1977 Selmer Mark VI soprano saxophone, s/n 271129. This sax has the optional high F# key, which some players consider a must have feature. This is especially useful on the Mark VI soprano, since this model does not have a front F key.

The sax is playing great on an older set of pads that still seal well. It has never been relacquered. Most of the lacquer on the body appears to have been stripped at some point, giving the horn a more vintage appearance.

The sax comes in a BAM Hip Hop case, which is extremely compact. The case is soft on one side with a rigid half shell on the other, with plenty of internal padding so it can be used as a standalone soprano case. It is also designed to attach to a BAM Trekking or St Germain case, allowing it to function as part of a double soprano and tenor or soprano and alto setup.

Most traditional serial number guides would place serial number 271129 in the Mark VII era, but that only tells part of the story. Selmer produced the Mark VII as an alto and tenor, but never as a production soprano. Mark VI soprano production continued well beyond the alto and tenor transition, until Selmer introduced the Super Action 80 soprano.

This is exactly the kind of distinction I wanted to address with the new DC Sax Serial Number & Model Lookup. Instead of applying the same serial number cutoff to every saxophone, the guide attempts to account for differences between models and instrument types. Give the DC Sax Serial Number & Model Lookup a try here and let me know what you think.