![]() I've already started stealing parts off these horns to fix others but I guess I could get one of my boys to help put these together. Lots of soldering which is a skill I am not proficient at. Lots of pieces are missing and I could probably only get two full horns out of the whole lot. The reason I don't just put them together and give them to students is that they are literally in a pile: keys, rods, bells, bodies, necks, broken off posts, etc. Stencilman, since you have all your kids playing Martins, perhaps you can find some other deserving student players who might be pleased with your Elkharts! However, I have not seen that confirmed elsewhere. I believe I did see a thread on the old forum where a tech had reported that Buescher produced a bad batch of Elkharts - incurable intonation problems - that pretty much ended the line. However, I find the late pre-Selmer buyout horns not even as much to my liking despite the presence of snaps and Nortons! The Elkharts sell on eBay for a pittance and, I believe, make excellent student and backup horns. I found the 20A I played to have the characteristic feel of a Buescher (relatively light, fast key action) and typical clear bottom end. That said, I will dissent, in part, from Sigmund451's harsh judgment. The are clearly Aristocrat horns with somewhat thinner metal and lacking ribbon guards (but note the similarity to the New Aristocrat/very early Aristocrat), amber rollers, Norton springs, and snaps. The "Built by Bueschers" I've seen have only been altos and tenors, either 20A/30A or the later 21A/31A altos/tenors that look to have been made in the 40s and 50s. Earlier horns were either Buescher or Martin stencils. Buescher acquired the Elhart Band Instrument Company (similar to Conn's purchase of Pan American and Martin's of Indiana) and retained the name (with the "Built by Buescher" tag) for its second line of horns - student or intermediate quality depending on individual experience. ![]()
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March 2023
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