SML
Saxophones made by SML (Strasser, Marigaux, Lemaire) Paris
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SML Baritone 10xxx SUPER Rare Original Lacquer Fresh Overhaul Gold Medal
This rare SML baritone saxophone is in fine condition, sporting Rev D / Gold Medal era keywork. The horn is original lacquer and is in good condition. It had an expensive $1400 overhaul last year, followed by another very thorough ($500) setup by Matt Stohrer.
Sell us a saxophone like this! Read the details here, or email us directly at [email protected]We pay the best prices for great saxophones.This saxophone is sold! But click HERE to see our current selection of baritone and bass saxophones. -
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SML Coleman Hawkins Special Tenor Rare (Unique?) Late Example
Sell us a saxophone like this! Read the details here, or email us directly at [email protected]We pay the best prices for great saxophones.This saxophone is sold! But click HERE to see our current selection of tenor saxophones. -
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SML Gold Medal 1 Tenor 18835 Great Deal!
This SML Gold Medal 1 tenor is in on consignment! It has a big, powerful, dark tone!
If you’ve played an SML before, this is a classic example – sort of like a Selmer and Conn hybrid. Focused, lyrical core like a Selmer, but big, wide, fat sound like a Conn. Neck angle higher than average for tenor. Plays easy altissimo.In terms of condition – the lacquer obviously has quite a bit of wear from use. The neck is in nice shape with no past damage evident. Rolled tone holes look great. There are no dents or dings, but there has been dent work in the bow area, back of the bow, and bow guard. Crease removed from bell flare approx 3 o’clock to 6 o’clock if you’re looking with the horn upright. Looks like the low C and Eb keyguards have one foot resoldered each. Maybe a little dent work in the upper body tube, like around the D palm key foot and maybe near the neck receiver, but if so, it was done really well. I’m just going from the way the lacquer looks there. The tube is nice and smooth. There are no dents or dings at all! SML’s are really hard to beat in the quality per dollar department. And they are only getting more popular as people find out about their unique tone and combination of premium features.Only one available! -
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SML Gold Medal 1 Tenor Original Lacquer Deluxe Engraving Gorgeous 17481
This is the SML that is the most desirable of all in my book. Only in a narrow serial range right around this, did they have the fancy engraving all over the bell including inside. This is the coveted Gold Medal 1 with all the touted features that set this model apart, and with rolled tone holes and new pads. This sax is original lacquer, excellent condition. It would be quite hard to find a better gold medal tenor.
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SML Gold Medal 1 Tenor Rolled Tone Holes Pichard 19925 Excellent Price
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SML Gold Medal 1 Tenor Saxophone
This saxophone is sold! But click here to see our current selection of tenor saxophones.This is a rare SML Gold Medal 1 Tenor saxophone in good playing condition. A few of the rolled tone holes (Side Bb, C, and high Eb I believe) show signs of buffing and the middle F tonehole has been repaired and looks good now. It plays very well as is. It’s priced at a bargain price because of the past repairs. That’s a good deal for a playing SML tenor. If you want the biggest, darkest tone possible on a French saxophone this is just about it. It ships in a nice protec contoured hard case, and I can include a red leather soft case made by Gard, for a little extra.
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SML Gold Medal 1 Tenor Saxophone 17xxx Gorgeous
This saxophone is sold! But click here to see our current selection of tenor saxophones.This is one of the most beautiful SML tenors made, with my favorite engraving pattern (including inside the bell) and my favorite deep gold lacquer color. This horn has a wonderful overhaul on it. I wish I knew who had done this work because it roasts. If you want to have a dark, dense, powerful tone that is Selmer-like but has the big tone of a Conn, this is for you.
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SML Gold Medal 1 Tenor Saxophone Original Lacquer 18k Pichard Stencil
This is a beautiful SML Gold Medal 1 tenor made for Pichard. It’s fully a Gold Medal 1 (SML ‘stencils’ aren’t really stencils. They have all the normal features of horns stamped SML). It just got a complete overhaul with all new everything, and it plays effortlessly. The only past repair on this horn is a removed dent in the bell flare and slight push out of the bell body brace. It’s done well and looks great. I have rarely seen an SML this nice before. Only a couple of times ever. It almost looks like a brand new saxophone.
