactors had new saxes on the market. The big band era made the music louder. ...... . I think it's easier to handle the small Bueschers (sopranino, C-sop, Bb sop) compared to a TT baritone.
 
Hi Thanks I thought that may be the case who needs loud sweets good. I think a metal mpc is the way on the alto. Does anyone here know of an easy blow metal mpc
 

Hi I thought it might be more traditional.. would that not be the case.. I am new to all this so am just feeling around.. I just really noticed the difference ( in loudness) between the 2 alto s but maybe that's just the way it is I'm more than happy with it..
 
For me it's not easy to get a good combo; modern mpc on an old saxophone. Even on a "The Martin" from the 60's a modern mouthpiece can be tricky. An old saxophone can sound wonderful in the shop when you're playing on your own. But that can be changed when you are going to blend in with other instruments/horns. You know that the Bundy II altos and tenors are based on Buescher TT body. It was the mouthpice guru Ralph Morgan that was the chief designer when Selmer US designed the Bundy II. They made a new neck, changes on keys and a new bell (bell keys on right side). Less hipster factor on a Bundy II compared to Buescher TT ;). Two guys I listen to a lot ; Eddie Shaw (RIP) and Jimmy Hall were/are playing Bundy II. Singing saxophonists. I own many older saxes but I prefer to play a modern horn. A Keilwerth SX90R would be nice. Hard to justify an expensive sax like that when I'm just playing for fun.
 
I only play for fun and the kanee mpc works fine I guess in my head being produced in the blues and jazz era it might be a bit punchier. Didn't know if most mpc then were metal.. time for some investigation I think
 
Some vintage horns don't play well with modern mouthpieces, but my Buescher TrueTone alto was quite mouthpiece friendly, though some mouthpieces suited better than others.

I think a metal mpc is the way on the alto.
Ignore the urban myth that metal mouthpieces are brighter or louder than rubber ones.
My teacher uses a "classical" closed-tip rubber mouthpiece for lead alto in a big band.

You have to find a mouthpiece that suits the combination of you + the saxophone + the sort of music you want to play.
Experimentation is the only way.
 
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