1970s

Showing all 6 results

  • Couf Superba 1 Alto Original Lacquer Fresh High-End Overhaul Plays Great

    $ 2,350

    The H. Couf Superba 1 is one of my favorite vintage saxophones. They remain one of the best options for a great sounding alto sax with modern keywork and a rich, interesting tone. Darker and fatter sounding than a Yamaha, with rich, wide upper register, and a full, projecting low register, this alto will do it all. If you are looking for a great all-purpose alto, or even for an ideal smooth jazz or commercial sounding alto, the Couf Superba 1 fits the bill. I just sold one of these to a smooth jazz player who loves the fat sound that stays warm when brightened up with a bright mouthpiece. And he loves the comfort of the keywork. These are among the only saxophones that sound this full and rich and also have modern keywork. (Modern saxophones have, as a rule, moved towards a clearer, rounder, more contained sound, and can’t deal with as much air as a Superba 1 can take.)

    This alto came with its original pads still intact, and it is getting a full mechanical overhaul right now, which means it will be back to like new, or better-than-new condition mechanically, and playing wise. If you’re not used to used saxophone lingo, that means that a highly-skilled woodwind repairman is going to be spending about 30 hours of labor on this horn going over every detail, and replacing everything that can be replaced, (all new pads, corks, felts, mechanical work, setup, play testing, neck fit, full disassembly, cleaning, fresh oil etc.) so that it’s totally rebuilt and ready for its next many years of playing. That’s a big added value for you, because you don’t have to worry about the horn needing more than minor occasional maintenance to play its best for many years to come. It also means that it will play effortlessly, and saturatedly at low volumes, in the low register. Low Bb is just another note, even if you want to play it at pp.

    I have no trouble selling a Couf Superba 1 alto as soon as anyone plays one with the fresh overhaul. It’s really hard to beat, regardless of price. And at this price, it is really hard to beat.

    Only one available!

  • Couf Superba 1 Tenor Very Good Condition Original Lacquer Getting Overhauled!

    $ 3,850

    Just freshly overhauled. This might be the best playing tenor on the entire site (see also this Conn). This tenor has a HUGE, powerful tone, with effortless, fat low register, and crisp, fat upper register. It is just a joy to play. It got the premium TenorMadness hand-machined, slightly-domed, reusable metal resonators that work so well on these horns, and that look great also. 

    This is a very nice condition Couf (made by Keilwerth for Herb Couf) Superba I tenor, which is a great modern ergonomics horn with a lot of the big, fat tone of an old Conn.  Some people also compare them tonally to a good Selmer SBA, and they do indeed share the big sound you can get on a great Selmer.

    This particular sax sports a high F# key and has lived a relatively cosseted life thus far.  The only evidence of any repairs or damage past or present is a resolder on the low Eb keyguard foot, which is fairly common on these, and has no impact on playability. The original gold colored lacquer (which has a particularly beautiful lustre to it that can often be mistaken for gold plate) is in very good shape.  

    The Couf Superba I sports rolled toneholes and a really cool modern engraving pattern and was built in West Germany by Keilwerth to be imported by Herb Couf, a distinguished professional saxophonist who later was a Vice President of the W. T. Armstrong company.  As told to me by those who knew him and also as evidenced by playing the saxophone he chose to put his name on, the man had good taste in saxophones. If you have been looking for an extremely well built modern ergonomics horn with a bigger sound than you find on most modern instruments, look no further- Couf has you covered.  

    This is a very nice condition Couf (made by Keilwerth for Herb Couf) Superba I tenor, which is a great modern ergonomics horn with a lot of the big, fat tone of an old Conn.  Some people also compare them tonally to a good Selmer SBA, and they do indeed share the big sound you can get on a great Selmer.

    This particular sax sports a high F# key and phas lived a relatively cosseted life thus far.  The only evidence of any repairs or damage past or present is a resolder on the low Eb keyguard foot, which is fairly common on these, and has no impact on playability. The original gold colored lacquer (which has a particularly beautiful lustre to it that can often be mistaken for gold plate) is in very good shape.  

    The Couf Superba I sports rolled toneholes and a really cool modern engraving pattern and was built in West Germany by Keilwerth to be imported by Herb Couf, a distinguished professional saxophonist who later was a Vice President of the W. T. Armstrong company.  As told to me by those who knew him and also as evidenced by playing the saxophone he chose to put his name on, the man had good taste in saxophones. If you have been looking for an extremely well built modern ergonomics horn with a bigger sound than you find on most modern instruments, look no further- Couf has you covered.  

  • Selmer Mark VI Alto Original Lacquer American Engraved Excellent Condition 233486

    $ 5,450

    This very clean, American-assembled late Mark VI alto is a good example of why I think the late American-assembled VIs are a relative bargain.  It is very nearly unplayed, sporting most of its original pads (I had a bit of repair work done on it to bring it up to playable) and it possesses an undeniably huge tone, probably the most strident and powerful of all the VI altos.  The American-assembled Mark VI altos in the very late run have a large patch soldered to the inside of the bow at the factory to reduce the overall volume of of the interior of the bow, and they play better with noticeably less burble and resistance down low.   It is a low-tech solution, but one that works very well and was therefore done at the factory to every American-assembled Mark VI alto after around serial number 210,000 or so.

    This particular saxophone is in very good condition, with its original lacquer.  There are a few small scratches here and there and some playing wear on the touchpieces of the side keys and palm keys, but 99% or more of the lacquer remains and it shows no evidence of past repairs or resolders.  This is a nice, solid Mark VI alto in excellent condition that will blow the doors down if called upon to do so.

  • Selmer Mark VI Soprano from 1971 Excellent Original Lacquer 189112

    $ 5,250

    This is an extremely nice condition, original pads Selmer Mark VI soprano.  It appears to have been played very little, and actually plays extremely well on its original pads, which to me is an indication that this horn has led a very sheltered life and harbors no surprises for its future owner.  This horn is original lacquer, Euro-assembled with no engraving. The original case, protected by a case cover, is in excellent condition. The horn plays with the warm, centered and focused tone that VI sopranos are known for- with the certain alluring beauty that makes them hard to put down.  If you’ve been looking for an original, unmolested Mark VI soprano to make your own, it would be hard to find one in better shape than this one, and the later serial makes it one of the less expensive ways to acquire one.

    It includes the case in the photos, and if you want to add a nice BAM Signature soprano case, I can get you a great discount on one. Keeps the horn very safe in shipping and gigging.

    Only one available!

  • Selmer Mark VI Soprano from 1971 Original Silver Plate + BAM Case 189125

    $ 4,200

  • Selmer Mark VI Soprano Saxophone 253537

    $ 4,850

    Beautiful original lacquer Selmer Mark VI soprano saxophone in excellent condition. The pads are a mix of older and newer, mostly older. But it plays nicely on them with a warm, resonant tone. This is a great VI soprano and sounds rich, and also tunes quite well. Original case is in good shape too. No dents or dings, no resolders. A bit of stand wear inside the bell flare is about all there is to say about this very nice Mark VI soprano!