2 VINTAGE BUESCHER ARISTOCRAT SERIES III 140 ALTO SAXOPHONES - BOTH RESTORABLE

Description

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his listing is for two (2) vintage Buescher Aristocrat alto saxophones. The buyer will receive both horns for the stated buy it now price. Both instruments are restorable...in other words, you don't need to use parts from one to fix the other. This would be a great buy for a repair tech, particularly one working overseas where these horns sell for a lot more than in the US. You can get not one, but two viable restoration candidates for a great price, and save big on shipping costs to boot!
These horns are being sold as is. They are both in need of an overhaul. That being said, I did try them both briefly, and I could play down to low Bb on both instruments. You can take that as a sign that there is nothing majorly wrong with them. The pads, however, are old and worn, and there are other issues that need addressing as detailed below.
#1 (pics #2-7) - This horn's serial number is 338,xxx, Indicating a c.1951 production date. The body is straight. The neck is pulled down slightly, and has a number of minor pings/nicks. There are no major dents on the body, but there are some minor dings and pings, mostly on the bow. The bow guard curvature is perfect though. One key guard foot (of the low Eb guard) is pushed in slightly, and another foot needs to be re-soldered. The only previously re-soldered joint I see is the lyre mount. It is solid, but could be cleaned up a little. The keys are all moving freely, and rebounding properly when released, and the rollers are turning. The 'pin' is broken of the octave key, and is missing. Most of the original snap on resonators are present, however I counted three that are missing. Other than that, everything is present. It looks like all of the original gold plated Norton screw in springs are there and in good condition. This horn looks to be re-lacquered. The engraving is still visible, and of even depth throughout the pattern, so I don't think it was buffed too hard. The lacquer is mostly intact, with typical wear and scratching. The pads are quite old, so a full re-pad is advised. This horn comes in an old (but not original) case that is in poor condition. There is no mouthpiece, nor any other accessories included with this horn, except for a swab/end plug.
#2 (pics #7-12) - This horn's serial number is 333,xxx, Indicating a c.1950 production date. The body is straight. The neck is not pulled down or otherwise damaged. There is a dent on the bottom of the bow, and a few tiny pings on the bow and bell. One key guard foot has been re-soldered. The keys are all moving freely, and rebounding properly when released, and the rollers are turning. The 'pin' is broken of the octave key, and is missing (yes, on this one too). Other than that, everything is present. All of the original snap on resonators are present. It looks like all of the original gold plated Norton screw in springs are present and in good condition. This horn has its original lacquer, although it is well worn, as seen in the pictures. The pads are quite old, so a full re-pad is advised. This horn comes in an old (but not original) Conn plastic shell case that is in good condition, although it is a little musty inside. There is no mouthpiece, nor any other accessories included with this horn.
With proper overhauls, these should be great players. The series III Aristocrat is said to be almost exactly the same as the famous "big B' Buescher. The only differences are that the series III does not have a G# trill key, and the engraving isn't as fancy.
Please feel free to email me with any questions.
Thanks again for looking!
Note to international buyers:
Due to the current global pandemic, international shipments via USPS mail are experiencing significant delays. This is due to lack of available transportation (ie. mail is normally carried overseas as cargo on commercial passenger flights, however the flight schedules have been slashed). European buyers have experienced wait times of up to 2 months for shipments to arrive. If this potential wait presents a problem for you, please refrain from purchasing at this time. I sincerely apologize for this, unfortunately unavoidable, inconvenience.