Lacquer

Showing all 31 results

  • Buescher Aristocrat Big B Tenor Original Lacquer Needs Overhaul

    $ 1,600

  • Buescher Big B Alto Saxophone Original Lacquer Good Condition 324407

    $ 1,650

    This is a 1949 Buescher “Big B” Aristocrat, so named for the ornate engraving of a, well, a Big B on the bell.  This horn is in very good condition, and the typical wear around the fine engraving of the B on the bell is not present, which indicates that this horn has led a life mostly in a closet somewhere.  There are no resolders or past dentwork to speak of, and it plays *way* better than it should on some very old pads, but you would want to get this repadded to play like it can, which is very, very good!  

    These horns are undervalued in my opinion.  I mean, you can get this one in such great shape with all of its original Snap-on resonators and overhaul it for not a whole lot more than a Yamaha student model in total- seems like a good buy to me! They combine excellent intonation, comfortable keywork, top notch build quality, and beautiful lacquer and engraving with a warm, centered tone.  Johnny Hodges famously played one of these, and his tone is a very good example of the blend of sweetness and power these horns possess.

  • Buescher Big B Tenor Saxophone 293523 Original Lacquer Fresh Full Overhaul Excellent!

    $ 3,500

    Price JUST reduced mid May 2020! This is an excellent deal!

    This is an original lacquer Buescher Aristocrat Big B tenor with the desirable small bell. It’s one of the most beautiful vintage Bueschers, with extensive engraving and gorgeously translucent, dark nitrocellulose lacquer. They don’t make them like this anymore.

    This tenor just got a full mechanical overhaul, and I mean the works! When I got it, it had new pads, but the pad work was not that good, so now it has a really great overhaul and plays excellently. The keywork is in great condition – nice and tight. The missing lacquer on the back of the bow doesn’t show when you play, and is from a small dent that was removed a bit to vigorously at some point. That is now fixed, and the rest of the horn is quite nice. Neck is in good condition also. There are no dents or dings. It is hard to find this desirable version of the vintage Buescher tenor in good shape, and this one is better than all but a few. It has the snaps and spuds intact, but has correct style ‘real’ pad work that works around the spuds. (If you watch Matt Stohrer’s video on Buescher overhauls, you’ll see what I mean. This is extra work, but worth it to do right the first time.)

    Playing wise, it’s tons of fun. It has a centered, warm tone with excellent response and intonation. It would be pretty hard to sound bad on this tenor. It has that classic American straight-ahead projection that fills a room whether you are amplified or not. And it’s just pleasant to listent to. So many of the modern options I hear people playing are different flavors of bland and rather hollow-sounding. This tenor is rich and full of color. Bueschers like this tune well with a wide range of mouthpieces, and they can do anything from classical to jazz to R&B.

    Only one available.

  • Buffet Super Dynaction Alto Saxophone Original Lacquer 17435

    $ 2,350
  • Sold Out

    Conn 10M Tenor Saxophone 1940 Pre War Excellent Condition Orig Overhauled!

    $ 4,650

    Fresh overhaul just finished late October! New photos coming soon. This is one sweet original 10M from the best vintage. Arguably the best sounding tenors ever. The overhaul came out wonderfully, and this thing feels like a new horn under the fingers.

  • Conn 10M Transitional Tenor Saxophone 1933 Fresh Overhaul Excellent Player

    $ 3,950

    This is a hard to find example of a very late ‘transitional’ Conn New Wonder II / 10M tenor saxophone. It has features of each model – mostly 10M keywork at this point, except for the bell keys still being split between left and right. Original lacquer!

    Just back from a near-overhaul extremely comprehensive setup. It had new pads when I got it in, but a bad overhaul, so we re-overhauled it but reused the pads, which were fine.  We disassembled, cleaned throughout, oiled, took out all the pads, and reseated them with extra adhesive, and replaced many of the tiny adjustment screws that Conns come with. This tenor also got the neck ‘fit’ to the tenon, which makes a big difference, and it got new rollers too, to match the originals. Now, it plays effortlessly, and feels and looks great. The pads are all sealing super well and should be setup for the long haul – unlikely to need more than minor adjustments for a long time! That’s great, because most people have never, I think, actually experienced a vintage saxophone like this when it was totally ‘right’. When it is, you see why these horns have such lasting value and popularity. They’re really just about the best sounding tenors ever. And it’s LOUD too, but without breaking up. The loudest Selmer is only about half as loud as a good Conn like this. And the body tube vibrates in your hands when you push it. It’s just the best.

