Anyone?

[turbo895]

I just sold my 1972 selmer alto, and im looking for a new tenor, anyone got anything for sale? :goat:hump

[werkinsnake]

What part of PA are you from? I do not have any saxophones for sale, but I can probably point you to someone who does. What kind of horn are you looking for, and how much are you willing to spend?

I take it that your 1972 Selmer was a Mark VII?

[whiteysax]

i'm planning on picking up a new bari next week

[zajDmB1]

What part of PA are you from? I do not have any saxophones for sale, but I can probably point you to someone who does. What kind of horn are you looking for, and how much are you willing to spend?

I take it that your 1972 Selmer was a Mark VII?

I don't think they made Mark VI's anymore in 72, did they?

[werkinsnake]

VII as in VI + I. ;)

[werkinsnake]

Ooops, I rechecked the Selmer Serial # charts. VI altos were produced to aprox 1974. The VII line did not start until 74. Interestingly enough, VI sopranos, baritones, and basses were produced well into the SA80 series (approx 1981).

So a 1962 Selmer "Paris" alto would be a Mark VI. Now if the horn was a Selmer "USA" horn, it would be a different model. Maybe an AS100? I'm not too brushed up on Selmer USA vintages.

[turbo895]

it was a mark VI beutiful horn but i dont touch it anymore it was a shame to have it in the case in the corner of my room so i sold it. it was my first horn =] i live in northeast pa im looking for another selmer or beusher anywhere from 1950's to present in fair condition, if it needs minor repairs it'll be good i need a back up jazz tenor. perferably gold or silver anywhere bettween 800 to 1300 dollars. also if anyone knows where to find vintage mouthpieces perferable early selmer, it'll be greatly appericated, i want that old robust sound of the 50's (yes "yakkity yak" sound lol) i have a black viennia by woodwind tenor brand new and dont get me wrong i love it but i just want somthing with a better sound.

[turbo895]

btw i play bari for marching band =]

[zajDmB1]

it was a mark VI beutiful horn but i dont touch it anymore it was a shame to have it in the case in the corner of my room so i sold it. it was my first horn =] i live in northeast pa im looking for another selmer or beusher anywhere from 1950's to present in fair condition, if it needs minor repairs it'll be good i need a back up jazz tenor. perferably gold or silver anywhere bettween 800 to 1300 dollars. also if anyone knows where to find vintage mouthpieces perferable early selmer, it'll be greatly appericated, i want that old robust sound of the 50's (yes "yakkity yak" sound lol) i have a black viennia by woodwind tenor brand new and dont get me wrong i love it but i just want somthing with a better sound.

if you live in northeast PA, check around the Delaware Water Gap area. That's like jazz heaven for PA. Someone can probably at least point you in a right direction, if not find one for you. Just call like small music stores and sax repair guys. It's a tight-knit group of people.

[turbo895]

okay thanks

[werkinsnake]

Well, I doubt that you will find any Selmer for $1,300. The least valuable Paris horns are the Mark VII and Super Action 80 (Serie I). Neither are bad horns by any means, and I wouldn't trade my SA80 tenor for any VI that I've ever played. That said, I've never seen either of these models go for much less under $2,000, and they usually need another $500 - 700 to get them into good working order. Actually, you can add the Model 26 tenor to the < $2,000 list as well. Honestly though, they are overpriced for what they are. IMO, anything before the Selmer Super Series (a.k.a Cigar Cutter) falls behind the Conn New Wonder and Buescher True Tone, in terms of playability and feel. They are "Selmers in name only".

Buescher is a different story. You can still find plenty of good deals on these horns, and their tenors are nothing short of awesome. If you don't mind ordering online, check out https://www.junkdude.com/ . If you're in the Pittsburgh area, check out "Hollis and Germanns" and "Volkweins". They occasionally have some good deals on Vintage horns, and both stores set their saxes up well. USA Horn isn't too far away from you either. http://usahorn.com/

Keep an eye out for those later Buescher 400's that were made after the Selmer buyout. The ones that have nickel plated keys, and bell tone holes that are still placed on the back of the bell, can be had for cheap. These are GREAT horns, and they have the sweetest low end that I've ever played on a tenor sax. My buddy has one, and I've been trying to buy it off of him for years now. :)

$1,300 can also get you a later Conn 10M, King Zephyr, Martin Committee, or a later King Super 20. From your description, I'm guessing that you would enjoy any of these horns.

As far as mouthpieces go, you can spend some big bucks for a vintage piece in good condition. Actually, the mouthpiece may cost as much, or more, than the horn you end up purchasing. You can achieve a "Big Robust" 50's sound with a modern production mouthpiece with a large chamber. An Otto Link STM NY, Tone Edge, or a Meyer piece would work out well. All of those pieces go for around $100 too. My personal favorite from that list is the STM NY. If you find a good one, they are incredibly versatile pieces.

[turbo895]

im on that junkdude.com, pretty juicy stuff

[turbo895]

now i never got this, whats a C melody tenor?

[werkinsnake]

There was a pitch in between an alto and tenor that was keyed in C, as opposed to Eb or Bb. These were popular in the 20's when having a saxophone in the house was just as common as owning a piano. The idea was to have a saxophone that could play the readily available piano music without the need of transposing. There was a C-Soprano available as well. Both of these pitches were discontinued due to the money woes brought on by the Great Depression. The C horns faded into obscurity shortly after. Recently, they've been making a comeback as there are several small companies that are manufacturing reeds and mouthpieces for these horns. They're still more of a novelty than a practical instrument.

Conn also produced the F-Mezzo alto in the late 20's. This horn was designed to play French Horn music, and ultimately was a failure due to the depression. Unlike the C-Melody, of which there are still many good examples, most of the F-Mezzos were destroyed while they were used as training tools at the Conn repair school. Therefor an F-Mezzo in good condition usually goes for "Big Bucks".

[turbo895]

oh wow i never knew that