Buescher
Scandinavia
Buescher Saxophones
The Buescher Company produces saxophones 1894 but in practice the earliest saxophone we use today were produced after 1916, noticably in the 1920s and later. In the begining the saxophones did not have a model name as such, but as they were all stamped with the companys "True Tone"-logo, that name is applied to all the early models, allthough they also fall into different catagories. Later models were "The New Aristocrat", "Aristocrat" (including "Big B") and "Buescher 400". In 1963 Selmer bought the Buescher Company and the production was afterwards mainly focussed on school instruments of lesser quality.
The web page www.saxpics.com has a really nice and detailed account of the different periods and models (as well as a LOT of great pictures). We encourage you to visit the site for more thorough information.
True Tone – 1890-1932
As mentioned above the True-Tone is really not a model name as such, it was just the only name that was on the instrument apart form the Buescher brand. The name comes from the triangel-logo on the back of the instrument. The name is applied to the saxophones before 1932, but the instruments are vastly different. It is quite common to finde True-Tone saxophones from the 1920s and they are good solid instruments although they lack several technical improvements of later models and the intonation can be somewhat challeging compare to Aristocrats (allthough this can of course be mastered).
Aristocrat 1932-1963
The Aristocrats fall into at least four or five different series, noteably the "The New Aristocrat" (confusingly produced before the 'Aristocrat'), "The Aristocrat", "Big B", and "Script engraving" (the last two were given their nicknames because of their engravings).
The New Aristocrat is sort of a transitional model between the True-Tone and the Aristocrat. The differencies between the later models are less noticeable.
The Aristocrats are generally considered the great classical saxophones – Buescher at the hight of the production. There seems also to be agreement that TNA, Aristocrat (Art Deco) and Big B are the most desirable.
Buescher 400 – 1941-1963
Along the Aristocrat Buescher introduced the "Buescher 400" with a radical new design, placing the bell tone holes on the back of the instrument. Famous models were the THC - Top Hat and Cane (again the name was taken from the engraving).
The 400 was especially popular with jazz saxophonists like Johnny Hodges and others. It is not as sought after for classical playing as the Aristocrat.
The 400 gradually became the basis for the Selmer Bundy saxophone, all but a distant shadow of former grateness…