Alto
Alto Saxophones For Sale including Selmer Mark VI
Showing all 67 results
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Alto Meyer Hard Rubber BB Screws Brilhart Reproduction 3-Band Ligature Saxophone Selmer Vandoren
$ 165For hard rubber alto saxophone mouthpieces like Meyer Bros, GS New York, Selmer Soloist, Vandoren Jumbo Java and all Brilharts. This ligature is a true reproduction of the Brilhart 3-Band Ligature: from the alloy of brass to the feel of the screws, it is exactly the same as the vintage Brilhart ligature. Same dimensions, same weight, same feel, same playing response. It’s like going back in time to buy one when they were first made! So for those of you who have always wanted this time-tested style of ligature, but have found them prohibitively expensive, now perhaps getting one is within reach.
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Alto Meyer Hard Rubber Brilhart Reproduction 3-Band Ligature Saxophone Selmer Vandoren
$ 165This ligature fits almost all hard rubber alto saxophone mouthpieces, like Meyer Bros, GS New York, Selmer Soloist, Vandoren Jumbo Java, all brands of Meyer copies, Ted Klum Acoustimax and New York model, all Brilharts etc. There’s a reason why the vintage Brilhart 3-Band ligatures have been singled out by the market (players) as by far the most desirable vintage ligatures. They are great ligatures. But there will never be enough vintage Brilhart ligatures to meet the high demand for this style of ligature. Thankfully, there is now a high-quality, hand made reproduction available to meet this demand. These are made by a small company in South Korea that cares about getting saxophone equipment right. These ligatures get rave reviews by the people who buy them. I don’t want to make huge claims for a ligature, but I will say that people tend to LOVE them. They’re beautiful, simple, and easy to use, and they sound great.
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Buescher Aristocrat / Bundy Alto Saxophone 527378 Needs Overhaul
$ 450 -
Buescher Aristocrat 140 Alto Original Lacquer Very Good Condition
$ 950Great deal on a clean, original lacquer, original pads Buescher 140 alto saxophone. This horn has its original snaps and spuds intact, and is a repad shy of being a VERY good player. Minimal wear, minimal past repairs, neck in good shape. This is a clean one that will be an easy repad job for someone. These are among the most undervalued vintage horns right now!
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Buescher True Tone Alto Silver 257528 Good Condition
$ 900 -
Buescher-Made (Selmer) Bundy Alto 408990 Good Student Alto Older Pads
$ 350 -
Buffet S1 Alto Saxophone Amazing Condition Great Player
$ 2,350The Buffet S1 Alto saxophone is the best saxophone that Buffet ever produced. It has all of the big, operatic voice of a Super Dynaction, paired with some brilliant keywork improvements. Plus, it has that combination of high build quality and rarity that makes it appeal to me both as a player and as a lover of vintage saxophones. The low C/Eb design is just so pleasant to use. It’s light, fast, and ergonomic. No more hopping your pinky over rollers. Just rock it side to side! Why don’t modern saxes copy this? The left hand spatula keys have similarly smart rocking designs that make the adjacent keys stay accessible when you press any of the pinky keys down. The S1 has excellent intonation, beautiful engraving, and a pleasant, warm, medium tone between bright and dark. If you want a great professional alto that is in the neighborhood of a Selmer Mark VI, that is equally well built, but costs less, and has a bit wider, fatter sound, especially in the palm keys, then the S1 is the horn for you. There’s nothing else that does all of that stuff as well. The pads on this alto are original, so either plan on replacing them several at a time over the next few years, or just plan on a repad soon. It’s fun to play even on original pads though. And it’s priced LOW! Original case is gorgeous too.
Only one available!
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Buffet Super Dynaction Alto 16883 Original Lacquer Good Condition Old Pads
$ 1,250Buffet Super Dynaction alto saxophone with original lacquer. This alto came from a collector who favored Buffet saxophones, and it is priced to sell, in good condition. It has had some dings removed, and the pads are old, but you’ll get an excellent pro alto for a bargain price if you get this and get it overhauled. It has the ‘sparkle’ lacquer that the earlier serial Buffet Super Dynaction saxophones have. The earlier ones like this also play darker, and look great too. The original case comes with it. They’re one of the few saxophones along with the Mark VI and the Couf Superba 1 that have a complex, interesting, vintage tone, but keywork that feels more or less modern under the fingers. Intonation is also typically quite good, as you might expect from Buffet Crampon Paris.
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Conn 26M VIII Connqueror Alto Original Lacquer Excellent! 292445
$ 3,550This is a beautiful example of a rare Conn Connqueror 26M Alto saxophone with original lacquer and VIII stamp. The Connqueror is the most mechanically sophisticated saxophone that Conn ever made. It is a pre-war 6M body tube and neck, with all new keywork design, extra engraving, and solid silver on all the key touches that are not pearl. The ‘permadjust’ system is the big development on the Connqueror altos. You can read about that on Matt Stohrer’s website, or watch his repairman’s overview of the 26M on Youtube. This one has its bits and bobs intact, and is in very good condition. It just got overhauled before I bought it, so the pads are all new! Â Cosmetically, this horn is just great, with only some minor lacquer wear. It has to be one of the nicest 26M Connqueror altos out there. Definitely the nicest one for sale currently, and priced very reasonably. I really like this one.
