This is Buffet's most famous saxophone and is one of the two most serious competitors to the Selmer Mark VI in the category of "Best All-Around Horn", even though it is much less known and respected. This does mean, though, that you can find one significantly less expensive than the Selmers.

This beautiful tenor example from cybersax.com has "sparkle" lacquer. Evidently Buffet wanted a horn to stand out a little more on stage. It's striking.

Speaking of "sparkle" lacquer, I've seen some postings recently about the Jean-Cartier model from Dolnet, which occasionally had this beautiful finish. It is theorized, in these posts, that Buffet stenciled these horns for Dolnet. I doubt it, though: it'd be the first horn made by a major manufacturer for one company and then sold as a stencil to another major manufacturer (even though Dolnet's M70 looks an awful lot like an S1). Additionally, there's a nasty rumor going around that SML's Gold Medal baritones are actually Buffet horns. They're not: the keywork is significantly different.

Interestingly, I've seen two "brand new" SDA's for sale on eBay in recent months. These are horns that were placed in dealer stock and just never sold. One was still in plastic wrap!

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Lastly, there are a few transitional models of these horns. Here's some comments from guest contributor Laurie Pimblett:

The last horn of interest is my BC Super Dynaction with S1 transitional keywork. It plays and sounds everything you would expect an SDA to be -- immense power and brightness but with brilliant control; yet it is so much faster to play than the other SDAs I've had .It has the articulated rollerlesss low C/Eb keys,an articulated low F# and the famous artculated S1 pinky-cluster, together with the resonator bell-brace -- yet no crook alterations (i.e. the little cutout), nor adjustable thumbrest.

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Techie Notes (changes from the Dynaction model):
- Elimination of the Eb vent key and G# trill key.
- "BC" bell-to-body brace.
- "Super Dynaction" engraved on the body of the horn.
- Some late models may have altissimo F# keys, but this was not a standard feature.