1966 Selmer Mark VI Alto Saxophone 139,xxx, 99% Original Lacquer, High F#, Sanborn S/N
1966 139,xxx Selmer Mark VI alto saxophone with 99% original lacquer and a high F#. Selmer experimented with different alto bow lengths, and ultimately settled on a medium bow, just before this saxophone was made. These altos have established a reputation as being some of the finest altos that Selmer ever produced, and greats such as David Sanborn and Kenny Garrett play altos from this serial number range. They tend to have great projeciton and focus in the sound.
This is a one-owner horn who played it for a couple of years and then put it away. He got the horn overhauled recently thinking he'd start playing again, but health issues prevented him from doing so. The pads are in perfect condition and essentially unused. My repairman performed a regulation ensuring that all of the pads are sealing, and now this horn is good to go. It feels exceptionally tight and ready to be played right out of the case.
You'll be hard pressed to find a better preserved prime s/n horn than this one. It has approximately 99% of its original lacquer and no dents or other repairs. The neck is original to the horn. There's some lacquer loss on the neck and inside of the bow from normal contact. Otherwise, there are remarkably few scratches. Take a look at the contact points (palm keys and RH side keys) and you'll see that there's absolutely no lacquer loss here.
My overall impression of this Mark VI is very positive. It has a tone slightly on the brighter side compared to other horns of this vintage. Everything pops out with ease with a very centered, confident tone. The full range of the sax feels very even as well. This is a Sanborn s/n Mark VI that is deserving of its reputation.
This is a one-owner horn who played it for a couple of years and then put it away. He got the horn overhauled recently thinking he'd start playing again, but health issues prevented him from doing so. The pads are in perfect condition and essentially unused. My repairman performed a regulation ensuring that all of the pads are sealing, and now this horn is good to go. It feels exceptionally tight and ready to be played right out of the case.
You'll be hard pressed to find a better preserved prime s/n horn than this one. It has approximately 99% of its original lacquer and no dents or other repairs. The neck is original to the horn. There's some lacquer loss on the neck and inside of the bow from normal contact. Otherwise, there are remarkably few scratches. Take a look at the contact points (palm keys and RH side keys) and you'll see that there's absolutely no lacquer loss here.
My overall impression of this Mark VI is very positive. It has a tone slightly on the brighter side compared to other horns of this vintage. Everything pops out with ease with a very centered, confident tone. The full range of the sax feels very even as well. This is a Sanborn s/n Mark VI that is deserving of its reputation.