Only one available!
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Conn 6M Alto Original Silver Plate 250314 Big Sound
$ 2,850One of the very earliest 6M’s and my favorite vintage as well. Beautiful original silver plate, recent overhaul done by another dealer, who shall remain nameless, but needs a thorough re-setup. The overzealous repairman decided to ‘refresh’ the solder on many of the posts. So there are many posts resoldered. It looks fine, since the horn is silver anyway. Doesn’t seem to be due to damage, just probably one post popped off during the overhaul from the solder being old, and the repairman decided to resolder lots of them as a preventative. I’m reducing the price by $800 to give you room to spend as much as you want on a setup, or even to get it overhauled again.
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Conn 6M Alto Saxophone Gorgeous Original Lacquer 320627
$ 1,750This Conn 6M Alto is in excellent original condition with original lacquer and original pads. It is almost as clean as it could possibly be. It will need a repad as soon as you get it, because it only makes saxophone noises now, but has pads from 1947 or so, which are ready to be replaced. No wear anywhere. No real damage, and no problems that I can see. If you want a great looking, super clean Conn 6M, that’s what this is. Original case also in good condition.
Only one available!
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Conn 6M VIII Alto Saxophone Pre-war 300088 Original Lacquer Excellent Condition
$ 2,250BEAUTIFUL example of an original lacquer ‘Pre-war’ Conn 6M VIII Alto saxophone in extremely fine original condition with original pads. It’s about as clean an example as you are ever likely to find. It had one dent removed from the body tube (nearly invisible now), and that’s it for past repairs or damage over its entire first 80 years of existence.
These altos remain an absolute bargain. They’re among the best playing alto saxophones ever made, with a bigger, wider, more powerful tone than almost anything out there. And yet the keywork is very fast and comfortable, and the intonation is excellent. It’s the perfect lead alto horn. It’s also made in USA at the height of US manufacturing, and has a build quality that has hardly been matched since. This is the desirable version with the VIII stamped neck, which tends to sell for more than the later versions without the stamp. They’re all great, so if you’re on a budget, check out the beautiful 320k post war example that is also for sale. This is original pads, so plan to get it repadded.
Only one available!
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Conn New Wonder 1 Alto Burnished Gold Stunning Portrait Engraved Old Pads 139214
$ 1,650 -
Conn New Wonder II Transitional Alto Saxophone Original Silver Old Pads 237954
$ 950This late Conn New Wonder II alto sax is in very good original condition, and just needs a quality overhaul to be an excellent player. It’s original silver plate, and it will shine up and look amazing with a cleaning and polishing job put into it. These late New Wonder II’s start to be called transitional when they get their first 6M-anticipating feature: the raised side E key touch. Besides that, this is pretty much a New Wonder II, though Conn also starts to experiment with the neck around this serial, to improve intonation and give slightly more focus to the sound (still very wide and spread). When overhauled nicely, these altos are unmatched for the amount that they feel alive in your hands. They vibrate and respond so amazingly well. I never want to put the horn down!
Only one available!
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Conn NWII / 6M Transitional Alto Burnished Gold Art Deco Outstanding 243577
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GS NEW YORK Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece
$ 199GS NEW YORK Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Meyer Bros NY Replica
See the long description below for all the details.
A great New York Meyer alto mouthpiece just sparkles. The response is clean, warm, and effortlessly free blowing, but centered and with an elusive extra magic to it – even compared to any other version of Meyer.
The GS NEW YORK is an extremely precise copy of what I think is the best Meyer Bros NY I’ve played. I’ve been collecting NY Meyer alto pieces since I started GetASax, and I just LOVE this particular one.
I loved it so much, that I spent about a year figuring out how to make an extremely precise copy of it that played with the same magic in each tip opening.
The GS New York delivers on that goal! People just love to play this mouthpiece. The reviews and emails I receive have been so encouraging to keep this going long-term.
How does it play? It’s slightly brighter than some NY Meyers, and a little warmer than a NYUSA. Compared to a typical modern Meyer the GS NY will be much more free blowing, less resistant, and will have better projection and sparkle. You can get a Cannonball / Phil Woods vibe going with less effort than on a typical modern Meyer for sure.
You won’t pick a bad tip opening. They’re all great. People buy the 5 (.072″) , 6 (.076″), and 7 (.080″) tips about equally, I would say.
Each GS New York is carefully hand faced, including flattening the table, and measuring the facing curve at ten points plus the tip, so you can be sure that the one you get will be just as good as the one that I play personally. If i make a mistake in facing, that mouthpiece does not go out the door.
