Saxophones David's finds - Buffet Superdynaction... well, sort of...

[DavidUK]

I was interested in this a it came on sale at £245 but this was a mistake: CLASSIC VINTAGE BUFFET SUPER DYNACTION COMPLETELY OVERHAULED, NEW WHITE ROO PADS | in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire | Gumtree

Seller insists the crook is original Buffet SDA. I've told him it isn't and whose crook it is (choice of two, one favourite).

What's your view?

What would you pay for such an amalgamation? £1,950?

NB. I have no connection with the seller.

 

[nigeld]

If it plays OK with that neck, then fine, but I wouldn't pay anything close to £1950 for it even with the original neck.

 

[DavidUK]

I thought £245 was OK, what with the wrong neck, overbuffed relaq, and strangely incongruous white pads.

 

[jazzdoh]

Wouldn't be one for me, seller is a member on here, don't think he is a dealer but does buy and sell quite a lot of stuff.

 

[DavidUK]

I think @JayeNM or @helen will be able to confirm the crook's identity for me.

 

[Jimmymack]

£245 wouldn’t even cover the cost of the service, especially if it included a repad, but the price, all things considered and neck apart, is optimistic to say the least. Shame about the buffing and relacq. But some like ‘em shiny.

Having said that, and looking at what others are, still optimistically, asking, the asking price does take this into account. The price of old saxes is certainly going up.

 

[DavidUK]

Nice matt keys though...

 

[jazzdoh]

Pretty sure it is not the original neck, it looks similar to a Kohlert half moon neck.

 

[Jimmymack]

Buescher and Kohlhert seem to be the options, although I know nothing.

 

[jazzdoh]

Buescher and Kohlhert seem to be the options, although I know nothing.

It does look like a Buescher but with a different neck octave key.

 

[Phil]

IMHO your gonna need the right neck or a custom copy of one. Otherwise its a frankensax and not fully the real deal. I dont put much concern in it not being original finish as long as tone holes are intact. My concern would be the neck issue.

 

[squeak]

I don't know what the neck is but it is definitely not original and I most doubt it is of recognizable make. 245 pounds is nothing for an SDA even buffed with what appears to be a cheap aftermarket neck. I wouldn't be too concerned about being able to find an aftermarket neck that is a good match either, but it this alone will obviously cost significantly more than the dealer is asking for the horn. Perhaps it plays okay with the bizarre neck, in which case it is a fine deal - assuming that it is for someone in need of another saxophone.

BTW, if this transaction would involve shipping of any kind, make sure that the seller completely immobilizes the sax inside the case. Buffets are really well made but the design of the bell-body brace makes it highly prone for getting pushed in, because the brace doesn't absorb shaking movement as occurs during transit well. I have experienced this in person and seen it on several SDAs. The Buffet folks were clearly lacking vision of a future where saxophones were rattling around inside trucks for days on end.

 

[Phil]

Id probably buy it for that price…even add a high end custom neck and you would have a deal. Personally Im not an SDA fan but I might like them better with a different neck. The things are built like tanks other than the listed issue above.

 

[Jimmymack]

It isn’t £245 it’s £1950.

 

[DavidUK]

Buescher and Kohlhert seem to be the options, although I know nothing.

Yep, those are the two. "Man in the moon neck" springs to mind.

Here's the Kohlert from a VKS (or Winnenden):
Courtesy Saxpics: Photo Gallery :: SaxPics.com

Nope, not quite right. So, is it Buescher?:
From: Photo Gallery :: SaxPics.com

Yep, that's the one. But as you say, different octave key... Not a Buffet one. So it seems to be three horns SDA body; True Tone neck; unknown octave key. Here's the one in the ad again, to compare...

 

[Phil]

1950...no takers here. They are not high dollar horns complete and in original good condition

 

[DavidUK]

By comparison, a fully overhauled 1969 SDA with correct neck being sold out of a sax tech's shop for £1,450...

 

[Jimmymack]

There are a lot of very optimistic sellers on Reverb and eBay asking between £2000 and £3000.

 

[jonf]

I don't know what the neck is but it is definitely not original and I most doubt it is of recognizable make. 245 pounds is nothing for an SDA even buffed with what appears to be a cheap aftermarket neck. I wouldn't be too concerned about being able to find an aftermarket neck that is a good match either, but it this alone will obviously cost significantly more than the dealer is asking for the horn. Perhaps it plays okay with the bizarre neck, in which case it is a fine deal - assuming that it is for someone in need of another saxophone.

BTW, if this transaction would involve shipping of any kind, make sure that the seller completely immobilizes the sax inside the case. Buffets are really well made but the design of the bell-body brace makes it highly prone for getting pushed in, because the brace doesn't absorb shaking movement as occurs during transit well. I have experienced this in person and seen it on several SDAs. The Buffet folks were clearly lacking vision of a future where saxophones were rattling around inside trucks for days on end.

The reference to £245 was the price originally listed, which was an error.

Good advice re the shipping, particularly as that type of case is absolutely useless at protecting a sax, and the wisp of bubble wrap in the case will have no benefit whatsoever. The shipping harm doesn't really come from rattling around inside trucks, it comes from the underpaid and badly treated staff at courier companies. They're generally so demotivated they don't care in the slightest and throw parcels around.

 

[squeak]

The shipping harm doesn't really come from rattling around inside trucks, it comes from the underpaid and badly treated staff at courier companies. They're generally so demotivated they don't care in the slightest and throw parcels around.

You cannot do much about how shipping companies work. However, if you want to do your best to avoid damage to a sax and particularly SDAs, SML, Conn, Buesher, Martin etc that all have a stiff rod of metal that abuts the bell and body on either side, it is an absolute must that the sax cannot move inside the case and that there is sufficient padding to dampen vibrations. II have only once had a horn I packed damaged in transit and that was because the buyer insisted that I got weight and dimensions below a certain limit - never again, obviously. UPS is brutal where I live and I have seen first hand what happens at their facility. However, with proper packaging, it is possible to mitigate damage even in the hands of brutes.