The tone is dark, round, powerful, and moderately focused with a ‘french core’. It’s that elusive Selmer+Conn tone that everybody seems to want, which is why these SML Gold Medal 1’s have such an enthusiastic following. (SML was started by Selmer employees who wanted to catch up with the Americans by making a saxophone that played more like a Conn.)
Only one available!
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SML Gold Medal 1 Tenor Saxophone Recent Overhaul Excellent! 19077
Beautiful original lacquer SML Gold Medal 1 Tenor Saxophone for sale! The Gold Medal 1 is the most desirable SML tenor saxophone, and this is an excellent example of it! The pads are recently replaced, and I just got it thoroughly setup so that it feels really good under the fingers and plays its best! You would be hard pressed to find a cleaner, more original and beautiful example! These usually sell for this price WITHOUT an overhaul, so this is an excellent deal as well.
Nothing sounds or feels like an SML to play. The tone is dark and wide like Conn but with a dash of vintage Selmer mixed in. It is more focused than a Conn, but similarly dark and very powerful. These sound amazing with a brighter mouthpiece setup, like an Early Babbitt link or a Berg, but with a darker piece like a Reso or Slant, they are also lush and warm.
Only one available!
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SML Gold Medal Alto ‘Lucerne’ New Old Stock!
This saxophone is sold! But click HERE to see our current selection of alto saxophones.For your enjoyment, here is a cool SML Gold Medal saxophone stenciled “Lucerne” and exported to the USA, where it has sat in a warehouse for the last 40+ years. This horn was never sold and is new old stock. It has a few small bumps and bruises from storage, but even so, it’s a joy to see the unique rose-gold lacquer that has aged evenly over time, without any wear or even fingerprints on it!
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SML Gold Medal I Tenor Saxophone 16xxx
This saxophone is sold! But click here to see our current selection of tenor saxophones.SML Saxophones are some of my all-time favorites, and not that many people know about them. This is probably because they are relatively rare, with only 25k or so made. (Compare that to ~700k Selmers, for instance.)
The Gold Medal I SML is the peak of this company’s saxophone construction. It has a score or more of features that no other saxophones have, like a neck receiver tightening ring, springs that are all the same size etc. (See here for all the features: http://www.saxophone.org/sml.html )
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SML Gold Medal II Alto Saxophone Excellent Condition Old Pads 23350
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SML Gold Medal II Tenor Gorgeous and Overhauled!
This saxophone is sold! But click here to see our current selection of tenor saxophones.Super clean condition SML tenor with $1200 overhaul, $100 set of resonators, $200 new case. The last few nice SML’s I saw on eBay were selling with multiple bidders for over $1000 more than this, with OLD pads!
This is a great deal.
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SML Gold Medal II Tenor Original Lacquer Great Deal
Super clean condition SML tenor with original pads! The last few nice SML’s I saw on eBay were selling with multiple bidders for way more than this.
Sell us a saxophone like this! Read the details here, or email us directly at [email protected]We pay the best prices for great saxophones.This saxophone is sold! But click HERE to see our current selection of tenor saxophones.This is a great deal.
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SML Gold Medal II Tenor Original Lacquer King Marigaux Matt Stohrer Overhaul! 22245
On Hold 3/8/24
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SML Gold Medal Tenor Lucerne 21xxx Overhauled!
This saxophone is sold! But click here to see our current selection of tenor saxophones.This is a clean, store display model Lucerne stencil SML tenor saxophone. It is a Gold Medal model with straight tone holes rather than rolled (which is actually better for you because your repair guy will be much better at working on the horn down the road). It hung on the wall of a distributor’s display room for something like 30 years, apparently never having been played for any length of time. The lacquer had gotten mottled looking from sitting out, so I just had this horn fully overhauled, and it is now bare brass, no lacquer, and it looks gorgeous. The brass will of course get darker and patina as you play this horn.