I’ve been about a week behind on hand facing lately, because of high demand. But I’ll ship your mouthpiece quickly to make up for that. At $199 including complete hand facing, for a really good copy of a really good NY Meyer, it’s pretty hard to beat.
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Holton Alto Saxophone Original Gold Plate Beautiful Great Deal 16374
$ 750 -
Ishimori Wood Stone New Vintage Alto Saxophone WSA-AF with High F# Antique Finish NEW
$ 4,300One avalable now and it has had the GetASax new horn checkup after shipping here from Ishimori, and is ready to ship right out!!
This is the highly sought-after Ishimori Wood Stone ‘New Vintage’ alto saxophone available. The model is WSA-AF with high F#. Finish is bare brass with a stable patina applied, and beautiful hand engraving, the among the most elaborate of any modern saxophone. Really beautiful!
This is an effortless player. Hard to emphasize how effortless. Completely effortless low register, low Bb pops out like any other note. Altissimo is easy. Tuning is great. The tone is sort of Selmer-ish but punchier like a King Super 20. But it’s not either of those. It’s its own thing – the New Vintage alto. Â Easy to play delicately and softly with plenty of saturation and projection. Action is low, fast, and snappy. Great for jazz, concert, ballads– really anything. I’m impressed! Here’s our first demo video:
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Ishimori Wood Stone New Vintage Alto Saxophone WSA-VL with F# Dark Lacquer NEW
$ 4,300One avalable now and it has had the GetASax new horn checkup after shipping here from Ishimori, and is ready to ship right out!!
This is the highly sought-after Ishimori Wood Stone ‘New Vintage’ alto saxophone available. The model is WSA-VL with high F#. It has dark, cognac colored lacquer and beautiful hand engraving, the among the most elaborate of any modern saxophone. Effortless player. Hard to emphasize how effortless. Completely effortless low register, low Bb pops out like any other note. Altissimo is easy. Tuning is great. The tone is sort of Selmer-ish but punchier like a King Super 20. But it’s not either of those. It’s its own thing – the New Vintage alto. Â Easy to play delicately and softly with plenty of saturation and projection. Action is low, fast, and snappy. Great for jazz, concert, ballads– really anything. I’m impressed! Here’s our first demo video:
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Keilwerth Tone King Straight Alto Beautiful Condition! 85729
$ 4,450Full overhaul in progress! Included in the price. This is a great deal!
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King Alto Saxophone Original Gold Plate Old Pads Beautiful Engraving 105999
$ 1,200 -
King SilverSonic Alto Original Lacquer Mint Exceptional 448357
$ 6,500This is one of the best playing King altos that you will find! It’s freshly overhauled, and it’s in near mint condition with original lacquer and absolutely gorgeous condition. This is pretty amazing to play. Tyler said it’s a stand out player as well, when he gave it back to me after recording this clip.
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King Super 20 Alto 415046 Original Lacquer Very Good Condition
Nice clean King Super 20 Alto Saxophone ‘Series IV’ from 1965, Â meaning it’s a late Cleveland one with the more modern keywork style. That’s good if you want a King Super 20 tone with minimal keywork compromises. This has the solid silver single socket neck. This sax has its original pads, which are 57 years old, so plan on an overhaul. Enough of my customers want a less expensive Super 20 that I’m leaving this one original pads for the moment. Almost every other King on the site is overhauled, so check those out if you want one that is a turnkey purchase.
Only one available!
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King Super 20 Alto Series III Original Lacquer Very Good Condition 376523
$ 4,950On hold Oct 2022. Great King Super 20 alto that is also on the affordable side for one of the best vintages. This is 376523, double socket, solid silver neck, engraved bell keys, underslung octave key, but the more modern style pinky keys and a tone that is more like the ‘full pearls’ Super 20’s. This horn just got a full, top shelf overhaul with Pisoni italian leather pads and nice reusable slightly domed, metal resonators. It feels brand new under the fingers, and it is still in excellent original cosmetic condition. Only one available! $4950 incl the overhaul, which is about what you’d pay for a Yamaha, and this is much better and holds its value better too.
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King Zephyr Special Alto Near Mint Recent Overhaul 266751
$ 5,750This is about as nice an original lacquer later example of a King Zephyr Special alto as I have seen. This comes from the collection of Theo Wanne, and has a fresh overhaul done for Theo within the last year or two. It has been in his collection, so not played much since the overhaul and is basically fresh and ready to start being played again by someone. My main alto is a Zephyr Special, as is Matt Stohrer’s, and Theo loves and collects them as well. They are among the best sounding altos ever made, and they just do everything pretty well. The tone is warm, powerful, medium spread, and dark and velvety. Not dark like a Conn though – more focus, more projection, and more of a ringing set of overtones, where a Conn is a bit more spread and fat. It’s just an extremely pleasant tone that you get on these. Every single one I’ve ever sold has gone to a buyer who was thrilled with the sound. The keywork is not modern – it’s ‘light flute-like action’ as King described it in its original ads from the 30’s. Not heavy and snappy, but light like a flute, and fairly small amount of key travel to close a tone hole. Intonation is good with a Meyer or really whatever you want to use, though flexible compared to modern horns. You can bend notes around how you want, for better or for worse.
