Model Evolution Timeline
Elkhart Saxophone Serial Numbers
by Steve Goodson DATES AND SERIAL NUMBERS ARE APPROXIMATE
| Year | Serial Number | Comments |
| 1905 | 5,000 | All records prior to 1905 lost to factory fire in 1903…..first automatic (single) octave key….Pearl button G#…..black rollers |
| 1914 | 22,860 | “Union Label” engraving introduced |
| 1916 | 28,875 | Gus Buescher sells company to investors |
| 1919 | 46,975 | Gus Buescher resigns as company president |
| 1921 | 78,525 | Snap On Pad patented |
| 1923 | 125,750 | Soprano G# hinge changed…..sopranino loses dedicated G# key touch |
| 1925 | 175,235 | Front F key becomes standard….G# key touch becomes rectangle |
| 1926 | 203,350 | Buescher merges with the Elkhart Band Instrument Company…..LH pinky cluster changes to four roller format |
| 1928 | 235,350 | Straight alto and tipped bell (Bb and C) sopranos introduced…..! |
| 1932 | 264,025 | New Aristocrat model….split bell keys |
| 1935 | 269,000 | Aristocrat model…..LH bell keys……G# key engraved “Buescher”……yellow rollers…..Norton springs |
| 1936 | 272,896 | Brown rollers appear…..five roller format for LH Pinky cluster……Elkhart brand used on student instruments……. |
| 1941 | 294,120 | “Big B” bell engraving…….ribbon style keyguards…… |
| 1942 | 297,527 | 400 model…..underslung neck….silver tone ring….top hat and cane engraving….brown rollers…..bell keys on right rear of the bell |
| 1950 | 332,000 | “Aristocrat” engraving….G# trill key dropped |
| 1955 | 350,000 | Super 400 model…..nickel resonance ring…..yellow rollers……nickel plated keywork …..standard 400 loses underslung neck….. |
| 1956 | 352,000 | Bell keys to RH side on rear of bell……nickel plated keywork |
| 1957 | 358,000 | nickel plated keywork on 400 |
| 1963 | 381,000 | Selmer USA buys Buescher |
| 1965 | 408,818 | 400 bell keys to left side of bell….underslung neck….. |
| 1976 | 638,000 | white rollers |
In the 1990's, Keilwerth stenciled a saxophone for Buffet called the 'Expression' and that model has a Keilwerth serial number. A vintage buescher elkhart alto saxophone- serial# 71007 20a. The saxophone is a lacquer gold tone color with mother of pearl keys. Tenor Dolnet paris Frans 2 years ago. I have been able to date mine to 1959 base on my serial number 72291C in comparison to a Baritone with almost the same sequence sold in Italy. I was also able to date this as well due to the label on my sax case listing the name of a music store called Brocksteins that closed in 1968. The record is much less complete after 1936. Instruments manufactured after 1936 range in serial number from 1350-3600. The log book shows the serial numbers jumping around quite a bit for the Selmer/Adolphe Sax saxophones. Even so, its possible from this record to assemble a basic serial number chart for these instruments.