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SML Gold Medal Tenor Saxophone 20xxx Original Overhauled!
This saxophone is sold! But click here to see our current selection of tenor saxophones.This is a beautiful SML tenor. This horn has a wonderful overhaul on it, done by Aaron Barnard, who is one of the best techs in the USA. It has pisoni premium pads and $100-a-set screw-in domed brass resonators (my personal favorite on an SML). If you want to have a dark, dense, powerful tone that is Selmer-like but has the big tone of a Conn, this is for you.
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SML Gold Medal Tenor Saxophone Nice!
This saxophone is sold! But click here to see our current selection of tenor saxophones.This is a beautiful rolled tone holes Gold Medal tenor that has fancy deluxe engraving including inside the bell. The original lacquer on the horn body is a beautiful rose gold color, and the neck either aged differently (you see this on Buffet’s sometimes) or was relacquered at some point to a honey gold color (though the neck is slightly darker, not lighter, than the horn, so go figure.). These horns have the biggest, darkest tone and really play great.
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SML King Marigaux Gold Medal Alto Saxophone 20xxx
This saxophone is sold! But click HERE to see our current selection of alto saxophones.This is a pristine, collector-grade SML King Marigaux alto, virtually like new in the original case. This horn is gorgeous with no past repairs. It has all original pads, and it still plays well with a big, warm, projecting tone.
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SML King Marigaux Soprano Saxophone Gold Medal 2 Excellent 25321
This is a gorgeous example of an SML soprano saxophone with original lacquer. It’s a Gold Medal 2, meaning it has straight tone holes, but it has nearly all of the other features of a Gold Medal 1 and is practically the same. Many of these were distributed by King and have the King name on the bell along with the Marigaux (The ‘M’ in SML). I have the matching tenor to this soprano also for sale now. These are some of the best values around in vintage saxophones today. The SML saxophones play basically like a Conn/Selmer hybrid, with a bigger, darker tone like a Conn, but with easy modern feeling keywork like a Selmer, and a a bit of French saxophone in the mix. If you want a soprano that isn’t reedy and nasal, but tends towards a wider operatic sound, even in the upper register, then Conn, Martin, and SML are your main options, and SML is the most modern feeling under the fingers of the three.
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SML King Marigaux Tenor Original Lacquer Very Good Condition 22245
This is an SML Gold Medal II Tenor, which is pretty much just a Gold Medal 1 with straight tone holes instead of rolled tone holes. This difference makes the price lower, but it also makes the horn easier to maintain, as more repair shops are comfortable seating pads on normal, straight tone holes, than on rolled ones. Anyway, most of these say King Marigaux on the bell (sold under the King name, but also with Marigaux (the M in SML) after the King for clarity. The tone is dark, full, and powerful, but with a more solid core to it than a Conn. SML was originally envisioned as a company offering a French saxophone that played as well as a Conn (as opposed to backward and behind-the-times Selmer). As such, you’ll hear a lot of Conn wideness and darkness to the tone. Yet SML has a sound and feel all its own. As a small company, it was keen on innovation, so the Rev D and Gold Medal 1-2 horns all have a host of design improvements that increase their playability. In particular, you’ll notice the neck tightening ring with four slits for even tightening. This is a great idea, and was recently copied on the Selmer Supreme saxophones. The springs are also very intelligently designed so that the key feel is snappy and even throughout. There are about a score of other improvements touted by SML that you can read about if you google it. This horn is in excellent condition, and just had a few small dings removed pre-sale. It still has its original pads, so nobody has ever messed with it, and it’s ready for its first complete pad job now. That’s how I like to buy saxophones myself. I may get it overhauled here if it is here long enough. These horns are SO fun to play. I have one similar to this in my personal collection, and it blows people away when they try it. They’re all very good. It’s just a matter of getting one that is in excellent condition to start with, and then doing a smart overhaul on it. I recommend Pisoni Italian leather pads and flat or slightly domed medium sized metal resonators. That works great on these. It’s priced to sell. You won’t believe what a great pro tenor you get for less than a nicer Taiwanese horn or Yamaha now costs. And you also sound different from everybody else. Lush and fat like Dexter Gordon, but with more modern keywork than a Conn.
