Notice I didn't put "vs" in the title. There's no competition here. I love both of my tenors. They each help me express myself for different moods and different playing situations. These are my 2 favorite tenors.
I'm writing this little blurb for those who are curious about these and maybe want to buy one.
I personally enjoy playing the Buescher more. There is something quite personal about this era of Aristocrat for me. It's my favorite engraving as well, and looks matter. I've owned a few of these and a Big B 155. I really liked the Big B, but these early ones for me just have something magic about them.
Tone? Really, really rich. More complex than the 10M by far, which has a more clear voice to it. It's no less powerful than the 10M which surprised me. The first time I ever played a deco Aristocrat I put it down after a few minutes. The tone seemed "small" to me. I was coming from my 30M and I had a Chu at the time. It wasn't until much later when I was at a friends house in Portland Oregon where I got to hear what one of these could really do. My friend has a house full of horns. He had this really roasted Aristocrat, on it's 3rd re-lacquer and had remnants of gold spray paint on it. We played that horn along with my Chu, a '48 10M I owned, his Mk6 and an SML. The Aristocrat with it's small looking bell looked like it shouldn't put out the amount of sound the other horns did. Both of us agreed it had the most likable tone and kept right up, in fact I found it louder then the SML or 10M. The Mk6 had a bit more presence but not that much better.
I bought that horn. It cut a lot of tracks with me. I took a lesson in Los Angeles with a cat named Bobby Brown. He looked it over and said "Mmmm. Now this is one terrible looking horn. But you cannot beat this sound!"
The one I'm playing today is recent to me. It's pretty awful looking too. Those snap pads have been long removed and it has plastic resonators, which are my favorite. I was a metal resonator fellow for years but found that I struggled with my horns getting too bright for my liking when I push them. Could be psychological but, I find with plastic my sound doesn't fall apart on me.
The neck on this Aristocrat is from a later model, probably early to mid 40's. It's not as long as a 156 neck. I like it cause it was silver plated at one point and the octave key is gold plated. I find mixed metals to be attractive, especially on a really worn sax.
On a side note, my main horn for years was an ugly 1928 Chu Berry in bare brass. I had the neck nickel plated, sonic experiment. Jury is out whether it worked. At first I swore it gave me more focus and darkened things up but after months I realized I was struggling with the same frustrations and that a change of reed brands made a dramatic difference. Not to mention, help from teachers and a lot of practice! But it sure improved the look of my horn!
On another side note, if you look at both horns notice the big ass Meridian Winds neck screws I have on them. They are advertised as "ergonomic". I agree. I really like the way they look and like the fact I don't need to pinch them when I tighten them. Plus, they are quite nice looking. Sound? Same as the nickel neck thing, at first i swore I heard a dampening of the high frequencies, less "buzz". I like that. The "Buzzkill". After a few months I tried out my old screws and, heard no difference, felt no difference. What was different was I wasn't trying fora different sound this time, though I once agai heard what I wanted to hear.... For $35 though, it's like a ring or a bracelet. I like pretty things!
I'm currently using 2 mouthpieces. An Early Babbit Otto Link Super Tonemaster 7, and a Brilhart Hard rubber opened up by Sakshama to .100. It likes both pieces and I can get pretty much whatever I want out of both. In fact, I'm lucky enough that both my horns like these pieces. Usually, you buy a new horn, you need to mate a piece to it. The kind of stuff that drives one mad! The Link is quite clear and warm, the Brilhart is more spread, dark and lush, a bit more intimate though I can get what I need out of either with some intent.
Funny. I would say my Aristocrat is more spread than the 10M. I expected the opposite. But that's why I like the Aristocrat for smaller more intimate settings. No shortage of power though.
Now my 10M. This one is recent to me as well. Knocked me out of my "king" phase.
The man who taught me how to play was a 10M player. He was a killer in every way. Sharp dresser, handsome, back in the day a middleweight prize fighter. Tough as they make em' and kind too.
The first 10M I ever held was one a bartender friend bought from a patrons father. I looked it over and was immediately hooked by that little naked lady in the pentagon. Who is she? The horn just says "I'm smooth, now fix me a high ball..."
2 weeks later I went to my teachers house and that's what he had sitting on his sofa. I coveted that horn for years. When he passed away his grand daughter gave it to me. I played it for 2 weeks and gave it back only cause I know he wanted to keep it in the family. I was happy cause it felt like spending a couple more weeks with someone I really loved very much.