    You get it for less than these often go for, simply because it has been played a lot and has some keyguard resolders and general lacquer wear. It’s all fixed up though, and should play great for a long time with just minor regular maintenance.

    Those Connoisseurs and Conngnoscenti (sorry, couldn’t resist) out there who know how great the late transitional tenors are can advise you on this one. It has the wideness and ‘wildness’ of a New Wonder II, but a little more focus, a little more slotted intonation, and the faster keywork of a 10M. If you want more focus, and even more slotted in intonation, then get a later 10M. If you want something a bit darker, and more spread, get an earlier NWII. If you want a little of both, get this! These tenors are only going up in value, so it’s also a solid buy as an instrument that will hold its value well when you go to sell it later.

    Only one available!

  • Conn Connstellation Alto Saxophone 28M Very Good Condition Original Lacquer 335771

    $ 2,250

    You could be forgiven for thinking that because there are two original lacquer, very good condition Conn 28M “Connstellation” saxophones on my website at the moment that these are somewhat common, but I assure you that is not the case!   I will copy and paste the general statements about the 28M from the other description, with the unique description of this particular instrument’s physical and playing condition at the bottom.

    The Conn 28M will always have a special place in my heart.  It represents the last time one of the great American saxophone manufacturing companies tried something wholly new, and although the horn never really found a market and not many were made, they are fantastic instruments that besides being unique and historically interesting, play *really* well.  

    These saxophones were redesigned, utilizing many ideas from Allen Loomis (Conn’s resident saxophone visionary) and Hugh Loney, with input from Santy Runyon, with the aim of creating a saxophone that had extremely slick keywork and a very balanced scale.  The keywork, although familiar under the fingers with regard to placement and layout, is mechanically quite different from any other saxophone and has been built from the ground up with the goal of reducing mechanical friction. There are no pivot screws anywhere on this saxophone, instead the long rods have a very long hinge rod with the middle machined down so only the ends touch.   The G# has a very unique torsion mechanism to provide a G# feel that is smooth throughout the range. The side keys are designed so that the angle and distance of travel is the same for each key. There are adjustment screws on the upper and lower stacks as well as the left hand pinky table. The bell keys are on the left side, and the pantsguard/bell keyguard is a large acrylic plate that was designed with the idea in mind of allowing the horn to vent properly regardless of playing position or clothing choice.  The octave mechanism has three pips (octave vents), one on the neck and two on the body, which has the end result of a very clear middle D and no hiss on the A or G#, as well as excellent intonation. The keywork in general is very light, and the pearls are larger than usual for Conn and a little flatter. The overall feeling is of a very light horn, extremely slick, easy to play, excellent intonation, and very even throughout.

    The one downfall of this design is the pantsguard, which is fairly brittle and often broken.  Although nowadays there are excellent replacements available, this one has its original guard in decent condition.  There is one repaired crack (visible in the photos) and the common small cracks radiating from some of the screw holes.  I would anticipate, absent any further damage, that this keyguard will last and should not present any problems- although I will furnish you with contact information for obtaining a well made (and somewhat more durable) replacement should you ever need it.  And believe it or not, I have experience shipping these so you can rest easy knowing I will remove it for shipping, wrap it separately, and it will arrive to you in good condition.

    This instrument plays quite decently on what appears to be an older repad with plastic domed resonators, with a strong, moderately bright, cheerful voice.  The clarity of the tone is notable, and it is a lot of fun to play with a unique look and feel and timbre that would lend itself easily to classical, big band, or small group jazz.  The lacquer is original and in good condition with some playing wear and a few stand scratches near the low C#, with no evidence of past repairs or dents or resolders of any kind. It is also a unique and interesting piece of saxophone history, in very good condition, and whoever owns this instrument next will have a lot of fun being its steward for the next generation.  

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

    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!

    We pay the best prices for great saxophones.

