![]() ![]() 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. I'm a somewhat decent high school tenor player. ![]()
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