FA Buescher left Conn in 1894 to establish the Buescher Manufacturing Co. This was later restructured as the Buescher Band Instrument Co in 1904. In 1916, FA Buescher sold a major share of his company to six businessmen including Andrew Hubble Beardsley.
True Tone Series Series Breakdown :: Models, Finishes, Engraving & Original Prices :: Beveled Tone Holes Tipped Bell Sopranos and Straight Alto :: The Straight Bari :: Snap-On-Pads The 'True Tone' Name :: The 'Parabolic Bore' :: Neck Issues Picture Galleries |
| Website Home>Buescher Home > TT: Introduction |
Buescher Flute Serial Numbers
| Series Breakdown | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
There are unquestionably several 'series' or 'groups' of horns that can be called 'True Tone'. There are also a couple of major things to note about each series. Hang on. Let's take a look at a chart and see if we can track the major features.
(Neither is the first model made by FA Buescher. The award of first is given to the Conn 'Worcester' made in 1888.) The main difference between these two 'models' is the subtraction of the dual-octave key. A minor difference is that the horns acquired pearl inlay at some point. The other reason for the division is given on a couple other websites (I've done some transliterating and added some extra info):
So, from this one can assume 'natural' breaks in Buescher designs in 1916-ish, 1926-ish and 1929-ish. Looking at the Buescher horns, his really does appear to be the case. Let's continue:
These are the 'meat and potatoes' series of True Tone: they're the most common and are the best horns of the series. |
| Many, Many Notes |
* Possibly the most important: in 1921, Buescher patented a new invention called the 'Snap-On Pad'. This innovation is important as it is considered the first real 'resonator' (unless you want to consider the Conn Res-O-Pad a resonator). Take a moment to read my detailed feature page on this innovation. * In 1928, Buescher introduced three 'gimmicky' horns that were actually a significant improvement over their older, conventional siblings: the Straight Alto and Tipped Bell Bb and C sopranos. Take a moment to read my feature page on these horns. * In 1931, the waning days of Vaudeville, Buescher was contracted to create, of all things, a straight baritone: a one-off working custom horn. Take a moment to read my feature page on this horn AND a modern straight baritone. * Baritones switched to the 'rounded rectangle' G# key a little after s/n 173000 -- and I do mean 'a little after', as I have pics of a 173xxx bari with the new G# and a 1730xx bari without. There does not appear to be any other significant change in the baritone design until the Aristocrat -- excepting, of course, the Custom Built series. I will therefore 'break down' the baritone models according to this break, rather than the 200xxx break. * The Custom Built True Tone model (yes, it's engraved that) is possibly baritone only. It's sort of a combination of the New Aristocrat and True Tone styles. * I see no change at all in design of the bass, other than with engraving, so I'll break diown these horns as I have with the altos and tenors. Do note that these horns have a keyed range only to altissimo Eb and do not have a G# trill. * One topic of much debate is the introduction of the front-mounted altissimo F key. While it seems that ALL horns had this feature by s/n 200xxx (probably excepting the C soprano), it seems to have been introduced as an option around s/n 157xxx: and, according to Bootman on the SOTWF, there was, at least, a provision for this keywork a little earlier (probably 1923) -- and a front F from a later horn can fit on these horns, if it doesn't have one. * There is one major keywork change to look for on the straight Bb soprano (only. The straight C soprano doesn't change): the G# hinge changes from being 'under' the left-hand altissimo keywork to being in a 'normal' location. (This change is very apparent in the example pics linked in the previous sentence.) I don't have enough examples to give you an exact 'fail-over' date, but an 86,466 horn has the old hinge and a 137,828 horn doesn't, so we're talking 1921-1924 when this change took place. My money's on 1923. Note that considering the C soprano never changed from the old-style hinge, this is a sure-fire way of determining if the horn you have is a Bb or C soprano. * There doesn't appear to be much consistency in the design of the Eb sopranino until after s/n 117,230 (more probably, sometime in 1923). I can't say that later models are significantly better than earlier ones, but they definitely have tweaked keywork. * Speaking of Eb sopranino keywork, a lot of people point out that the majority (if not all) of Buescher sopraninos after around s/n 117,230 don't have a G# key (earlier horns had either a pearl button or a rectangular bar). They're right. Foreshadowing the 'articulated' G# cluster, to sound G# on the sopraninos that 'don't' have a G# key, you depress the C# key. Note, also, that sopraninos don't have a G# trill key. * I've seen a few random curved Bb sopranos that had a rectangular G# key, starting around s/n 164xxx and ending before s/n 170xxx. Again, this is not a consistent design change so I cannot accurately track it. * Please note that Buescher did not design a new sopranino, soprano or bass after s/n 260xxx or so: in other words, there aren't Aristocrat or 400 models of these pitches. HOWEVER, if you wanted a bass in 1950, say, Buescher would trot out the old True Tone molds and make you one, generally with different engraving and sometimes with slightly different keywork, such as a redesigned G# cluster. Extended keywork ranges are NOT found, though. |
