{"id":51061,"date":"2021-10-06T09:59:19","date_gmt":"2021-10-06T16:59:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bassic-sax.info\/blog\/?p=51061"},"modified":"2024-06-27T09:40:11","modified_gmt":"2024-06-27T16:40:11","slug":"buescher-true-tone-c-melody-saxes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bassic-sax.info\/blog\/2021\/buescher-true-tone-c-melody-saxes\/","title":{"rendered":"Buescher True Tone C melody saxes"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Buescher True Tone C melody Saxophone: A Detailed Overview<\/h1>\n

By: Raymond F. Kretz III <\/h5>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Intro<\/a><\/td>\nSerial #  Ranges<\/a><\/td>\nBuescher C Mels<\/a><\/td>\nBody Tube Types<\/a><\/td>\nSeries Classifications<\/a><\/td>\nSeries II<\/a><\/td>\nSeries III<\/a><\/td>\nSeries IV<\/a><\/td>\nDesign & Key Work<\/a><\/td>\nEngraving<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Series II & III<\/a><\/td>\nSeries IV<\/a><\/td>\nFull Size Engraving Pics<\/a><\/td>\nGold Plated Series II<\/a><\/td>\nSilver Plated Series II<\/a><\/td>\nSilver Plated Series III<\/a><\/td>\nSilver Plated Series IV<\/a><\/td>\nImage Series II vs. III vs. IV<\/a><\/td>\nKeywork<\/a><\/td>\nChromatic F#<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Upper Stack<\/a><\/td>\nLower Stack<\/a><\/td>\nF#, bis & G# adjustment<\/a><\/td>\nLeft Palm Keys<\/a><\/td>\nOctave Lever<\/a><\/td>\nOctave Mechanism<\/a><\/td>\nLower Rear View<\/a><\/td>\nLower Left Side <\/a><\/td>\nLeft Pinkie Cluster<\/a><\/td>\nRight Pinkie Keys<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Low Bb Key Guard<\/a><\/td>\nRight Thumb Rest<\/a><\/td>\nSpring Hooks<\/a><\/td>\nBar\/Bridge Key Ends<\/a><\/td>\nLow B Key Guard<\/a><\/td>\nLow Bb Tone Hole <\/a><\/td>\nSide C Arm<\/a><\/td>\nRight Palm Keys<\/a><\/td>\nSide E Key<\/a><\/td>\nSide C\/E Post Location<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Low C# Key Stop<\/a><\/td>\nLow Bb Key Linkage<\/a><\/td>\nCase Emblem<\/a><\/td>\nSummary Chart<\/a><\/td>\nConclusion<\/a><\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/a>Buescher True Tone C mels: an Intro<\/h2>\n

This article provides an in-depth look at the Buescher True Tone C melody saxophone. It will examine design changes that occurred throughout most of its years in production, and included will be many side by side images comparing those designs.<\/p>\n

This article you will allow you to identify many changes made to the key work, body, and other various parts of these fantastic vintage saxophones. To start things off, we’ll take a look at the timeline of serial numbers for these horns.<\/p>\n

N.B. This article will be focusing on the date ranges from around 1920 to about 1930. Buescher C mels do exist that were produced both earlier and later than this range, but the bulk of them fit into these serial ranges. <\/p>\n

\"Buescher,<\/a>
From left to right: 1923 gold plated, #145xxx; 1924 silver plated, #R157xxx; 1925 silver plated, #190xxx; 1927 silver plated, #232xxx. Photo by: Raymond F. Kretz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/a>

Buescher True Tone C Melody Serial # Ranges<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Year<\/th><\/td>Starting<\/th>Ending<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
1920
\n<\/td>		serial numbers:<\/td>61255<\/td>78524<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1921<\/td>serial numbers:<\/td>78525<\/td>99274<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1922<\/td>serial numbers:<\/td>99275<\/td>125749<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1923<\/td>serial numbers:<\/td>125750<\/td>150249<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1924<\/td>serial numbers:<\/td>150250<\/td>175274<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1925<\/td>serial numbers:<\/td>175275<\/td>202349<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1926<\/td>serial numbers:<\/td>202350<\/td>222174<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1927<\/td>serial numbers:<\/td>222175<\/td>235249<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1928<\/td>serial numbers:<\/td>235250<\/td>245274<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1929<\/td>serial numbers:<\/td>245275<\/td>255249<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1930<\/td>serial numbers:<\/td>255250<\/td>260124<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>The Buescher C melody saxophone<\/h2>\n

Buescher True Tone saxophones are generally divided up into categories known as series. While these series designations were never used by Buescher themselves, they have been adopted by collectors and technicians over the years as an attempt to better categorize the various design types that these horns had throughout their production.<\/p>\n

Please take these series categories lightly. <\/strong><\/em>The C melody has a fairly high rate of variance and inconsistency in design, compared to its alto and tenor counterparts.<\/p>\n

This article will explore the series designations, evolutions, and variations found in horns from the 1920s. <\/a><\/p>\n

Body tubes<\/h3>\n

Before delving into the series designations for the C mels, the two different types of body tubes need to be mentioned. For the sake of simplicity, I have broken them down into: Type A and Type B.<\/p>\n

Type A body tubes<\/h4>\n

These make up the majority of C melody True Tones, and are most easily identified by having the tone hole for the chromatic F# placed just above the thumb rest on the rear of the horn<\/a>. The chromatic F# keys for this style body tube have a shape that wraps around the horn from the right side around to the back. <\/p>\n

Type B body tubes<\/h4>\n

These are found almost exclusively on the latter C melody True Tones, and are most easily identified by having the chromatic F# on the right side<\/a>. The key has a shape much like a spoon. This is the style of chromatic F# commonly found on the alto<\/a> and tenor throughout the True Tone<\/a> <\/a>era.<\/p>\n

Series classifications for the Buescher C melody<\/a><\/h3>\n

Series II (~30xxx  –  ~190xxx) 1916 – 1925<\/h4>\n

The overwhelming majority of the Buescher C-melodies fit into this series. The series II horns generally have the following characteristics: <\/p>\n