     

  • Couf Superba 1 Soprano Saxophone 91912 Excellent Overhauled! Grover Washington

    $ 3,450

    Photos are before overhaul. This rare later Couf Superba 1 soprano with Front F key (only the later ones have that) is the same version Grover Washington Jr. played on most of his most famous recordings. Then he switched to an early SX-90 which I also have at the moment!

    These Couf Superba 1 soprano saxophones were made for Herb Couf by Keilwerth, and they are fully professional instruments of very high quality. This one is in great shape, with just some minor lacquer wear from use. It is currently getting a full overhaul. You can almost never buy a properly overhauled Couf/Keilwerth soprano, because people don’t want to sink the money into a top shelf overhaul. Well, in this case, you do! It’s the best of the best in terms of modern soprano saxophones with a warm, full tone.

    Only Keilwerth maintained the big sound of vintage Conn / King / Buescher sopranos. And Keilwerth improved the intonation and added modern, comfortable keywork and ergonomics to the offering. If you want to have a fat soprano sound with modern keywork and great build quality, then this and the SX-90 are basically your only options.

    Get this one and enjoy the soprano as it can be at its best! The overhaul is absolutely great, with all the little details that take a horn from good to great attended to. It will be ready soon, so go ahead and buy it and reserve it for yourself!

    Only one available!

  • Ishimori Wood Stone New Vintage Alto Saxophone Brand New WSA-VL with F# Dark Lacquer

    $ 4,500

    Last one!

    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. 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. $4500 brand new.

  • Ishimori Woodstone New Vintage Tenor VL with F# NEW Dark Lacquer Tenor Saxophone

    $ 4,700

    Only one available of these highly-desirable New Vintage tenor saxophones from Ishimori, Japan’s premiere saxophone repair shop. These tenors stand out from the crowd with their excellent new horn setup done in the Ishimori workshop. The Ishimori New Vintage tenors hold up extremely well over time, and every detail of construction and assembly is optimized for ease of play. The tone on this Ishimori tenor is meant to remind you of a vintage Selmer – to my ear, it plays like a late SBA – not as loud and wide open as some later Mark VI’s, but more focused than earlier Selmers also. The neck and the engraving both are  meant to evoke the Selmer Super Balanced Action, so I suspect that the neck is an SBA bore. The tuning is excellent. This body tube is designed to have the high F# tone hole present, so it tunes well with the high F#, and that’s also just a convenient feature. Lacquer is gorgeous, as is the hand engraving.

    Ishimori New Vintage tenors play so effortlessly, they sell themselves. Every time one comes in the shop, it sells almost immediately. I have one in stock coming next week. Get it now!

  • Keilwerth SX90 Soprano Saxophone Original Lacquer Good Pads Liebman Era 103943

    $ 2,750

    Just tuned up. Liebman era Keilwerth SX90 soprano. If you love that big, fat, warm, round soprano tone that isn’t thin and reedy like a VI or clear and bright like a Yamaha, then you can’t do better than this Keilwerth. Grover Washington Jr played one like this too. It has a recent overhaul and is ready to go.

  • King Super 20 Series II Tenor Saxophone Good Pads Black Roo Full Pearls 339845

    $ 6,750

  • King Super 20 Tenor Saxophone Full Pearls Original Lacquer Overhauled 298321

    $ 7,500

    This is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL example of a King Super 20 Tenor saxophone from 1948. It has all the features that you look for in the best Kings: solid silver, double socket neck; engraving all over; and ‘full’ pearls, meaning pearl key touches on the side keys, G# and the palm keys. I don’t think a better saxophone all-around has ever been produced. That’s why I play Kings myself. Plus this one has a recent top shelf overhaul done in California that feels just great. You want a King to be setup and overhauled by someone who knows Kings, for a player who plays Kings. And that’s what you’re getting here! I actually sold this exact horn a few years ago to a long time customer who is a great tenor player, It was entirely original factory pads when I got it. Untouched and near mint. It is now even better – still amazing cosmetically, but playing its best as well!

    There are no resolders or past repairs on this Super 20, and it has beautiful original lacquer. Tonally, the 1948 Super 20 is a medium bright, powerful, projecting saxophone. It’s relatively darker than the later Super 20’s. They get very bright in the late 50’s and early 60’s. But this one is still quite powerful and focused, while sounding a bit darker and fatter than the later ones. The palm key and altissimo tone stays fat and full on a Super 20, which is one of the best things about it. Selmer tend to thin out in the upper register, but Kings stay quite strong. The low register just pops right out no problem. You can play a saturated ppp low Bb without any trouble.