These are among the most beautiful saxophones ever produced as well. Hand engraving, pearls everywhere you touch, solid silver double socket neck. They’re great. And this one has almost all of its original lacquer intact, which is pretty incredible.
If you want to join the Zephyr Special club this would be a great way to do it. It’s already overhauled, and still priced very affordably compared to modern altos, with a tone like nothing else!
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Martin Magna Alto Original Lacquer Excellent Condition 206422
$ 2,650Beautiful original lacquer Martin Magna Committee III Alto Saxophone. It has no dents or dings and is in absolutely gorgeous condition. The Magna is the most desirable Martin saxophone, because of the rarity and some cosmetic and mechanical features that set it above the rest. These include the fancy engraving, and nickel keys and cross accents on neck and bell, and keyguards. This Martin Magna Alto has original pads, so it hasn’t been messed with, just lightly played. It’s ready for new pads and its next 60 years of playing. Maybe you can be a part of that! These altos have such a beautiful tone (think Art Pepper), which is warm, dry, full, and powerful. Medium between bright and dark, with plenty of what Martin called ‘carrying power’ and we call ‘projection’ to spare, no matter how much you want to push it. These sound better with really bright mouthpieces than almost any other saxophone, if that’s your thing. But they sound great with something like an MC Gregory Model A like Pepper used. This is as nice an example of a Magna as you are likely to find! I’m getting the thumb hook screw sorted out by the way. Only one available!
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Martin Music Man Alto Original Lacquer Gorgeous! 208891
$ 2,150Gorgeous original lacquer Martin Music Man alto saxophone. This is one of my favorite The Martin Alto Committee III’s ever, and is being sold from my personal collection. It was in another collection for many decades before I got it, and it has been cared for very well over the years. The pads aren’t bad, but it’s not freshly overhauled either. It plays well on them. I’d play it for a while and save up for an overhaul before too long, if you want to unlock the full potential.
The Official Music Man model was made to commemorate the runaway hit musical ‘The Music Man’ about a traveling band instrument salesman. (I’m sure you know it.) These are a lot like a regular Comm III, “The Martin Alto” but have some extra engraving and the adjustable neck octave key stoppers like a Magna. They will always be more desirable and collectible than a regular The Martin Alto, but they have the same power, projection, and dark, complex tone. These horns are built to last, and came with 50 year warranties when new. Some of them are just leaving their warranty coverage now, which is hilarious. Only one available!
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Selmer Balanced Action Alto Saxophone Excellent Condition Original Overhauled 24352
$ 7,500This is a SUPER nice example of one of my favorite saxophones – the Selmer Balanced Action! This has to be one of the nicest Balanced Action altos around at the moment, as there are not many 80 year old saxophones that have original finish and still look remotely this good. If you’ve been looking for a gorgeous vintage Selmer that has a warm tone, you would be hard pressed to do better than this! The Selmer Balanced Action is the saxophone whose keywork became the basis for all modern saxophones. So if you want something that has the most warm and spread tone, but that has modern keywork, then the Balanced Action is probably your best overall option. They are sweet, lyrical players, but with the recognizable Selmer ‘French’ core tone that people look for in a Selmer as well. This is the kind of horn that makes it easy to elicit compliments from listeners on what a pleasant tone you have on sax. It’s not really a screamer or paint peeler. More of a beautiful tone than an earth shattering one. That said, you can play loudly on it as well. This Balanced Action had a recent overhaul done in California, and it feels good under the fingers on nearly new pads that are sealing well and just checked up to make sure they’re perfect. You don’t need to budget for an overhaul or any kind of restoration. Just buy it and play it. Easy! And there’s no other saxophone with more beautiful lacquer and engraving. As I write this, I can feel the urge to just keep it! But I do have to buy AND sell saxophones in order to stay in business. If your business is something else, then you should just buy this one and keep it. It will certainly continue to hold its value and go up in value over time. There are very few nicer examples of this superlative model of vintage Selmer.
Only one available!