Now, I've played many 10Ms, even owned a 30M. They can be stiff in my experience. Not like my Aristocrat or a good Selmer, which is a flexible beast. But Mr. Cages 10M? That was just a great one. He knew it and half of the sax players in Portland tried buying it off him.
I told myself if I ever found one that played as good as his, I would buy it.
This one came in from my friend with the house full of horns in Portland. He sent it to me to sell here in New York. After it arrived I played it a few times and knew I'd be stupid to let it go. It's ugly, on it's 2nd re-lacquer. One of the rolls on a tonehole is gone and it needs a re-pad but.....damn. It's just a joy to play.
Sound wise it's not as rich or complex as the Buescher. It is a rounder tone, like a big ball of love. I prefer the Buescher, it inspires me more but, with my band this is the winner. Playing loud, this is where everything starts to shine. It cuts like no other with the Otto Link. And I get such a good sense of the note I'm playing that I find it easy to stay on pitch. Key work is just plain stupid fast. I feel no hindrance on this horn, everything fits right under my fingers.
And contrary to what a lot of folks say, I like the high end on this horn a bit better. The Aristocrat is so complex upstairs that sometimes I just crave that clear sound. The 10M has it. It doesn't get weak upstairs for me at all. Both horns stay big throughout the whole range. The low end on the 10M is what you expect. Big and ballsy, but so is the low end on the Aristocrat.
No resonators on the pads right now. I shudder to think what will happen when I get this one re-padded.
Out of the 2, I like the way the 10M records the best. I don't find the need to EQ it much at all. It just cuts right through the mix. While I like my Aristocrat better overall, this is reason enough to keep the 10M. When you find that piece of equipment that helps you solve a problem then it's worth it. For instance, my Otto Link. I've had many. Some old, some recent, some good clones. There is this region in between middle F and high Bb that I simply hate my tone on. It can get too 'big' there for me, just this boring, flabby ambiguous tone. I struggled with reeds, practiced for years and got better but that area still bugged me. Then I tried this piece out. Instant change for the better. Haven't had that problem since. I paid way too much for it but like that Master Card commercial says: "Priceless".
So there you have 2 horns from Elkhart Indiana made during the Great Depression. We really knew how to build things then. Both these horns turned 80 this year and they will both keep going with proper care for another 80!
Hope someone finds this useful! JB
I'm writing this little blurb for those who are curious about these and maybe want to buy one.
I personally enjoy playing the Buescher more. There is something quite personal about this era of Aristocrat for me. It's my favorite engraving as well, and looks matter. I've owned a few of these and a Big B 155. I really liked the Big B, but these early ones for me just have something magic about them.
Tone? Really, really rich. More complex than the 10M by far, which has a more clear voice to it. It's no less powerful than the 10M which surprised me. The first time I ever played a deco Aristocrat I put it down after a few minutes. The tone seemed "small" to me. I was coming from my 30M and I had a Chu at the time. It wasn't until much later when I was at a friends house in Portland Oregon where I got to hear what one of these could really do. My friend has a house full of horns. He had this really roasted Aristocrat, on it's 3rd re-lacquer and had remnants of gold spray paint on it. We played that horn along with my Chu, a '48 10M I owned, his Mk6 and an SML. The Aristocrat with it's small looking bell looked like it shouldn't put out the amount of sound the other horns did. Both of us agreed it had the most likable tone and kept right up, in fact I found it louder then the SML or 10M. The Mk6 had a bit more presence but not that much better.
I bought that horn. It cut a lot of tracks with me. I took a lesson in Los Angeles with a cat named Bobby Brown. He looked it over and said "Mmmm. Now this is one terrible looking horn. But you cannot beat this sound!"
The one I'm playing today is recent to me. It's pretty awful looking too. Those snap pads have been long removed and it has plastic resonators, which are my favorite. I was a metal resonator fellow for years but found that I struggled with my horns getting too bright for my liking when I push them. Could be psychological but, I find with plastic my sound doesn't fall apart on me.
The neck on this Aristocrat is from a later model, probably early to mid 40's. It's not as long as a 156 neck. I like it cause it was silver plated at one point and the octave key is gold plated. I find mixed metals to be attractive, especially on a really worn sax.
On a side note, my main horn for years was an ugly 1928 Chu Berry in bare brass. I had the neck nickel plated, sonic experiment. Jury is out whether it worked. At first I swore it gave me more focus and darkened things up but after months I realized I was struggling with the same frustrations and that a change of reed brands made a dramatic difference. Not to mention, help from teachers and a lot of practice! But it sure improved the look of my horn!