| Beveled Tone Holes (BTH) | |
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| What's in a Name? |
Naming, naming, naming. Some people have been very concerned that the first 'series' of Buescher horns aren't 'really' True Tones, either because that's not what Buescher had as an official model name and/or because some pre-1916-ish Bueschers do not have the True Tone trademark. My opinion is that it doesn't really matter and because I haven't found a catalog or ad earlier than 1923 (and I've had other folks look for one, as well), the question is going to remain unanswered. The construction of the Buescher does seem different after 1916-ish when the Haynes-patented horns were introduced along side horns with the 'Buescher Improved System'. In any event, watch the serial number ranges I give you. Each will have different characteristics. The serial number ranges are way more important than what the horns are called. |
Buescher Serial Numbers Stencils
.| The Parabolic Bore |
This is also something of a red herring. I mention it because I'm trying to be complete. Briefly, the bore of the Buescher saxophones, (possibly) up to, but not including the 'Big B' Aristocrats and 400's, are 'closely' based on the original Adolphe Sax design, which is supposed to be a 'parabolic cone'. To check whether your horn has a parabolic cone for a bore, you can hold the horn up to the light, look into the neck and see if the tone holes 'disappear'. Ok. Sounds good. Unfortunately, you can also see this same phenomenon if you've got a horn with a bent body tube -- or on a variety of other modern and vintage horns. There are really, really good, in-depth discussions about the 'parabolic bore' at: http://www.saxontheweb.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=35680 and http://www.saxontheweb.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=77 -- the latter thread has discussion from noted saxophone authors Paul Lindemeyer, saxtek and Paul Cohen. The conclusion is that a 'parabolic bore' probably doesn't really exist. At the very least, it hasn't been proven with any degree of conclusivity to exist. Summary from Dr. Cohen: Whatever difference the parabolic cone (theoretically) makes in the sound pales in comparison to the mammoth difference in tone, pitch and response small changes to the neck and upper body bore dimensions create. Trying to find and define the mythical parabola misses the huge point of other far more signficant delineators and influences. |
| Neck Issues |
I'm not positive WHEN Buecher introduced a selection of necks for their horns. All I can say is that they DID. Each version has their adherents. no number whatsoever Matt Stohrer has a good breakdown of the necks, including internal views, on his website. The #1 [and un-numbered] neck came with the Tru-Tones, the #03 and #** (=02) necks came with the New Aristocrat and the #01 neck came with the New Aristocrat and the 'regular' Aristocrats. |
. .
| Footnotes |
1. See http://www.brassinstrumentworkshop.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=47 |
The Buescher Band Instrument Company was a manufacturer of musical instruments in Elkhart, Indiana, from 1894 to 1963. The company was acquired by the H&A Selmer Company in 1963. Selmer retired the Buescher brand in 1983.
- 2Instrument models
History[edit]
The company was founded by Ferdinand August 'Gus' Buescher (born Elk Township, Noble County, Ohio 26 April 1861; died Elkhart, Indiana 29 November 1937). He accompanied his family to Goshen, Indiana and then to Elkhart in 1875. In 1876 he found employment with C.G. Conn's fledgling band instrument factory. By 1888 he was promoted to foreman. After being shown an Adolph Sax model saxophone in possession of E.A. Lefebre in 1888 he produced Conn's first saxophone prototype. In 1890, while still employed with Conn, he began producing band emblems at home and was setting up his own shop. In the fall of 1893 he opened the Buescher Manufacturing Company at 1119 N. Main Street, which made band instruments and other metal products, in partnership with John L. Collins, a clothing merchant, and Harry L. Young, a salesman. In 1894 his company began production of saxophones, becoming Conn's main competitor over the following two decades. In March 1901 he patented a cornet unusual in that the valves were of unequal lengths. True Tone became the trademark name for band instruments made by the Buescher Manufacturing Company.