Only one available!
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SML Rev B Tenor Rare! Relacquered Old Pads Great Deal Tons of Potential!
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SML Rev D (=Gold Medal 1) Alto Saxophone Original Silver Plate Overhauled! 11584
Freshly overhauled, and hand-polished! This SML Rev D alto is looking its best and is ready to go for a long time now on a completely new high-end overhaul. It has high quality Pisoni leather pads and correct flat metal resonators with rivet.
SML, short for Strasser-Marigaux-LeMaire, is probably the best known small French maker of saxophones. They produced high quality instruments with a unique blend of features that ended up in what I like to think of as a perfect blend of Selmer and Conn- a very French tone, but big like a Conn.
The SML “Revision D”, which was not an official name but rather one given by collectors to the model run with this particular set of features, is a professional handcrafted French saxophone whose features include rolled toneholes, a switchable automatic G#/C#, double sprung octave mechanism (which is an excellent feature preventing slow octave changes and should be standard on all saxophones), a 4 slot neck tenon receiver (again, an excellent feature that should be made standard, this time one that applies pressure more evenly around the neck tenon for a more secure fit less likely to develop leaks), and adjustment screws on the upper and lower stacks. In fact, the Revision D is very much like the model that came after called the Gold Medal, and shares the same bore. The only features that the Gold Medal has that this horn doesn’t are the rocking octave thumbrest (which isn’t actually so great and is often times disabled at the request of the player) and the adjustable felt bumpers for the low notes, which while nice is not a game changer in any way.
The original silver plating is in very good condition and seems to be almost unworn, and the neck shows no sign of past damage or repair work. There was a little dent by the F#/G# tone holes that was removed nicely, and is very hard to see now, if you can see it at all. I have a few photos of that spot and it’s nearly invisible.
These SMLs have a fantastic sound, unique in their blend of refined yet powerful, and possess excellent craftsmanship. Not very many were made- about 15,000 total of all sizes of the horns considered to be their best- and they hold up very well over time.
Sell us a saxophone like this! Read the details here, or email us directly at [email protected]We pay the best prices for great saxophones.This saxophone is sold! But click HERE to see our current selection of alto saxophones. -
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SML Rev D (=Gold Medal 1) Tenor Saxophone Permagold Overhauled
This is the SML you want. Overhauled recently, and just tuned up to full power. This horn rocks! The permagold plating is a bit worn from normal use, but it looks great! Like gold but doesn’t tarnish. This horn is dark and powerful and plays superbly.
Sell us a saxophone like this! Read the details here, or email us directly at [email protected]We pay the best prices for great saxophones.This saxophone is sold! But click HERE to see our current selection of tenor saxophones. -
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SML Rev D (Gold Medal 1) Tenor Saxophone Original Lacquer 11774 1954 Needs Overhaul
This original lacquer SML Rev D tenor saxophone is the same as an SML Gold Medal 1 Tenor. (The Rev D is what won the ‘Gold Medal’ so that they named it ‘Gold Medal’). This horn needs an overhaul, but it is original lacquer and it is in good condition with no dents. The neck receiver and one foot of the Eb key guard have been resoldered, and some dent work is evident on the back of the body tube (by the serial number, thumb hook, strap hook, and under the D palm key foot). There are no dents now, and the horn is ready to be overhauled. When these horns are all ready to go, they just sound fantastic, with a Selmer-Conn sort of tone – lyrical core like a French saxophone, but big, wide, and lush like a Conn. Palm keys stay nice and fat and full sounding, and don’t thin out, and the tone is nice and medium dark. It brightens up beautifully with a bright mouthpiece, giving you the sort of sound that many players are going for on Conns, but with the SML keywork and other special features that set these horns apart. This has rolled tone holes and is currently original pads. It was one owner until now. Once it’s all overhauled, you will have a top notch pro tenor that feels good under the fingers, tunes well, looks great, and sounds extremely good. I have an SML much like this in my collection, and it’s one of my favorite horns. They usually sell for much more than this price, even with old pads. I have seen a few go for more than twice this price on eBay not too long ago.