On another side note, if you look at both horns notice the big ass Meridian Winds neck screws I have on them. They are advertised as "ergonomic". I agree. I really like the way they look and like the fact I don't need to pinch them when I tighten them. Plus, they are quite nice looking. Sound? Same as the nickel neck thing, at first i swore I heard a dampening of the high frequencies, less "buzz". I like that. The "Buzzkill". After a few months I tried out my old screws and, heard no difference, felt no difference. What was different was I wasn't trying fora different sound this time, though I once agai heard what I wanted to hear.... For $35 though, it's like a ring or a bracelet. I like pretty things!
I'm currently using 2 mouthpieces. An Early Babbit Otto Link Super Tonemaster 7, and a Brilhart Hard rubber opened up by Sakshama to .100. It likes both pieces and I can get pretty much whatever I want out of both. In fact, I'm lucky enough that both my horns like these pieces. Usually, you buy a new horn, you need to mate a piece to it. The kind of stuff that drives one mad! The Link is quite clear and warm, the Brilhart is more spread, dark and lush, a bit more intimate though I can get what I need out of either with some intent.
Funny. I would say my Aristocrat is more spread than the 10M. I expected the opposite. But that's why I like the Aristocrat for smaller more intimate settings. No shortage of power though.
Now my 10M. This one is recent to me as well. Knocked me out of my "king" phase.
The man who taught me how to play was a 10M player. He was a killer in every way. Sharp dresser, handsome, back in the day a middleweight prize fighter. Tough as they make em' and kind too.
The first 10M I ever held was one a bartender friend bought from a patrons father. I looked it over and was immediately hooked by that little naked lady in the pentagon. Who is she? The horn just says "I'm smooth, now fix me a high ball..."
2 weeks later I went to my teachers house and that's what he had sitting on his sofa. I coveted that horn for years. When he passed away his grand daughter gave it to me. I played it for 2 weeks and gave it back only cause I know he wanted to keep it in the family. I was happy cause it felt like spending a couple more weeks with someone I really loved very much.
Now, I've played many 10Ms, even owned a 30M. They can be stiff in my experience. Not like my Aristocrat or a good Selmer, which is a flexible beast. But Mr. Cages 10M? That was just a great one. He knew it and half of the sax players in Portland tried buying it off him.
I told myself if I ever found one that played as good as his, I would buy it.
This one came in from my friend with the house full of horns in Portland. He sent it to me to sell here in New York. After it arrived I played it a few times and knew I'd be stupid to let it go. It's ugly, on it's 2nd re-lacquer. One of the rolls on a tonehole is gone and it needs a re-pad but.....damn. It's just a joy to play.
Sound wise it's not as rich or complex as the Buescher. It is a rounder tone, like a big ball of love. I prefer the Buescher, it inspires me more but, with my band this is the winner. Playing loud, this is where everything starts to shine. It cuts like no other with the Otto Link. And I get such a good sense of the note I'm playing that I find it easy to stay on pitch. Key work is just plain stupid fast. I feel no hindrance on this horn, everything fits right under my fingers.
And contrary to what a lot of folks say, I like the high end on this horn a bit better. The Aristocrat is so complex upstairs that sometimes I just crave that clear sound. The 10M has it. It doesn't get weak upstairs for me at all. Both horns stay big throughout the whole range. The low end on the 10M is what you expect. Big and ballsy, but so is the low end on the Aristocrat.
No resonators on the pads right now. I shudder to think what will happen when I get this one re-padded.
Out of the 2, I like the way the 10M records the best. I don't find the need to EQ it much at all. It just cuts right through the mix. While I like my Aristocrat better overall, this is reason enough to keep the 10M. When you find that piece of equipment that helps you solve a problem then it's worth it. For instance, my Otto Link. I've had many. Some old, some recent, some good clones. There is this region in between middle F and high Bb that I simply hate my tone on. It can get too 'big' there for me, just this boring, flabby ambiguous tone. I struggled with reeds, practiced for years and got better but that area still bugged me. Then I tried this piece out. Instant change for the better. Haven't had that problem since. I paid way too much for it but like that Master Card commercial says: "Priceless".
So there you have 2 horns from Elkhart Indiana made during the Great Depression. We really knew how to build things then. Both these horns turned 80 this year and they will both keep going with proper care for another 80!
Hope someone finds this useful! JB
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