Website Home Buescher Home
400 Models
'Top Hat and Cane': s/n 295xxx to 359xxx; 1941 to 1959 S5/S25/B400: s/n 359xxx to 405xxx; 1959 to 1964 Super 400: s/n 350xxx to 500xxx; 1955 to 1967 Selmer Models: 405xxx and later -- all serial number ranges approximate --
Buescher 400 Top Hat and Cane Tenor Sax. Serial Number 297390 SOLD - MAY '09. Sold to a gentleman in New Zealand. He bought it and paid me to refurb/repad it. The popular Classic Vintage Saxophones Serial number list.
There is some controversy as to these model breakdowns, particularly for the Super 400. Please see the SOTW forum and my followup article (1/21/02)
The 400 horn has a long and varied history (see the excellent chart below from Gregg Jackson). There are essentially two horns of significant note:
The first generation of 400's produced by Selmer and the last generation produced before the Selmer buyout are supposed to be extremely good horns, too. Horns produced after this (excepting the Super 400) are essentially intermediate models and eventually the horn was evolved into the Selmer Signet model, the Selmer Bundy and the Selmer USA horns.
The Top Hat and Cane Horns are Buescher's jazzier alternative to the Aristocrat 'Big B' horns that were produced at the same time. Most jazz players rather like the oversized bell (i.e. additional projection) and the excellent intonation of the 400, compared to the more 'classical' sound of the Big B.
IMHO, Buescher essentially killed themselves by producing two horns that competed against each other. Not a good idea.
Techie Notes:
- There may be no 'true' 400 sopranos or basses. According to Gayle, from vintagesax.com, when Buescher discontinued their True Tone line, they did not retool for sopranos or basses. She postulates that these horns were available -- and may even have the Top Hat and Cane engraving -- only as 'special order' models, but they're True Tone horns with minor changes. I can somewhat confirm this because I've found a number of 'late' basses and they look very much like True Tone . There is a possibility that the basses and sopranos made from 1959 on are patterned after the Aristocrat, though.
- The charts below do not mention the 400 baritones. The Top Hat & Cane baris are extremely rare -- I've only seen one, and it may have been a 'custom' model. Selmer versions and 'Post Top Hat' versions are numerous and play similarly to the Bundy/Selmer USA horns.
Website copyright © 1997-2006 by Pete Hales. Pictures/sounds/etc. used herein may have their own copyright and most are used by permission. If you feel any image or soundbyte used here is in violation of copyright or for information regarding use/reproduction of this website's content, please e-mail [email protected] Comments, corrections, suggestions or picture submissions: [email protected] Comments are closed.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |