Vintage Buescher 400 Low Bb Baritone, Serial #480864 - As Is Parts Horn

Here we have a Buescher 400 baritone saxophone in gold lacquer and nickel keys, serial #480864. This instrument is missing a neck and needs a lot of work before it will be 'restored', it would be better used as a parts horn in all honesty.

 

The Buescher 400 is a solid baritone model that is considered to have been for schools, but its tone is favored by many. This one has been relacquered and most of its original engraving on the bell has faded in the process. The key touches are all real mother-of-pearl, and the rollers for the pinky keys are all amber. There is key work from low Bb chromatically up to palm-F, front-F mechanism included, and the bell keys are positioned on the interior of the bell close to the body tube. The key action is driven by stainless-steel needle-springs and phosphor-bronze flat-springs.

 

Each key is plated in nickel and feels as though they were never re-plated during the re-lacquering process, which is good news! The key cups and arms all feel sharp and crisp in their original shape. There have been quite a few resolders across the entire horn, the bell-to-body brace, marching lyre, various posts and key-guard feet as well. The bow has been bashed in flat from a pretty serious drop, there are dents in the J-tube as well. Fortunately, this horn has no missing keys, has all its pivot screws, and some of the springs need to have tension added to their motion.

 

Fixing this horn will be a large task, mainly because it needs so much body work, it would be put to much better use as a donor for parts. We will ship this horn in a wooden box-style case for a low Bb baritone saxophone and no neck.