Saxophones Student or Pro

I just came into possession of a tenor sax (I know, I know, it was a sudden GAS attack over the holidays and bicarbonate of soda didn't help) and I've looked at old threads but couldn't find what I'm looking for. The beast is a Bundy Super Action 80 II, born in 1988. It has cosmetic problems but plays nicely and seems friendly to me. My question is how do I know if it was a student or pro horn? It doesn't really matter, I'm just curious.
 
Hi Al...from a Google searched website....Bundy student horns were made by Selmer USA, a completely separate company from H. Selmer Paris, although they do/did act as the US distributor for the French Selmer horns.

One for sale for $4000.......http://www.ginasflutes.com/Bundy-Selmer-Super-Action-80-Alto-Saxophone-p/1566.htm

Is My Saxophone Really A Super Action 80/Series II ? | Saxophone People
 
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More - http://bassic-sax.info/blog/?p=400

Taken from SOTW - The first horns that could be called "Bundy" were made in the 1920s (all dates approximate, as I don't have my data at hand). Specifically, their bells were stamped "Geo. M. Bundy." Conn stencils After this there was a switch to the Aristocrat stencils. After that, you had the Bundy/Bundy Special made by Keilwerth. After that you had horns "based" on the Aristocrat designs.

Kim Pelletier over at SOTW once sent me side-by-side pics of the Aristocrat 200 and an early 1970s Bundy. They're almost exactly the same horn. I've also heard more than one person say something like, "You've lost your neck from an Aristocrat? Use a Bundy II one." Heck, I've owned a mid-ish 1960s Aristocrat and it felt and played an awful lot like the Bundy II. Hey, the late B400 baritones also felt and played like the newer Selmer USA horns.

(I've also written that Buescher horns from around the time of the Selmer USA buyout -- 1963 -- seem to be a little odd and there was a bunch of different models. I've even posited that they had three or four versions of the 400 around that time.)

So, saying that a Bundy II is a totally different instrument from a "Big B" Buescher Aristocrat is a bit of a stretch. A very watered-down version made with poorer materials and quality would be more accurate.

Finally, all this means that "Bundy" doesn't automatically = "junk" -- especially the Keilwerth ones -- but if you're talking about post 1963 Bundys, you're really getting into "student horn" range.
 
It also raises the point about what is a student horn. Earlier, they were good horns, possibly an old model, but with less frills/cheaper finishes. Nowadays quality seems to be lower as well. However... Although the Bundy IIs have a good rep, some of the others don't.
 
I agree, Prof. It's also interesting what accessories we find in the old cases. With the Bundy I found forty reeds, still in packets, two mpcs, one of which is silver metal, engraved WOODWINDS 4, a neck strap, a harness, three ancient ligs, small plumbers friend (mute), two reed preservers, cork grease, and assorted brushes. A treasure trove!
 
Well done Al....now that's a find! You have to catch these deals quick!
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