In 1903 there was a disastrous fire at Buescher's factory. In 1904 the business was reorganized and renamed the Buescher Band Instrument Company, reflecting its sole focus on producing band instruments. In 1916 Buescher sold a major share of his company to six businessmen including Andrew Hubble Beardsley. Buescher remained president until 1919 when Beardsley assumed that title. Buescher was vice-president and general manager of the company until 21 January 1929 when he resigned these positions, remaining on staff as a consultant engineer. In 1926 Buescher Band Instrument Company was joined with the Elkhart Band Instrument Company (some claim that Buescher was bought by Elkhart Band Instrument), a company founded two years previously by Beardsley with Conn's Carl Greenleaf as secretary-treasurer. The 'Elkhart' brand was retained by Buescher for its second-line instruments after the company was dissolved upon Beardsley's death in 1936.
Though Buescher manufactured many kinds of brass instruments, the company was known primarily for its saxophones which competed successfully with instruments made by Conn and Martin. Buescher saxophones became distinctive with snap-in pads, patented by Buescher in 1921, and screw-in gold-plated Norton springs, introduced in late 1931. During the 1920s Buescher also made small numbers of tipped-bell soprano, straight alto, and straight tenor saxophones. Buescher stayed true to Adolphe Sax's concept for saxophone sound into the early 1930s, gaining the favor of classical saxophonist Sigurd Rascher and those influenced by him. Buescher adapted its sound concept to the bigger, bolder sounds favored by dance orchestras and jazz musicians, modifying its Aristocrat model and releasing the 400 'Top Hat & Cane' model in 1940. The Aristocrat and 400 models remained popular with professional players through the early 1950s, until instruments with more modern keywork gained favor and changes to Buescher's product line were coldly received. By the late 1950s, Buescher's production of professional-line saxophones was a small fraction of what it had been at the start of the decade. Buescher's presence in the professional saxophone market ended when it was acquired by the H&A Selmer Company in 1963, although a nominal 'Buescher 400' model continued to be produced through the mid-1970s.
Buescher became the main supplier of student-grade saxophones to the H&A Selmer Company, producing the vast majority of such instruments marketed under Selmer's 'Bundy' brand. The Elkhart line was continued until 1959, followed by Buescher's downgraded Aristocrat line as their offering in the student market. After Buescher was sold to Selmer, Selmer allowed the use of the Buescher trademark for products sold under Buescher's established distribution network. During the 1970s, the market position of the Buescher Aristocrat/Selmer Bundy model declined under competition from Yamaha's more up-to-date and more efficiently produced student instruments.
The Buescher brand was retired by Selmer in 1983. After the Conn-Selmer company was formed in 2003, it briefly tried to revive the Buescher brand to market Asian-made saxophones.
The Buescher company also produced some flutes and clarinets between 1910 and 1920, the Saxonette (also known as the 'clariphon' and the 'claribel'), a clarinet with a curved metal barrel and a curved metal bell pitched in A, B♭, C or E♭. They were produced with the Albert system, and later with the Boehm system. Gretsch and Supertone were merchandiser-branded 'stencils' of the Buescher Saxonette.
Instrument models[edit]
French Horns[edit]
- Single French Horn. Buescher produced a single French horn in F, with a serial # range including 259090
- Double French Horn 400
- also serial number 5000 range
- Buescher Aristocrat excellent flute serial number 145941. Paulo Moreira Brazil 2014.
Clarinets[edit]
- Buescher oval logo HR, wooden and metal clarinets in Albert and *Boehm systems
- Buescher True Tone Clarinets (possibly Penzel Mueller stencils)
- Buescher 400 clarinets (Selmer era)
- Buescher 'Aristocrat' Bb clarinet (Selmer era)
Note: These pictures may or may not be of a clarinet made by the Buescher Band Instrument Company.
This is a vintage 14-Key Albert system clarinet with the brand of 'American Professional' it is believed to be retailed by Buescher between 1910 and 1920.
This is the lower section of the American Professional Clarinet. Notice that there are only 2 lower keys where there are four lower keys in the Boehm system. There are also only 2 upper side keys where there are 3 in the modern Bb Clarinet.
