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I know some of you also work on woodwinds. I'm currently building another Buffet 'super dynaction' alto sax for my wife. I need a #2 (high 'E') key. Parts for these fabulous fifty-year-old quite rare saxophones are hard to come by. It's been suggested that the keywork on the five or six year-old Chinese Buffet 'evette' alto sax is near identical.

There are two 'super dynactions' pictured. My wife is currently playing the bottom one. The top on is the 'project'.

LJV wrote:I got nothin' for you.

These were good saxophones and were popular with the classical sax crowd a bit 'round these parts.

I wonder if folks with junk boxes more woodwindedly extensive than mine would be able better search if they had a couple of measurements and a couple of clear pics of just the key (entire key, each end, etc.).

Not much of the junk box stuff is labeled here and memories are fading quickly!

Finding an original key (or one that will work) is pretty much a 'shot-in-the-dark'! The good thing is that it's basically a rod about 12" long with a paddle on one end and a key cup on the other. No other mechanism except for a stop arm. A key for a Conn 20m could be modified to do the job.

Yeah... the Buffet 'super dynaction' saxes were (are) good horns. They were built through the 60's to compete with the Selmer mkVI saxes for the professional market.

I found the one my wife is currently playing in a pile of trade-in junk from a middle school six years ago. It's a wonderful horn and she won't give it up long enough to do an overhaul on it. Sooo... I found a 'junker' to rebuild so she'll have two horns!

TubaTinker wrote:

LJV wrote:
I found the one my wife is currently playing in a pile of trade-in junk from a middle school six years ago. It's a wonderful horn and she won't give it up long enough to do an overhaul on it. Sooo... I found a 'junker' to rebuild so she'll have two horns!

It's always nice to hear of someone doing something like this for their spouse. You, sir, are to be commended. As for my wife, well, let's just say that she can't afford to divorce me. She needs a woodwind repairman around the house to keep her arsenal of instruments in working order!

LJV - Yes, you're right. For the sake of clarification, my compliment was intended for Dan Schultz (TubaTinker). I haven't used the quote feature on this board very much, and wasn't expecting it to post that way. Thanks for pointing this out.

bloke wrote:Dan,

I know good-and-well that you have the skills to do this; You even have a factory model to use as a 3D pattern.....

Oh, yeah.... that's the plan if I don't locate an original one shortly. In fact... I can modify a key I have here to work and it will look the same in the eyes of anyone other than a sax expert. Heck... it might even fool the 'Sax Gourmet'!

This particular key is just a straight rod with a dimple in each end (not rod) and a pad on one end and a cup on the other... with a simple stop-arm that strikes the body. It doesn't interact with any other keys. It's sort of like a fifth valve on a BBb tuba and with my wife's style of playing and type of music I could probably just cover the hole if it wasn't for wanting the sax to be as authentic as possible.

For those on The Forum who don't know... the Buffet 'super-dynaction' saxophones were made in Paris in the 60's and competed very much as professional level with the legendary Selmer MKVI. Although not as well known as the Selmer saxes... these Buffets were every bit as good as the Selmers.

I know it won't interchange directly. But... I ordered the Buffet R.O.C. alto sax key from Allied. Can't go wrong at $5.50. I had to order some other stuff, anyway.