Buescher True Tone Alto Sax 1925 - Silver and 24K Gold Plate

This is a Buescher True Tone alto saxophone; serial number 199910; 1925. This saxophone has a complete customized plating restoration. It is bright silver plated with 24K gold plating on the keys and selected body areas. There is 185 square inches of heavy gold plating (custom masking). The original engraving was recut by master engraver, Sherry Huntley. Sherry added engraving (using the original 1925 pattern) to significant areas of the instrument. A list of restoration details is provided below. This is a one of a kind artist restoration....no details were left out. Please see the insurance appraisal listing current value of the custom alterations below.

I have been doing custom plating restorations on vintage saxes since 1980. This instrument has more custom modifications than any sax I have ever worked on. It is a collectible piece....and one of the best playing alto saxes you will find.

Neck: Custom modified #3 neck. Upper octave vent was replaced with my custom designed vent. Neck was retapered to the Buescher New Aristocrat #3 neck taper (same one used by famous concert saxophonist Sigurd Rascher.

Custom additions: Custom masked keys (silver and gold plating), gold plated bell interior; custom engraving, new pearls, custom pearl inlays added to the pinkie stack, low e-flat/low c keys, gold plated custom fit Tino Schucht thumb rest, custom key rollers. There are custom keywork additions: bis-g# linkage bar with custom stainless steel adjusting screws/replaceable rubber inserts, forked -e-flat adjusting arm w/teflon adjusting screw, adjustable c-bar mechansim (allows independent tuning of the upper "c#" pitch; part of the Buescher Intonation Package...details below); articulated g# mechanism on pinkie stack; stainless steel music wire springs; beryllium copper flat springs; .

Intonation: Buescher Intonation Package: custom upper octave vent (to improve short tube intonation and reduce hiss); adjustable c-bar (for upper "c#" pitch regulation), tone hole liners (to trim up pitch; acoustic algorithm calculated). A custom fitted neck liner (buna rubber) is installed (using acoustic resonance tuning priniciples). A complete intonation analysis sheet is available upon request.

Pads: Aronson Saxophones SaxPro pads: the world's only laser cut sax pad, special black hairsheep leather (fully waterproof, pneumatic, heat-creasing, synthetic firm felt. Pad thicknesses are carefully designed to meet the needs of the two original thicknesses used in Buescher pads (0.165" and 0.175"). Pads are installed with the finest 100% black shellac. Tone holes were leveled, cups straightened using SaxPro precisions dies and aligned to the cups using our own bending system utilizing a precision dial indicator. Instrument has silver plated original snaps for resonators.

Significance of the Custom Engraving and Plating Work

Sherry Huntley (owner of Artistic Engraving) is one of the most talented and influential professional engravers working in the later part of the 20th century who retired in the 21st century. She did remarkable recutting of vintage instrument engraving on brass wind instruments (brass wind and saxophones). In addtion, she created custom engraving additons (in original vintage styles). I am writing this information to inform potential buyers and collectors of vintage saxes that the engraving on this sax is unlikely to be duplicated by any modern engraver or saxophone shop.

Sherry logged more vintage engraving patterns than any other professional engraver during this period. I was fortunate to work with her on my saxophone restorations during the past 40 years. Her engraving work on saxes and other brass instruments has made them highly collectible. The value of instruments with her engraving has increased their value substantially. I would estimate the value of this Buescher True Tone has been increased by $2500! The problem with this evaluation is that it's difficult to estimate...why? Because there are not any living engravers who could likely design and cut the custom patterns on this sax. Some engravers today have the skills to cut some of the patterns but may not be able to create or layout the patterns for cutting. Secondly, they may lack the correct gravers to correctly finish the work. Sherry had made many of her own custom gravers to reproduce exactly the original vintage engraving styles.

The custom engraving is not the only artist related costs in the custom engraving on this sax. The custom masking required to do the 24K gold inlays (the area inside the engraved areas) took over 12 hours of my labor. Each inlayed area is masked off carefully to the edge of the engraving and then masking lacquer is sprayed on the outside of the masked areas. The sax can then be plated in 24K gold (masking is done after silver plating of the whole sax) to allow gold plating of the unmasked areas. This technique produces the stunning results on this sax. As a result, my insurance appraisal of this sax is higher than $10,000 at current prices. These custom additions are not available from any other shop in the world (keywork, custom plating, mother-of-pearl inlays, intonation work, warranty services).

Insurance Evaluation based on Current 2026 Prices 

Base price of TT alto sax SN                       $1500

Silver Plating Restoration                            $3500

Gold Plating Charges                                  $2600    (bell $500 keys/bell-bow rings/guards/thumb rest/

                                                                                                                 upper oct key;   $2100 (140 sq in)

Custom Engraving Charges                       $1500

Custom masking charges                        $500          (for gold inlays)

Intonation Charges                                      $500

Pearl Inlay charges                                      $600

Adjustable forked e-flat charges              $300

Adjustable f# linkage (bis, g#)                  $250

Custom Thumb Rest                                  $200                                      (Tino Schucht); gold plated

Mouthpieces                                               $600

New Protec Case                                        $259

                                                                Total:    $12309

This saxophone is sold with a two year playing condition warranty.

Additional items included: New Pro Tec 304 CTXL alto sax case; Selmer/Johnston alto sax mouthpiece (refaced by Dr. James Bunte; tip opening 0.076") a $500 value; Selmer 24K gold plated mouthpiece cap and ligature.

Biographical Information about Artist/Technician Mark Aronson

Mark Aronson has been called the “Dean of Living Saxophone Technicians” .  This is primarily due to a career that has spanned some 40 years of pioneering work in the field.  Aronson is well known for his ground breaking “light restoration” some 40 years ago. The discussion below distinguishes our shop from others doing restoration work.The following is an argument why you should get an overhaul or restoration with Aronson Saxophones.Please check online discussions on Sax on the Web for more details and comments. 

