Buffet S1 Soprano

Description

This is a very rare and impressively good-sounding soprano. Buffet’s S1 was the pinnacle of its saxophone manufacturing, and they appear to have made almost exclusively altos and tenors. This is one of only 3 S1 sopranos that I have seen for sale so far. In terms of keywork, this soprano looks very similar to a Super Dynaction soprano. It is possible that Buffet did not change the design much. In any case, the keywork is comfortable and quite modern, with easy to reach palm keys and a good overall feel. It’s not quite as comfortable as a modern Yamaha or Yanagisawa, but it also gives you a sound that is quite different from a modern horn. The lacquer is original and almost all present, and the horn is in excellent structural condition. The only ding that was removed was a tiny one under the D palm key foot, which is very common. The sound is far warmer and more complex than most other sopranos with modern keywork, and the intonation is very good. It is keyed up to high F#. I really like the tone of this horn – it is not nasal at all, but full and round with a medium dark, focused core. It currently has mostly original pads, and it plays well, but it is in line for an overhaul by Matt Stohrer sometime soon. It ships in the original case in very good condition.