This is the upper section of the American Professional Clarinet (Albert system). Also notice that there are only 3 side keys where there are usually four in the modern Boehm system Bb Clarinet.
This is a close up of the engraved 'American Professional' emblem on the bell. If you look just above where it says 'American Professional' there is a backwards 'C' and the letters 'LP' This means that this clarinet is a 'Low Pitched clarinet in the key of C' In other words, this is a C clarinet built to the A=440 Hz tuning that has since become standard for all western instruments.
Here is another close up of the 'American Professional' emblem located on the upper section of the clarinet, just below the barrel.
The engraved emblem on this clarinet shows that the brand is ' American Professional' the link below states that Buescher was the retailer of 'American Professional' instruments.[2]
Trumpets[edit]
- Buescher Bb Truetone (Professional), There were a wide variety of Truetone models many custom made for the professional musician. Louis Armstrong recorded with a Buescher Truetone 10-22R Trumpet in the late 1920s.
The Aristocrat was a Truetone professional trumpet previous to the Selmer buy out and became a student horn after 1963. It was a step down from the Truetone.After the traditional Truetone trumpets were the Buescher 400 Truetone. These are more modern sounding and good for big band jazz. There were three models. Brass with nickel, Silver plate, and silver plate with sterling silver bell called Super 400.
Trombones[edit]
- Buescher Grand (silverplated with goldplated bell engraving)
- Buescher 400 (Early models had slanted braces on bell section and offset slide tubes with the upper slide tube roughly 2' behind the lower. Later models had straight braces).500 bore
Tubas[edit]
- Buescher silver-plated military band-style upright three-valve Bb flat
- Buescher silver-plated upright three-valve Eb tuba with small shank mouthpiece receiver
- Buescherphones (tradename for sousaphones)
Flutes[edit]
- Buescher 400
- Buescher special 2000
Saxophones[edit]
- Early models (1894–1931): evolving and sometimes concurrently produced designs without distinct model names; True Tonetrademark (not instrument model) name adopted for instruments produced by the Buescher Manufacturing Company at an unknown date prior to 1904; 'True Tone, The Buescher Mfg. Co., Elkhart, Ind.' with bell/tuning fork logo engraved on bell on pre-1904 versions, 'The Buescher, Elkhart Ind.' engraved on bell and 'True Tone' logo stamped on the rear of the body tube on post-1904 versions; all have split bell keys; early versions have double octave keys, metal key buttons and rollers, soldered toneholes, direct G♯ key action; single octave key, black hard rubber rollers introduced ca. 1905; drawn toneholes and mother-of-pearl key buttons introduced ca. 1916; concurrent production of drawn and soldered tonehole types into early 1920s(?); some examples from around 1920 reported to have (experimental?) elliptical cross-section body tubes; F-linked G♯ key action, snap-in pads introduced in early 1920s; front F key introduced in 1924 and standard by 1926; 4-roller LH cluster introduced in 1926; some straight altos and tenors, tipped-bell sopranos produced in 1920s; used by Sigurd Rascher 1930-1932
- New Aristocrat (1931–1934): alto and tenor only; screw-in gold-plated Norton springs introduced; LH cluster enlarged; neck options introduced; split bell keys, black rollers, 'The New Aristocrat' engraving; used by Sigurd Rascher and briefly by Charlie Parker
- Aristocrat (1934–1940): 'The Buescher Aristocrat' engraving with art-deco design; left-sided bell keys replace split bell keys; previous model baritone continued to 1936 with new engraving; 'Buescher' wordmark stamped on enlarged G♯ keytouch; yellow or tan rollers; referred to as 'series I' by saxpics.com; used by Bud Freeman, Earle Warren, Ike Quebec, Elliot Riley
- Elkhart models (1936-1959): trademark name retained by Buescher after the Elkhart Band Instrument Company was dissolved; student models also marketed as various merchandisers' 'stencil' brands and eventually as 'Selmer Bundy'