Overhaul Philosophy and Technique

 A technique he developed early in his career changed tech school paradigm that every instrument should be buffed and metal cut down thoroughly to provide cosmetic perfection.  Aronson correctly realized that after observing countless “restorations”……the saxes he examined had been permanently damaged by removal of large amounts of metal from the bodies.  The thinned metal destroyed the normal acoustic characteristics of the metal…..resulting in poor resonance and tone quality.  In short, these saxophones had been destroyed by bad buffing techniques.The correct technique is to lightly buff the instrument body (essentially doing only “color” buffing), leaving pitting and large scratches.  The correct technique is to preserve the metal for the longevity and integrity of the instrument.  As a result of his work, a generation of new technicians “unlearned” a paradigm that had existed for years.

Pioneer of Acoustic Resonance Tuning of Saxophones

Unlike most instrument technicians, Aronson had collegiate scientific training in chemistry and physics which he applied to his work.He studied the ground breaking acoustical work of musical acoustician, Arthur Benade.  Benade was the first acoustician to study the bore dimensions of wind instruments with the goal of improving their intonation.  He proved that alterations of bore diameter (either enlarging the bore or narrowing the bore in specific locations) could be theoretically predicted using mathematical functions.  This quickly led to a systematic procedure to allow precise tuning of pitches across registers….perhaps, one of the most fundamental practical applications ever suggested in modern acoustical research.Aronson was the first sax technician to apply Benade’s work to the saxophone.  The first saxophones Aronson tried the procedure on were Buescher saxes……great saxes made in the tradition of Adolphe Sax original instruments.Aronson introduced an “intonation analysis” worksheet  that is still used today to evaluate intonation deficiencies across the full register of the instrument.  Aronson was the first tech to “retaper” saxophone necks using Benade’s acoustic principles with great success.  This led to making of improved saxophone necks…this work continues today.Aronson’s famous “Buescher Intonation Package” has been applied successfully to almost all saxophones…..even most new saxes.  Almost every saxophone ever made can benefit from this kind of intonation analysis and adjustment. 

Classic Restorations/Artist Engraving

Vintage saxophone restorations (largely silver and 24K gold plated; often with custom additions…engraving, custom key work, intonation modifications, custom made necks, etc) have been the basis of Aronson’s work.  Every detail is considered in the restoration, from proper preparation of the metal/finish (often glass bead blasted to reproduce the original look of vintage “sand blasted” saxes; selecting the correct grade of glass beads and blasting technique), correct buffing techniques, degreasing and electrocleaning.  Recutting of the engraving (by a master engraver like Sherry Huntley; with gravers handmade for original pattern cutting) and preserving the original style engraving.  Aronson also pioneered the use of masking films to allow precise blasting of the engraving pattern.  Many shops today do not mask the sax properly when blasting is done.

Aronson has had the pleasure of working for many years with the great Elkhart Indiana engraver Sherry Huntley.  She mastered the vintage sax engraving patterns for all American made and foreign saxohones and created her own custom-made gravers (like the original master engravers).  She was the last in generations of engravers who cut the patterns for Buescher, Conn, Martin, Holton and King saxophones during the golden age of American saxophone production.  Sherry trained her sister in these techniques and Aronson works with her today to provide proper recutting and custom engraving work for clients. Many shops today provide substandard engraving without availability of such an aritistic and experienced engraver.

Custom Key work/Artisan Necks/Custom Made Pads
Aronson has been designing custom key work to improve the key action of vintage saxes for 40 years.  His creating of new keys and linkages allowing full articulation of the pinkie stacks and front “f” keys is well known.  In addition, he has created new key alignment tools that allow precision key bending (and cup straightening) down to +/- 0.001”.Every key is aligned using this special system when you get an overhaul/restoration.  Key cups are leveled and keys are perfectly aligned parallel to the holes using this system. 

Aronson was the first technician in the world to use a laser cut sax pads.  He has a patent on a new sax pad that is the most precision for thickness ever made (no-fold design; waterproof hairsheep leather; fully pneumatic leather, heat-creasing leather; firm synthetic felt; double layer of leather).  Every pad set is made custom for every sax…correct thicknesses and precision sizing is done.

Aronson has designed  and manufactured necks for over 30 years using his knowledge of vintage saxes. Aronson has a degree in Musical Performance from the Univ. of Iowa and performed professionally for many years.He studied privately with Sigurd Rascher…the famous classical saxophonist.   His extensive knowledge of musical acoustics and playing abilities were used in designing necks or modifying original necks to correct acoustic issues and intonation problems.  In addition, has designed is own CNC made replacement octave vents to improve response and intonation.

Electroplating Expert

Aronson is a recognized expert in electroplating.  Our shop is one of a few in the world that has silver and gold plating tanks.  We can do tank as well as touch-up (wand) plating in house.  We are one of the only shops that has a 24K gold tank for plating sax bodies/bells.  Anderson Silver Plating has recommended Aronson Saxophones to potential clients due to our expertise in plating restoration.  Kind comments by clients on Sax on the Web have been frequent.  The saxophone featured in our brochure was plated completed in our shop.  We also use Anderson Plating for some jobs. Most plating restorations take 60-90 days depending on the sax model and custom additions.

Publications                                            

Aronson, M. (1998). Electroplating Waste Streams. Industrial Waste Stream Generation, 6, 233.

Aronson, M. (1989). The Bass: Its Voice, Renovation and High Register. The Saxophone Symposium

14, no. 3: 23-26.