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Selmer Mark VI Alto 1957 Original Lacquer Recent Overhaul Great! 70876
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Selmer Mark VI Alto 1960 Original Lac Fresh Overhaul! Outstanding 94108
$ 7,950This is an original lacquer Selmer Mark VI Alto from 1960 that was one owner for almost its entire life until now. It was played by a pro in FL. He had a pickup installed in the neck, which I got removed and replaced with a ‘flush plug’ meaning the brass is perfectly smooth and matching inside and out, like it was never there. The 90k-118k altos are my favorite Mark VI’s for tone of all. This 94k just got a complete overhaul and is playing ridiculously well now. It feels like a brand new saxophone, and plays like one too. Effortless low register; dry, snappy pad feel; slightly domed brass resonators (reusable selmer style ones that are $125 a set), the works. It also comes in a new form-fitted BAM Classic alto case, which is the best BAM for the money for sure and has a large external storage pocket, hard shell, and soft internal foam formed to fit a Selmer. 5 digit altos have gotten more expensive these days, and this one is priced lower than a new Selmer, and sounds and plays better, and has a better overhaul. That’s hard to beat if you want a good Selmer alto.
Only one available!
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Selmer Mark VI Alto 1962 Original Lacquer Low A Fresh Overhaul! 106690
$ 8,000 -
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Selmer Mark VI Alto 1962 Original Silver Great Pads High F# Clean! 102960
This is a gorgeous example of a 1962 Selmer Mark VI Alto saxophone in original silver plate finish with high F#. It is sold in excellent playing condition with good pads and a ‘low miles’ overhaul. It includes the pictured BAM case as well, to keep it safe in shipping, as well as the original case with red crushed velvet interior. It’s hard to beat the early 60’s Mark VI altos for tone.
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Selmer Mark VI Alto 1964 Near Mint Original Lacquer Original Pads 116897
$ 7,950This is a REALLY clean original lacquer, original pads Selmer Mark VI alto from 1964. Matt Stohrer uses this horn on is Stohrer Music channel to go over what an original Selmer Mark VI factory pad job and setup looks like. It’s that clean. It had one ding removed from the back of the bow, and there are no dents or dings now, and no past repairs. The neck has matching serial number and is also in excellent condition. This horn sat in the case for almost its entire life so far, as it was owned by a clarinet player who only used it occasionally. It still plays pretty well on the original pads. It has a dark, focused, powerful, tenor-like tone that only the ’63-’64 altos have, and that many Selmer aficionados have also noted about these horns. It has some interesting coloration in the lacquer just from sitting against the case and the lacquer aging differently depending upon which parts made contact with the case and which did not. If you want a time capsule Selmer Mark VI alto from one of my favorite years, that’s what this is. Only one available!
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Selmer Mark VI Alto 1965 Near Mint Original Pads 127335
$ 8,950Super nice Mark VI alto original lacquer. One owner, original pads from 1965. What a gorgeous example! One only sees a VI alto this nice a couple times a year, even at GetASax!
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Selmer Mark VI Alto 1965 Original Lacquer Very Good Condition 129247
$ 7,750Beautiful condition 1965 Selmer Mark VI Alto saxophone with original lacquer and American engraving. The neck has the matching serial number to the body. It has some stand scratches on the bell, and some miscellaneous wear from use, but it is as nice as can be. The pads are in gret condition! This was a one owner horn that was well cared for its entire life. Now it’s ready for a new owner to take care of it for its next 60 years.
The tone is dark, powerful, and focused with lots of projection. I like the mid 60’s VI altos the best for tone out of all of the VI altos.
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Selmer Mark VI Alto 1967 Vertical Stamp Original Lacquer Powerful! 142275
$ 8,950 -
Selmer Mark VI Alto 1973 Original Lacquer Plays Well 220833
$ 4,950 -
Selmer Mark VI Alto 1974 Original Lacquer American Engraved Very Good Condition 234127
$ 4,950Beautiful original lacquer Selmer Mark VI Alto in very good condition. This alto also still plays quite well on its mostly original factory pad setup. It has a resoldered keyguard foot on low C on one side, and that’s the only repair. The neck is in great shape, and I don’t see any damage anywhere. Plan on a repad soon, but you’re looking at a beautiful original VI alto for Yamaha type of money. That’s a great deal!
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Selmer Mark VI Alto 1974 Original Lacquer Good Pads 227643
$ 4,950Original lacquer Selmer Mark VI Alto Saxophone with original lacquer, American engraving and good pads for only $4950. The later serial Mark VI altos like this have excellent intonation, excellent balanced medium-bright tone, and are extremely well built. This alto has nothing wrong with it, plays great, and will go up in value while you own it, but it’s about the same price as a Yamaha or something. That’s nuts! You should definitely buy it if you can swing the price. There’s nothing like a Mark VI – it has the best combination of keywork, ergonomics, build quality, and tone of any saxophone, which is why it still sets the standard for professional saxophones 50 years after Selmer stopped making them! This one also has a roomy case with plenty of storage.
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Selmer Mark VI Alto 1974 Original Lacquer Original Pads Very Good Condition 221505
$ 5,350On consignment, this is a beautiful Selmer Mark VI alto saxophone with original lacquer and American engraving. For a fraction of the price of a new Selmer, you can get a Mark VI in great shape. This alto has original pads, so plan on a repad soon, but it won’t be a difficult job. Mark VI’s are easy to work on, and this one is in great mechanical condition and should be a straightforward job. Later serial VI altos are beloved for their excellent intonation and superior low register response. I like the tone on them as well. They’re probably the best value overall in a Selmer saxophone, because they have improvements over the earlier VI altos, yet they are priced much lower. Only one available!