| BUESCHER | |
| Serial# | Year |
| 5000 | 1905 |
| 11250 | 1910 |
| 25103 | 1915 |
| 61255 | 1920 |
| 175275 | 1925 |
| 255250 | 1930 |
| 269000 | 1935 |
| 291000 | 1940 |
| 303000 | 1945 |
| 332000 | 1950 |
| 350000 | 1955 |
| 360000 | 1960 |
| 381000 | 1963 |
| Bought out by Selmer | |
| 408818 | 1965 |
| 520000 | 1970 |
| 630000 | 1975 |
| 785000 | 1980 |
| 875000 | 1983 |
| SELMER (PARIS) | |
| Serial# | Year |
| 10000 | 1929 |
| 12000 | 1930 |
| Cigar Cutter | |
| 14000 | 1931 |
| 17000 | 1932 |
| 18000 | 1933 |
| 19000 | 1934 |
| 20000 | 1935 |
| Balanced Action | |
| 22000 | 1936 |
| 24000 | 1937 |
| 25000 | 1938 |
| 27000 | 1939 |
| 30000 | 1940 |
| 33000 | 1947 |
| Super Balanced Action | |
| 35000 | 1948 |
| 37000 | 1949 |
| 40000 | 1950 |
| 43000 | 1951 |
| Low A Baritone | |
| 46000 | 1952 |
| 50000 | 1953 |
| 52000 | 1954 |
| Mark VI | |
| 57000 | 1955 |
| 62000 | 1956 |
| 66000 | 1957 |
| 71000 | 1958 |
| 76000 | 1959 |
| 81000 | 1960 |
| 90000 | 1961 |
| 94000 | 1962 |
| 103000 | 1963 |
| 110000 | 1964 |
| 120000 | 1965 |
| 129000 | 1966 |
| 137000 | 1967 |
| 149000 | 1968 |
| 160000 | 1969 |
| 171000 | 1970 |
| 182000 | 1971 |
| 192000 | 1972 |
| 204000 | 1973 |
| 218000 | 1974 |
| 231000 | 1975 |
| Mark VII | |
| 243000 | 1976 |
| 256000 | 1977 |
| 272000 | 1978 |
| 282000 | 1979 |
| 300000 | 1980 |
| 327300 | 1981 |
| Super Action 80 | |
| 340200 | 1982 |
| 353800 | 1983 |
| 366400 | 1984 |
| 378800 | 1985 |
| 391000 | 1986 |
| Super Action 80 II | |
| 406000 | 1987 |
| CONN | |
| Serial# | Year |
| 9600 | 1905 |
| 10800 | 1906 |
| 12000 | 1907 |
| 13000 | 1908 |
| 15400 | 1909 |
| 17800 | 1910 |
| 21200 | 1911 |
| 22500 | 1912 |
| 25000 | 1913 |
| 30000 | 1914 |
| 35000 | 1916 |
| 40000 | 1917 |
| 50000 | 1919 |
| 58000 | 1920 |
| 64000 | 1921 |
| 83000 | 1922 |
| 101775 | 1923 |
| 124600 | 1924 |
| 145400 | 1925 |
| 167900 | 1926 |
| 193450 | 1927 |
| 209250 | 1928 |
| 224600 | 1929 |
| 237800 | 1930 |
| 244700 | 1931 |
| 249230 | 1932 |
| 256501 | 1933 |
| 260000 | 1934 |
| 263500 | 1935 |
| 271000 | 1936 |
| 278000 | 1937 |
| 284000 | 1938 |
| 285000 | 1939 |
| 288300 | 1940 |
| 295250 | 1941 |
| 304500 | 1942 |
| 309250 | 1943 |
| 309300 | 1944 |
| 310200 | 1945 |
| 314000 | 1946 |
| 320000 | 1947 |
| 327150 | 1948 |
| 332150 | 1949 |
| 337250 | 1950 |
| 341850 | 1951 |
| 341851 | 1952 |
| 354742 | 1953 |
| 359251 | 1954 |
| 500001 | 1955 |
| 571750 | 1956 |
| 652002 | 1957 |
| 718626 | 1958 |
| 779657 | 1959 |
| 834200 | 1960 |
| 898556 | 1961 |
| 949465 | 1962 |
| C00501 | 1963 |
| C73854 | 1964 |
| E54106 | 1965 |
| H31247 | 1966 |
| K35274 | 1967 |
| L20454 | 1968 |
| BUFFET | |
| Serial# | Year |
| 2925 | 1952 |
| 3115 | 1953 |
| 3390 | 1954 |
| 3763 | 1955 |
| 4226 | 1956 |
| 4817 | 1957 |
| 5392 | 1958 |