- Aristocrat models 140 alto, 156 tenor, 129 baritone (1940-1955): 'I-beam' cross-section key guards replace round wire guards (alto and tenor); neck and bore changed; 'The Buescher Aristocrat' engraving; right-hand G♯ trill key and large engraved 'B' logo until 1950; instruments with 'B' logo and trill key referred to as 'series II' and without as 'series III' by saxpics.com; used by Johnny Hodges and Al Sears of the Duke Ellington orchestra
- S80 baritone (1955-63): nickel-plated keywork, right-rear facing bell keys; marketed as Buescher 'Aristocrat' (1955-1959), Buescher '400' (1960-1963), and 'Selmer Bundy'
- Aristocrat models 141 alto, 157 tenor (1955-1959): 'The Buescher Aristocrat' engraving; nickel-plated keywork; right-rear facing bell keys; referred to as 'series IV' by saxpics.com
- Aristocrat models S33 alto, S40 tenor (1960-63): left side bell keys, round wire key guards, simplified LH cluster mechanisms, simplified engraving; simplified 'Buescher' stamp on G♯ keytouch; nickel-plated keywork; student model also marketed as 'Selmer Bundy'; referred to as 'series V' by saxpics.com; Pierret-built 'Olds Parisian' type student saxophones also marketed as 'Buescher Aristocrat' stencils during the 'series V' period
- 400 model altos, tenors (1940-1963): all have extra-large bell, bell keys on right rear of bell tube, high post keywork, nickel-plated rods and hinge tubes, 'Buescher 400' wordmark stamped on G♯ keytouch
- 400 models B7 alto, B11 tenor (1940-1958): silver bell flare ring; keys with body finish (lacquer, silver, or gold); bottom-pivot octave key; two-piece side B♭ key; brown rollers; 'Buescher 400' in silver script soldered to bell; top hat & cane logo engraved on bell
- 400 models S1 alto, S20 tenor (1958(?)-1963): nickel-plated bell flare ring and keys; lacquer finish only; bottom-pivot octave key; two-piece side B♭ key; 'The Buescher 400,' top hat & cane logo engraved on bell through 1959; 'Buescher Super 400' without top hat & cane logo engraved on bell, yellow rollers 1960-1963
- 400 models S5 alto, S25 tenor (1960-1963): no bell flare ring; nickel-plated keys; lacquer finish only; top-pivot octave key; one-piece side B♭ key; yellow rollers; 'Buescher 400' engraved on bell
- Selmer 'Buescher 400' (1963-ca. 1977): alto, tenor, and baritone non-professional models with large bell, no bell flare ring; nickel-plated keys; left side bell keys on altos and tenors, right rear on baritones; top-pivot octave key (some early examples with bottom-pivot); one-piece side B♭ key; white or yellow rollers; 'Buescher 400' engraved on bell; simplified 'Buescher' stamp (no '400') on G♯ keytouch; also marketed as 'Selmer Signet' intermediate model; Yanagisawa Model 6 soprano marketed as 'Buescher 400' stencil for some period between 1968 and 1977; 'Buescher 400' line discontinued ca. 1977
- Selmer 'Buescher Aristocrat' (1963-ca. 1983): student model identical to the Selmer Bundy with exception of brand engraving; some examples with painted oval logo and lettering, ill-advised experiments with pads and other details from the late 1970s; switch to Aristocrat 200/Bundy II model with right side bell keys in 1979; 'Buescher Aristocrat' line discontinued ca. 1983
- Conn-Selmer 'Buescher' stencils (mid-2000s): 'Buescher' brand briefly revived by Conn-Selmer corporation to market Asian-made saxophones; rationale for 'Buescher' branding unknown
True Tone baritone saxophone, with soldered tone hole rings
Engraving on a True Tone C melody saxophone
True Tone stamping
Bassoons[edit]
Model number 3294Model number 69
Baritones[edit]
Aristocrat Engraving, True Tone valves
Sources[edit]
Buescher Serial Numbers
- New Grove Music Dictionary ('Buescher')
- McMakin, Dean 'Musical Instrument Manufacturing in Elkhart, Indiana' (unpublished typescript, 1987, available at Elkhart Public Library)
- The Elkhart Truth, 29 November 1937, obituary of Ferdinand August Buescher
- Elkhart city directories (available Elkhart Public Library)
See also[edit]
References[edit]
Buescher Serial Number List 503565
- ^http://www.odnoklassniki.ru/profile/559343900763/album/556457057883[permanent dead link]
- ^http://horn-u-copia.net/pubtrade.php?sortby=id&selby=brassflag=%22X%22<r