Saxophone Forum


by johnsonfromwisconsin
(767 posts)
19 years ago

My new Buescher saxophone

Hello, I have another project horn comming. You see, I stopped into a local store where a friend of mine works as a technician and they had just recieved a Jupiter Bari and placed it in the window a few days before. Now, seeing that there was a baritone to be tried, I couldn't help myself but ask for an opportunity to play with it for awhile. I have found it rather trying to get my hands on a baritone to play around with due to the low-demand/high cost and risk of damage that comes with casual handling of such large instruments. Nevertheless, I was able to stop in a few days later with My Ron Caravan MPC which I had precured from Ebay some months before just for a purpose like this. I played for a good half hour to 45 minutes before being too exausted to proceed. I had just had my first ever opportunity to play a baritone and it fueled my extreme desire to have one. I have wanted a nice baritone with excellent keywork and a range down to A and up to F or F# for the last couple years. Such horns will either be new or of an expensive recent vintage. The cost of such is way too prohibitive right now. I also have figured on owning a second baritone for more casual scenarios when it makes little sense to drag an elite horn along. I had been doing searching and obsessing and staring at pictures of baritones more in line with my dream Low-A baritone while ignoring a large number of low Bb vintage baritones that have been priced $1000 or less. Then I crossed a recent entry at www.junkdude.com, a reputable internet dealer who gathers high praise at sotw. The baritone was a project horn, yet in playable condition. After a few days of thinking about it and gaining approval from my wife, I have ordered a LowPitched 1915 Buescher True-Tone baritone keyed from low Bb to high Eb for a very low price. It's missing the alt-C lever and looks like hell at first glance, but it plays and I think would be a great horn with or without a restoration effort. First think it looks like it needs is a new strap hook, and I don't think reversing it is the answer. I'll keep you posted on how it turns out when it arrives. Now, the issue of low Bb to A has been discussed to death in certain places, but any insites on whether I'll need a high E or F?

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  1. by sax_maniac
    (984 posts)

    19 years ago

    Re: My new Buescher saxophone

    Bari is my least played horn, but I'll give you my opinion based on what I've experienced... Of the 12M's I've had and my current Yani (a spectrum of design) - notes above high D (regardless of which mouthpiece I tried) tend to be thinner and stuffier than the rest. Not tonally gross - just not in character with the rest of the horn. As the point of bari is generally to hang out in the middle/lower range of the horn, I don't think it will be a major issue to be without high E & F. It's a luxury to be able to drop to low A, but not a necessity to have fun. Good luck on your project. I've got a 12M in the queue, myself.

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    1. by Saxon
      (100 posts)

      19 years ago

      Re: My new Buescher saxophone

      I would love a baritone of any description but have only once got to play one. Hooked! I do however have a Beuscher soprano that only goes up to Eb. Such a painful limitation! I guess it depends on what kind of music you'll be playing whether you'll find the need or not.

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      1. by johnsonfromwisconsin
        (767 posts)

        19 years ago

        Re: My new Buescher saxophone

        Thanks guys. Anyway, the horn will actually be here monday or tuesday. One question: how hard is it to replace a strap hook and where to find the part? What is needed to fabricate a new key lever for the side C.? I lot I'm guessing, but I have to start somewhere! ;) My biggest concern is to make it playable and not fall off the worn hook, but I do want to do some restoration to it over time.

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        1. by definition
          (963 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: My new Buescher saxophone

          Find another one that someone is willing to sell for parts cause its to trashed to fix

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        2. by sax_maniac
          (984 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: My new Buescher saxophone

          I don't have an extra, but I've sent you an email with some possible leads. Good Luck!

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        3. by johnsonfromwisconsin
          (767 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: My new Buescher saxophone

          Thanks _maniac, I was wondering if you could try resending. I didn't recieve your mail and just noticed that my email address in my profile was miss-spelled. Thanks

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        4. by johnsonfromwisconsin
          (767 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: My new Buescher saxophone

          Well, I'm still waiting for it. Hopefully, it will arive today. Should be a good horn. Unfortunately, I found another job that pays 50% more than I'm making now and have to move away from my current band where I was going to perhaps play it. :sigh: Worse yet, is I'll be on afternoons for awhile and wont be able to latch on anywhere else.

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        5. by sax_maniac
          (984 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: My new Buescher saxophone

          Congratulation$ on the new job. And as far as having to find a new group, you never know - maybe there's some desperate housewives looking for a bari sax to round out their budding garage band.

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        6. by johnsonfromwisconsin
          (767 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: My new Buescher saxophone

          Thanks for the congratulations sax_maniac. Well, it's here, and man is it UGLY! Quite possibly the most hiddeous thing I have ever seen, yet so beautifull. The case will be replaced as it's not much better than dead, the strap-hook also, naturally, and the side C in time. The neck is a bit crunched out of shape, but the entire thing works and sounds very good. The only note that won't play is the low Bb as it won't shut the B enough. Also, the split E is broken and a vital lever was broken off to seal it.

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        7. by sax_maniac
          (984 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: My new Buescher saxophone

          It's a labor of love, man! Nothing like making an ugly baby sing beautiful. Maybe you'll have that bari all together in time to belt out "My Funny Valentine" for your honey on St. Valentine's Day '06. (Two Tons of Fun Mega Mix...) One of these days, I'll get going on the 12M laying naked and cold in it's case (keys off). However, yesterday I got a first-hand look at some primo opportunities (several vintage Selmers), so it will be probably summer before I get around to it.

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        8. by chiamac
          (586 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: My new Buescher saxophone

          I love the "my funny vanentine" idea... anyway, 2 things. the neckstrap deal, find some brass wire about that size and bend up a new one. that would be a lot easier than trying to find a old one... as for the key, can you send pics of it? (or of what you're talking about) I may have a few suggestions depending on what it needs to be. good luck! Andy *my email is [email protected]

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