Only one available!
Sell us a saxophone like this! Read the details here, or email us directly at [email protected]We pay the best prices for great saxophones.This saxophone is sold! But click HERE to see our current selection of tenor saxophones. -
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SML Rev D / Gold Medal 1 Orig. Permagold Plate Tenor Saxophone 11657
Sell us a saxophone like this! Read the details here, or email us directly at [email protected]We pay the best prices for great saxophones.This saxophone is sold! But click HERE to see our current selection of tenor saxophones. -
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SML Rev D / Gold Medal Alto Saxophone 12xxx Near Mint
This saxophone is sold! But click HERE to see our current selection of alto saxophones.This is a new old stock, collector-grade SML Rev D / Gold Medal alto, virtually unplayed in the original case. The “Rev D” version is the SML that won the gold medal (and was then named accordingly) and is the same horn. This horn is gorgeous with no past repairs, neck is not pulled down, no resolders. The finishing coat of lacquer remains on all the pearl key touches, which shows that this horn has really almost never been played at all. With only a small number of SML’s produced, there are very few that are still in as near-pristine condition as this.
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SML Rev D / Gold Medal Tenor 11660 Original Perma-Gold Overhauled!
Sell us a saxophone like this! Read the details here, or email us directly at [email protected]We pay the best prices for great saxophones.This saxophone is sold! But click HERE to see our current selection of tenor saxophones. -
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SML Rev D Alto Saxophone 11xxx Original Fresh Overhaul
This saxophone is sold! But click HERE to see our current selection of alto saxophones.SML is one of my favorite saxophone makers, and this is my favorite model of alto that they made. Don’t be fooled by the fact that there are more expensive horns on the site. The price does not always correspond to what you get. This is one of the best playing altos around. This horn has rolled tone holes and a big sound like a Conn, but it also has a French core and great ergonomics like a Selmer. On top of that SML has its own vibe and complexity, so when you put it all together, you have a seriously good alto sax.
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SML Rev D Alto Saxophone 11xxx Original Fresh Overhaul
This saxophone is sold! But click HERE to see our current selection of alto saxophones.SML is one of my favorite saxophone makers, and this is my favorite model of alto that they made. Don’t be fooled by the fact that there are more expensive horns on the site. The price does not always correspond to what you get. This is one of the best playing altos around. This horn has rolled tone holes and a big sound like a Conn, but it also has a French core and great ergonomics like a Selmer. On top of that SML has its own vibe and complexity, so when you put it all together, you have a seriously good alto sax.
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SML Rev D Alto Saxophone Near Mint 10xxx
This saxophone is sold! But click HERE to see our current selection of alto saxophones.This is a virtually new old stock, collector-grade SML Rev D / Gold Medal alto, nearly unplayed in the original case. The “Rev D” version is the SML that won the gold medal (and was then named accordingly) and is the same horn as the “Gold Medal”. This horn is gorgeous with no past repairs, neck is not pulled down, no resolders. With only a small number of SML’s produced, there are very few that are still in as near-pristine condition as this. This is certainly the nicest Perma-gold SML that I have seen.
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SML Rev D Tenor 11xxx Near Mint Original Lacquer
This saxophone is sold! But click here to see our current selection of tenor saxophones.This is a rare, near mint condition original lacquer SML Rev D tenor (same model as the Gold Medal 1, but before it won the “gold medal” and was renamed). This horn has almost all of its original lacquer intact. It’s pretty rare to see a Rev D tenor at all, with only around 3000-4000 made total (between roughly SN#8000-16000 incl SATB), and this one is the nicest example of a tenor that I’ve seen. This horn had a recent overhaul and has been played very little since then. It has just been setup again to make sure that things are sealing as they should.
