Olds "Opera"
(Buffet Dynaction)
Tenor Saxophone

Serial Number 4279
Manufactured in 1956
Made in France

SOLD - Jan. 2010

This 50+-year-old tenor saxophone was made by Buffet in France.
It is their Dynaction model, but it was provisioned to the F.E. Olds company in Los Angeles and engraved with the Olds name instead of Buffet.
It is superior to the Olds Parisian or Olds Parisian Ambassador.
This sax was in great mechanical condition when I got it.
The neck and bow, perhaps the two most vulnerable areas, are in great shape.
The pads weren't bad, but they were old and dry.
I repadded this horn with MusicMedic Precision pads.
I reused the original screw-on resonators. They are flat with a dome in the middle...sort of look like a cymbal.
There was one resonator missing....on the low D. I put a flat metal resonator on that key.

I leveled the toneholes and the keypans.
The horn originally had red felts, but with the dark original lacquer, I thought green felts looked better, so I put on green felts.

The key action is smooth and snappy, without any slop.

It is a lovely horn with great tone.
I had a couple of local guys test-play it and they loved it...the play-action, the tone, the intonation.

This horn had a G# trill key, but I chose not to re-install it. It is in a labeled plastic bag and will accompany the horn.

It comes with the original case, and while it is solid enough, I don't think much of it. The edges/corners are deteriorated, as is the handle. It is certainly good enough to ship the horn in, but I don't think it is good enough for a horn as nice as this.
I can sell you a nice new contoured flight case if you would like.

Here is what Saxpics has to say about the Dynaction.