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Selmer Prelude Student Alto Very Good Condition
$ 600 -
Selmer Radio Improved Alto Original Lacquer, Recent Overhaul 19276
$ 4,950If you read around on here a bit, you’ll see that I love Selmers from the 1930’s and the Radio Improved in particular. This one has most of its original lacquer intact, and is in quite good condition. it is also in great playing condition with a recent overhaul done by Jack Finucane (from a couple of years or so ago before he stopped doing overhauls), and feels nice and snappy under the fingers. The pads look a little funny in photos – that’s because of some powder from Yamaha powder paper that is on the leather. But the pads themselves are in excellent condition and are nearly new. The resonators look like a Reso-Tech set made to match the vintage Selmer Tonex resos, but slightly oversized, and very slightly domed. They are a good match for the horn, and they almost look like vintage Selmer resonators. It didn’t get played much after overhaul, as the owner is in a military band and plays a modern horn most of the time for work. It’s on consignment now, and I think it’ll likely sell quickly.
The tone of a Radio Improved alto is the reason to buy it. It’s like a Selmer blended with a Conn almost- delicate lyrical core that reminds me of an SBA, but with a wider, warmer, more spread feel like a Conn. The keywork is not modern. This is before the ‘Balanced Action’ keywork improvements, so you will have to get used to the left hand pinky keys if you haven’t played a vintage horn before. If you have, then it’s no problem. I barely notice keywork differences anymore after playing all the different styles out there. This one is more comfortable than most, and I like the direct action bell key mechanism.
The original lacquer is in beautiful shape and looks great – deep honey gold. The only spot that isn’t original lacquer (and you’d have to really look closely to tell this) is at the neck receiver, where it looks like Jack had to resolder the neck receiver and then mix up some matching lacquer to over spray there. The only way to tell is that there’s just a little sign of overspray of the new lacquer on top of the original lacquer just below the receiver. That resolder often needs to be done on a 30’s Selmer to make the neck receiver strong again after 80+ years of use. (It was done on my personal RI, so I specially look for it). These horns are very uncommon, and this one is nicer than the great majority of RI’s out there. Only 1140 RI altos were made, and this is probably in the top 10% of those.
Only one available!
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Selmer Radio Improved Alto Relacquer Great Deal 18901
$ 2,350 -
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Selmer Reference 54 Alto Kookaburra Exc Cond Fresh Full Overhaul! 700124
$ 5,950This Selmer Reference 54 alto is completely overhauled, which sets it far apart from other used modern Selmers that you will find on the market. This is also the Kookaburra edition. I understand they made 340 of these for the US market. They do seem to sell a little higher than the average Reference 54. I love how these horns play once they get a good overhaul. The odd thing is, they can be in nearly new condition, as this one is, and yet still need an overhaul to play well. As you probably know, unless you’re just getting into nice saxophones, an overhaul is a big job, and means that everything is rebuilt and replaced that is disposable on the saxophone. It takes a few days worth of skilled labor and a few hundred dollars worth of materials, so it’s not cheap. The result is a saxophone that plays and feels better than new, as this one does. It’s a deal at this price. The Reference 54 is my favorite modern Selmer.
Original case is included, also in excellent condition.
Only one available!
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Selmer Reference 54 Alto Saxophone Flamingo Dark Lacquer Plays Great! 708286
$ 5,450 -
Selmer SBA Alto Orig Silver Plate Fresh Overhaul! 38147
$ 6,250Back from a full overhaul, this Super Balanced Alto is a very sweet player! Get your Paul Desmond going on this excellent alto saxophone. Low register is lush, effortless, and saturated even at low volumes. It feels like a new sax under the fingers. We turned back the clock on this one.
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Selmer SBA Alto Original Lacquer Recent High End Overhaul Gorgeous 51347
$ 7,500Amazing original lacquer Selmer SBA alto with a recent high-end overhaul. It plays great! This is about as nice an example as you are likely to find. It has a medium dark, smoky tone that fills a room with ease. The core is lyrical and delicate, making this a great do-it-all alto for either classical or jazz. Just switch your mouthpiece out! The scale is nice and even. Intonation is quite good as well. No resolders, no dents, no dings. It’s one of the most beautiful ones around.
It comes with a nearly new BAM Classic alto case that fits it perfectly, and that is protective for shipping.
Only one available!
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Selmer Super Action 80 Series 1 Alto 343195 Very Good Condition Great Tone!