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SML Rev D Tenor Original Silver Plate Great Player! 12682
SML Rev D Tenor (All GM1 features) freshly overhauled. This has a moved strap hook for balance and a nice Tino schucht custom thumb hook for comfort. Plays SUPER well. You’d be hard pressed to find a better one! This is the big, full-throated, Conn/Selmer hybrid tone with a magic all its own added in. SML’s have a highly motivated following made up of nearly all of the people who have had the opportunity to play one that is properly overhauled.
This horn is really clean both cosmetically and mechanically. It comes from an SML collector in Europe, and it’s in fantastic condition. There are no resolders, and no dents. Everything is all overhauled, cleaned, and ready to go out of the case.
Only one available!
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SML Rev D Tenor Original Silver Plate Overhauled 9xxx
This saxophone is sold! But click here to see our current selection of tenor saxophones.This is a beautiful SML tenor. It’s a super-rare, near mint condition original silver plated example of what we call the “Rev D,” which only existed for a few thousand serial numbers before it was named the Gold Medal. Of course, SML didn’t call it a Rev D. That name comes from saxophone geeks who noticed that this is the fourth and final major design change in SML saxophones. It was their top-of-the-line, pro saxophone in the 50’s, and when it won the gold medal at the musical instrument show at the Hague in 1954, they renamed it the “Gold Medal.” So this is the Gold Medal model before it won the gold medal and was renamed, if that makes sense.
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SML Rev. D Alto Saxophone Mint
This saxophone is sold! But click HERE to see our current selection of alto saxophones.This is a pristine, collector-grade SML Rev D alto, virtually like new in the original case. This horn is gorgeous with no past repairs. It has almost all original pads, and it still plays well with a big, warm, projecting tone. The tone on this horn is dark, complex, lyrical and French, but with a strong 30’s Conn influence mixed in. Intonation is good, ergonomics are good. If you play a lot, it will need a repad in a year or so because the old pads will wear out. But if you want it to keep and play occasionally, it will be good for longer.
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SML Rev. D Alto Saxophone Original Lacquer 11xxx Excellent Condition! Old Pads
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SML Rev. D Tenor Saxophone Silver Plated 9xxx
This saxophone is sold! But click here to see our current selection of tenor saxophones.This is a rare, silver plated SML Rev D tenor (same model as the Gold Medal 1, but before it won the “gold medal” and was renamed). This horn has about 90+% of its original silver intact. It’s pretty rare to see a silver Rev D tenor, and this one is a beautiful example. The price listed includes an overhaul by Matt Stohrer, who is one of the best saxophone techs in the business. If you want to buy it as-is for less money, let me know, and we can talk.
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SML Reynolds Contempora Gold Medal 1 Tenor 19xxx
This saxophone is sold! But click here to see our current selection of tenor saxophones.This is a near mint SML Gold Medal with all original pads intact. This horn is super clean, with no past damage and original pads and setup. It is fully a Gold Medal including rolled tone holes and all the other features, so if you’ve been holding out for a nice clean SML, this is for you.
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SML Super 46 Alto Silver Plate 4xxx
This saxophone is sold! But click HERE to see our current selection of alto saxophones. -
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SML Tenor Saxophone Rev D Original
This saxophone is sold! But click here to see our current selection of tenor saxophones.The SML tenor is a superb combination of a dark, lush tone like a vintage Conn, with a French core and complexity like a Selmer or Buffet. This horn has almost all of its original lacquer intact. I see no resolders except the neck brace, where it had a pull down expertly repaired. The rest of the horn is extremely clean. There were two small dents – one under the palm D and one on the lower thumb hook. Nothing serious at all. This sax has rolled tone holes and (I think) all of the 22 features that made these horns famous and award-winning (the Gold Medal I appears to be nearly identical to the Rev.D except for bore diameter). This should be an amazing horn for somebody out there. If I didn’t already have another one, I’d keep it.