| 6172 | 1959 |
| 6808 | 1960 |
| 7416 | 1961 |
| 8656 | 1962 |
| 9669 | 1963 |
| 10064 | 1964 |
| 11749 | 1965 |
| 12778 | 1966 |
| 13766 | 1967 |
| 14487 | 1968 |
| 15347 | 1969 |
| 16323 | 1970 |
| 17319 | 1971 |
| 18445 | 1972 |
| 19787 | 1973 |
| 21441 | 1974 |
| 22687 | 1975 |
| 24417 | 1976 |
| 26151 | 1977 |
| 27280 | 1978 |
| 28733 | 1979 |
| 30190 | 1980 |
| 31539 | 1981 |
| 32961 | 1982 |
| 33924 | 1983 |
| 34664 | 1984 |
| 35733 | 1985 |
| KING | |
| Serial# | Year |
| 5000 | 1915 |
| 78000 | 1925 |
| 126000 | 1930 |
| 161000 | 1935 |
| 220000 | 1940 |
| 275000 | 1945 |
| 305000 | 1950 |
| 340000 | 1955 |
| 370000 | 1960 |
| 406500 | 1965 |
| 457600 | 1970 |
| 511750 | 1975 |
| MARTIN | ||
| Serial# | Year | |
| 17221 | 1919 | |
| 19482 | 1920 | |
| 19933 | 1921 | |
| 23781 | 1921 | |
| 29942 | 1922 | |
| 34838 | 1923 | |
| 40644 | 1924 | |
| 48489 | 152342 | 1925 |
| 54853 | ||
| 67852 | 162852 | 1926 |
| 172051 | ||
| 79254 | 1927 | |
| 86687 | 1928 | |
| *192536 | 1027 | 1929 |
| *first digit dropped on most serial numbers | ||
| 98324 | 2982 | 1930 |
| 101622 | 7119 | 1931 |
| 105096 | 1932 | |
| 106546 | 1933 | |
| 108301 | 1934 | |
| 10758 | 111253 | 1935 |
| 14526 | 116551 | 1936 |
| 15396 | 118038 | 1937 |
| 18861 | 126998 | 1938 |
| 20563 | 132070 | 1939 |
| 23231 | 136040 | 1940 |
| 24572 | 140199 | 1941 |
| 26643 | 144455 | 1942 |
| 145322 | 1943 | |
| 1944 | ||
| 145352 | 1945 | |
| 154289 | 1946 | |
| 161520 | 1947 | |
| 165326 | 1948 | |
| 170395 | 1949 | |
| 172215 | 1950 | |
| 172449 first Imperial | ||
| 175140 | 1951 | |
| 41693 | 179317 | 1952 |
| 45824 Indiana | 183125 | 1953 |
| 49586 Indiana | 187614 | 1954 |
| 193747 | 1955 | |
| 56162 | 196213 | 1956 |
| 66719 | 203809 | 1957 |
| 66727 | 201917 | 1958 |
| 70988 | 205377 | 1959 |
| 76224 | 209089 | 1960 |
| 81885 | 211675 | 1961 |
| 87850 | 213999 | 1962 |
| 218855 | 1963 | |
| HOLTON | |
| Serial# | Year |
| 1 | 1901 |
| 254 | 1902 |
| 476 | 1903 |
| 526 | 1904 |
| 1151 | 1905 |
| 1872 | 1906 |
| 3345 | 1907 |
| 4630 | 1908 |
| 6071 | 1909 |
| 9474 | 1910 |
| 12,402 | 1911 |
| 15,950 | 1912 |
| 20,807 | 1913 |
| 21,100 | 1914 |
| 31,622 | 1915 |
| 33,671 | 1916 |
| 37,909 | 1917 |
| 41,070 – 43,972 | 1918 |
| 55,000 – 55,249 | 1918 |
| 43,973 – 47,600 | 1919 |
| 55,250 – 57,040 | 1919 |
| 47,601 – 49,817 | 1920 |
| 57,041 – 58,499 | 1920 |
| 70,000 – 70,549 | 1920 |
| 49,818 – 54,999 | 1921 |
| 58,500 – 59,499 | 1921 |
| 70,550 – 73,199 | 1921 |
| 59,500 – 60,599 | 1922 |
| 73,200 – 76,099 | 1922 |
| 60,600 – 61,649 | 1923 |
| 76,100 – 81,000 | 1923 |
| 61,650 – 62,199 | 1924 |
| 81,001 – 85,600 | 1924 |
| 62,200 – 62,899 | 1925 |
| 85,900 – 89,849 | 1925 |
| 62,900 – 63,149 | 1926 |
| 89,850 – 92,799 | 1926 |
| 63,150 – 63,299 | 1927 |
| 92,800 – 97,199 | 1927 |