$ 3,450As you may know if you hang around this site, I like Selmer Super Action 80 series 1 altos a lot. They are better built and have a more interesting tone than Series IIs, and they also tune well with a Meyer style mouthpiece, unlike a typical Series II. This Series 1 is in very good condition with only some minor signs of use, and a mix of pads that are still sealing pretty well. It doesn’t have a complete overhaul, so plan on swapping out some pads little by little as you go. That let’s me price it lower so that you can get a Selmer Paris alto that is as good as one that costs 2-3x as much, and save the difference. We did a quick sound sample of this horn below, though you can sound a hundred different ways on it depending on your style, reed, and mouthpiece choice. It’s a great all-around alto because it just gets the job done. I love the focused, lyrical, medium-dark tone. It’s got some complexity to it, and lends itself both to a dark classical tone or to a bright mouthpiece pairing to get projection while staying fat sounding. Only one available!
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Selmer Super Action 80 Series II Alto Excellent and Fresh Overhaul Primo! 438732
$ 4,250 -
Selmer Super Sax Alto Saxophone Original Silver Plate American Engraved Amazing 17875
$ 4,950 -
Selmer Super Sax Cigar Cutter Alto Original Gold Plate 15579
$ 6,000 -
Selmer Super Sax Cigar Cutter Alto Original Lacquer Fresh Overhaul Exceptional! 16757
$ 4,950Just overhauled. Photos are before the overhaul. It looks a bit nicer now, and plays ridiculously well. It’s like the warmth and lyrical core of a Selmer Balanced Action, but with the wideness and power of a Conn 6M added in. Keywork is the older style, of course, so you can’t be too fussy about that. We just did a GS NY demo video quick preview with this exact alto, so you can hear it in action on an extremely precise copy of my favorite Meyer Bros NY alto piece in this demo clip. You can tell Tyler is a tenor player from the way he really pushes the horn with tons of air, but it doesn’t back down!
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Selmer Super Sax Cigar Cutter Alto Saxophone Original Gold Plate Fresh Overhaul! 17618
$ 7,500Is this the best playing alto on the website right now? It might be!
Original gold plated vintage Selmers are hard to find. Gold plated Super Sax Selmers are even harder! If you want a Selmer that has some of the the wideness and darker tone of a Conn, this is the horn for you! This beautiful example still has the ‘cigar cutting’ octave mechanism that goes away shortly after this serial number. The original gold is in great shape, with some wear from use. This horn just got a top quality overhaul done by J&H Winds in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Jimmy Jensen and Simon Harding’s shop there is doing a fantastic job on vintage saxophone restorations, and gets my full endorsement! This thing feels better than new under the fingers. It has Italian Pisoni pads that were specially ordered thicknesses to fit the deeper pad cups. And the resonators are Aaron Barnard’s reusable slightly domed brass ones that are my favorite on lots of types of vintage saxophone. This sax got the full treatment, and now it is SO fun to play. It is super alive – vibrates like crazy under the fingers. The intonation is quite good with my GS New York alto mouthpiece, so you are fine with either a large or a medium chamber on this alto. The tone is so velvety and rich – dark, smooth, complex, and WIDE. If you want to fill a room, this is the horn for you. The gold is also gorgeous. The only drawback is the ergonomics. It’s not modern. I actually like the direct action that closes the left hand bell keys– it’s nice and snappy and easy. The downside is just if you need to get around a lot of low notes really quickly, and you don’t have good pinky finger dexterity. To me the tone makes it totally worth it. And how many blazing passages in the extreme low register do you realistically play? Probably not that many. So this is the total package of rarity, beauty, top shelf overhaul, and tone.
Only one available!
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Sold Out
Selmer Supreme Alto Dark Lacquer Like New Plus Thorough Setup
$ 7,850Selmer Supreme alto that is in like new condition, but I spent a lot of money on setup on it, fixing some not-so-well-done factory setup. It needed a BIG setup, to fix pad seating problems from the factory, and to clean up some messy corks, check some mechanical things, and add more adhesive behind many of the pads. Now, it’s good to go for the long-haul, and it plays extremely well! I’m amazed at the even scale – middle C to octave D is extremely even, for example. The intonation is excellent as well – much better than a Series II for me (using a Meyer style mouthpiece). You’ll love how it plays, but this is much better than buying a new one without any work done. This is the second Supreme I’ve had in brand new, and both of them needed quite a bit of work to play their best.
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Selmer USA Alto Silver Cheap 20898
$ 200 -
Theo Wanne MOKSHA Alto Rare and Super Deluxe Mantra – Fully Engraved 20003
$ 3,500Theo Wanne Moksha alto made mostly of titanium! This was an exciting new model that Theo Wanne wanted to make, but it was too expensive to make. The matching alto and tenor final prototypes were sold by Theo, and they’re on consignment here for the original owner. These have brass keys, titanium bell and body tube, and lots of engraving. They also have ‘tone bridges’ that you can install or leave off as you like, that give an extra connection between neck and body tube, tube and bow etc.
