I wish I still had that Super 400 even though it looked like a student horn with its nickel plated keys, it definitely sounded professional.Īs for buying a used Buescher 400 today I would try to find one with a serial number under 450k. That said, I would still give the Buescher the nod for tone quality. Trying to play low Bb to low C# is a definite challenge on the Buescher. My biggest complaint with the Buescher lay-out is the left pinky cluster as Boarass said. The Mark VI does have a better key lay-out and a better action IMHO, but its not so superior as to shame the Buescher. I distinctly recall thinking the Buescher sounded better but I traded it in on the Mark VI anyway because at that time sax players were simply expected to use the Mark VI. I don't really know if it was pre or post Selmer but I remember comparing it to a new Mark VI in 1972 when I was sax shopping.
I used to own a Buescher Super 400 that I bought used in 1968. Maybe they're not all like this, but my Buescher 400 was definitely built extremely well. Aside from that little trifle, unless you somehow get a complete dud, one of these horns should please you greatly even if it isn't in tip-top shape. The important thing, though, is that while the low three notes can get aggravating, the G# is perfectly fine. I can't really explain it, but the thing is really weird and my left pinky begins to hurt if I ever use it extensively (which, fortunately, I don't ever really have to unless I'm just messing around). If there's any problem with the horn, it's the left hand pinky spatula. I can't do any altissimo so I can't speak for the intonation in that range, but I will say that the fingerable notes are wonderful. Every note is either dead-on in tune or extremely close to it, and that's without any special effort on my part and the horn in somewhat bad disrepair (it's been half a year and I still haven't taken it to a tech). This is especially handy since I am practically tone-deaf. I will say with certainty, however, that after playing on it for a while, I've gotten great intonation on this horn. I am not a very discriminating player, so maybe the tone quality is crap and I just don't know it. Despite the fact that many of the pads are hard as rock and I had to duct tape some metal doo-hickey to the neck after the soldering broke off, the horn sounds pretty good and the intonation is superb. I bought this sax-a post-Selmer Buescher 400-for $500 and have been very happy with it. The school tenor sax I used to play on sucked majorly, as did the mouthpiece, so I jumped at the chance when one of my friends told me his dad was selling a tenor sax. This tenor ships in its original hard case as pictured.I'm a somewhat decent high school tenor player. It as a flexible core which allows you to take the horn in many directions, depending on your style, while retaining a warm foundation. This horn has a very sweet, lush bottom end, with a faster response and offering the player good control. We'll give the sax a quick check-over in our shop to make sure pads are sealing properly, but it is playing great as it sits. The sax also has all of its original gold plated Norton springs and amber rollers. This tenor features new white leather pads, fitted with the original metal Buescher snap-in resonators. The original neck with underslung octave key is solid and doesn't appear to have been pulled down. A couple of those lower body keyguards have been resoldered, and the bell flare was slightly bent on one side, but all of that has been corrected.
The bottom bow is dimply from minor dings and past dent work, so it doesn't feel great when you run your hands across it, but it's nothing that would affect play. The body tube and bell are in great shape. The original lacquer is solid with only typical wear from normal use. It plays with a sweet sound and is a great player for the saxophonist looking for the traditional warm jazz sound. This tenor has recently been repadded, using all original hardware.
Sweet original lacquer Buescher 400 “Top Hat & Cane” engraved tenor sax, serial number 343929.
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