| 63,300 – 63,549 | 1928 |
| 97,200 – 101,399 | 1928 |
| 63,550 – 63,849 | 1929 |
| 101,400 – 105,199 | 1929 |
| 63,850 – 64,049 | 1930 |
| 105,200 – 108,399 | 1930 |
| 64,050 – 64,149 | 1931 |
| 108,400 – 111,049 | 1931 |
| 111,099 – 113,899 | 1932 |
| 113,990 – 114,999 | 1933 |
| 115,000 – 117,299 | 1934 |
| 117,300 – 118,599 | 1935 |
| 118,600 – 120,599 | 1936 |
| 120,600 – 122,899 | 1937 |
| 122,900 – 125,849 | 1938 |
| 125,850 – 132,799 | 1939 |
| 132,800 – 140,099 | 1940 |
| 140,100 – 151,299 | 1941 |
| 151,300 – 154,199 | 1942 |
| 154,200 – 154,699 | 1943 |
| 154,700 – 154,899 | 1944 |
| 154,900 – 156,099 | 1945 |
| 156,100 – 165,599 | 1946 |
| 165,600 – 181,999 | 1947 |
| 182,000 – 198,299 | 1948 |
| 198,399 – 210,299 | 1949 |
| 210,300 – 220,499 | 1950 |
| 220,500 – 232,599 | 1951 |
| 232,600 – 243,349 | 1952 |
| 243,350 – 254,099 | 1953 |
| 254,100 – 268,999 | 1954 |
| 269,000 – 281,399 | 1955 |
| 281,400 – 293,699 | 1956 |
| 293,700 – 307,399 | 1957 |
| 307,400 – 315,699 | 1958 |
| 315,700 – 326,099 | 1959 |
| 326,100 – 337,599 | 1960 |
| 337,600 – 348,399 | 1961 |
| 348,400 – 358,499 | 1962 |
| 358,500 – 373,699 | 1963 |
| 373,700 – 388,949 | 1964 |
| 388,950 – 403,350 | 1965 |
| 403,351 – 435,999 | 1966 |
| 536,600 – 455,749 | 1967 |
| 455,750 – 467,099 | 1968 |
| 467,100 – 483,099 | 1969 |
| 483,100 – 496,799 | 1970 |
| 496,800 – 504,200 | 1971 |
| 504,201 – 519,299 | 1972 |
| 519,300 – 524,599 | 1973 |
| 524,600 – 529,899 | 1974 |
| 529,900 – 535,199 | 1975 |
| 535,200 – 541,999 | 1976 |
| 542,000 – 548,429 | 1977 |
| CLEVELAND | |
| Serial# | Year |
| 1 | 1925 |
| 10,000 | 1930 |
| 30,000 | 1935 |
| 40,000 | 1940 |
| 45,000 | 1945 |
| 50,000 | 1950 |
| 56,000 | 1955 |
| 100,000 | 1960 |
| 160,000 | 1965 |
| 420,000 | 1970 |
| 600,000 | 1975 |
Conn Saxophone Serial Numbers And Value
| YANIGASAWASAXOPHONES |
| During the 1970′s, the 3rd and 4th digit of the serial number indicate the year of manufacture.1972 – 12729030 1973 – 12731254 1974 – 12745400 1975 – 12753382 1976 – 12764553 1977 – 12775790 1978 – 12781317 1979 – 12791801 1980 – 00102143 1981 – 00106981 1982 – 00111892 1983 – 00117142 1984 – 00122663 1985 – 00128485 1986 – 00134903 1987 – 00141658 1988 – 00148774 1989 – 00156006 1990 – 00162968 1991 – 00170073 1992 – 00177116 1993 – 00184318 1994 – 00189050 1995 – 00197400 1996 – 00205400 1997 – 00213000 1998 – 00219500 1999 – 00228250 2000 – 00235000 |
| SML SAXOPHONES | |
| Serial# | Year |
| 1? – 3000 | 1934 to 1940 |
| 3000 – 5500 | 1940 to 1945 |
| 5500 – 8000 | 1945 to 1950 |
| 8000 – 12000 | 1950 to 1955 |
| 12000 – 16000 | 1955 to 1960 |
| 16000 – 19000 | 1960 to 1965 |
| 19000 – 22000 | 1965 to 1970 |
| 22000 – 24000 | 1970 to 1975 |
| 24000 – 26000 | 1975 to 1980 |
| 26000 – >27000 | 1980 to 1982 |