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Yamaha Early Purple Logo YAS-62 Alto older pads Great Tone! 3753
$ 2,150 -
Yamaha YAS-23 Alto Good Condition Best Student Alto Beautiful Shape 302437
$ 1,000 -
Yamaha YAS-23 Alto Saxophone Overhauled Best Student Sax! 149431A
$ 1,000 -
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Yamaha YAS-26 Alto Near Mint Condition Great! U72312
$ 1,450This is a fantastic condition Yamaha YAS-26 alto saxophone, that is the top recommendation of most band directors for a first alto saxophone. At $2166, the new price can be a stretch for many band parents. This one saves you $700+ off the price, and the horn looks basically new and plays better than new, because my repairman just went completely over the horn made sure that it’s playing its absolute best. (It got way more attention than a typical YAS-26 you’d buy at Music and Arts or whatever.) Looks new as well, and I can also jump start your saxophone career with some free accessories, and advise you on a good mouthpiece and reed setup to get you going (this can help a LOT).
Only one available! But if you aren’t the lucky family that gets this one, check the altos category for more YAS-23’s and YAS-26’s. I buy them and fix them up as a service to young saxophonists. I make virtually no money doing it, but every good saxophonist I know started on one of these. They really do put you on the right track as a young player. They’re also excellent altos for pros who double on alto or who want a dependable backup alto.
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Yamaha YAS-26 Alto Saxophone Brand NEW with Warranty and Setup
$ 2,166 -
Yamaha YAS-61 Alto Original Lacquer Old Pads 8822
$ 1,500 -
Yanagisawa A-900u Prima 75th Anniversary Alto with Gold Plated Neck 192205
$ 2,000 -
Yanagisawa A901 Professional Alto Very Good Condition Just Setup! 230760
$ 2,350The Yanagisawa A901 is a wonderful professional alto saxophone from Yanagisawa, that basically does everything really well. This one is in excellent condition and the pads are also in great shape. I just got it completely checked out and tuned up, and it is playing its best on pads that will last a long time without needing anything other than occasional checkups like any saxophone. The A901 is the same as the current model AWO1, which is the less expensive pro model. The two lines of Yanagisawa saxophones play basically the same, but the WO1/A901 has the regular neck octave key, single key arms on bell keys, and ‘post construction’ like most saxophones, where the posts that hold the keys are mounted on the body tube, rather than on a stiff metal rib that is then soldered to the body tube. I think this makes the 90x WOx horns play slightly with a little more of that lively feel of vibrating under the fingers, other things being equal. So not a big difference between this and he more expensive WO10.
Only one available!
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Sold Out
Yanagisawa A9930 Professional Alto Solid Silver Neck Very Good Condition 272190
$ 3,950 -
Yanagisawa AWO1 Professional Alto Saxophone New + Setup – Fantastic Deal! A901
$ 3,150New in the plastic Yanagisawa AWO1 Alto saxophone. This is probably the best deal overall in a modern alto, period. This horn just got checked out post shipping and is ready to play its very best right out of the case when you get it. It’s completely mint, with factory box and paperwork etc. You won’t find a better playing Yanagisawa AWO1 Alto Saxophone, nor will you find a better price. I have an extremely limited number of these that I can offer you at this sale price. Good luck to the few people who are able to jump on this deal!
If you’re wondering, the AWO1 is the brass version of Yanagisawa’s professional alto. This is the new name of what used to be the A901 model. It has a more open and vibrating feel than the heavier-built AWO10 (which is also a fantastic alto, but more expensive). My first good alto was one of these. If you want the best alto for the money, that would be the Yanagisawa AWO1. And when you go to re-sell it, you can get most to all of your money back, which is the opposite of most new saxophones.
Any questions, feel free to ask!
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Yanagisawa AWO2 Solid Bronze Alto Saxophone Brand New + Setup! A902
$ 3,750Two available March 2023, and they’ve both been setup and play GREAT!
Brand new, unplayed, in the plastic Yanagisawa AWO2 Alto saxophone. This is probably the best deal overall in a modern alto period. This horn just got checked out post shipping and is ready to play its very best right out of the case when you get it. It’s completely mint, with factory box and paperwork etc. You won’t find a better playing Yanagisawa AWO2, nor will you find a better price. I have an extremely limited number of these that I can offer you at this sale price. Good luck to the few people who are able to jump on this amazing deal!
If you’re wondering, the WO2 is the bronze version of Yanagisawa’s professional alto. This is the new name of what used to be the A902 model. It has a more open and vibrating feel than the heavier-built AWO20 (which is also a fantastic alto, but more expensive). My first good alto was one of these. And the solid bronze adds more depth and complexity to the tone – kind of a thick heart to the core of the tone. It’s quite easy to hear once you get used to it and play the different Yanagisawa saxophones. The AWO2 (A902) and AWO20 (A992) are my favorites, closely followed by AWO1 (A901) and AWO10 (A991) (same horns but in brass instead of bronze).
Any questions, feel free to ask!