    You would be hard pressed to find a better example of a King Super 20 for sale anywhere right now! I have a few other serial numbers and versions coming up for sale, but none as nice as this. Whoever grabs it will have a really first rate tenor!

  • Martin Handcraft Searchlight Comm 1 Alto Older Pads Great Deal!

    $ 595
  • Sold Out

    Martin The Martin Alto Original Lacquer Very Good Condition 181668

    $ 1,500

    Beautiful The Martin Alto Saxophone Committee III in original lacquer. This alto has its original factory pads still, so it will need a loving restoration to be back in top playing condition. However, it’s clean, original and nice and straight. Ready for pads and someone to get it singing again. Martins like this are probably the most underrated saxophones on the market right now. They are warm, focused, powerful, and nicely modern feeling under the fingers (comparatively). The design is unified and tight on these horns. Style wise, this is like if a 50’s Chevy were made into a saxophone.

    If you want to hear the tone of one of these, one of my favorite go-to albums is Art Pepper meets the Rhythm Section. Art’s getting his classic, dry, west coast sound on an MC Gregory mouthpiece, which I also recommend on these horns, though Meyers also sound great.

    Grab this horn and get playing before they get any more popular than they already are. Only one available!

  • NOVA Woodwinds Lacquered Brass Low A Baritone Saxophone NEW Great Deal!

    $ 2,300

    Introducing the new NOVA Woodwinds line of instruments. The NOVA Woodwinds line meets a need in the marketplace for a lower-priced Low A Baritone saxophone that is still good quality. People have been asking me for years if I can recommend anything in the sub-$3500 price range for a low A baritone. I have had to scrounge for deals on used Yamaha or Yanagisawa baritones, but if the used baritones need a repad or other repairs, then you’re immediately back in the $4k price range, so it really is hard to get anything decent, let alone new under $2500. That’s where the NOVA baritone shines. For only $2450, you get a NOVA baritone (NOVA means ‘new’ in Latin) that is brand new and plays quite well, and that holds up well over time by all accounts.

    If you are shopping for a baritone saxophone, whether for a school band program, for doubling and taking extra gigs on bari, or just for playing some sick funk lines with your Tower of Power cover band, this horn is worth a look. I have friends who have used this bari in their band programs for years, and it holds up to punishment by middle and high school students quite well. That’s saying a lot!

    Much of the reason it holds up well is that I am spending $400-500 per horn on an extensive amount of setup work. It’s almost an overhaul, because it’s fully disassembled, cleaned, oiled, gets all new corks, which is time-consuming, gets rods straightened, many pads reseated or replaced, the LH pinky table rebuilt, the neck tenon ‘fit’ to the receiver, regulation between keys fixed, and actually several other small things improved. At that point, its a completely different instrument from how it arrives. And it actually plays down to low A well and should continue to do so for a long time with only occasional upkeep needed. As such, it’s a solid school bari, doubler’s bari, or just a fun horn to play around on.

    You could set it up and sell it doing MUCH less work – $50 to get pads sealing and send it out the door, but that would not be the way to build a good reputation for your brand, or to take good care of your customers, over even the short term. I want the NOVA line to stand out as the most reliable baritone saxophone you can get new under $2500. Unfortunately, after I buy the horn, pay for international shipping and spend $450 per horn on repair, there’s very little profit to be made on these. Thankfully, this is not a large part of the overall business here at GetASax.

    Once it’s properly ‘mini-overhauled’, the tone is big, loud, and medium between bright and dark. It tunes well with a variety of mouthpieces. The keywork is pretty comfortable, and works fine for anyone from middle school up through adult. The stacks are actually in line, not offset, meaning the tone holes are all in one long row. That changes the feel of the right hand, as you rotate around farther than you otherwise would on a modern horn. This is NOT a Yanagisawa copy. From neck to bell to keywork, it’s really not similar to a B901. The case is usable, with a hard foam contoured interior, sturdy zipper, decent amount of storage, and wheels that are usable on a smooth surface. The mouthpiece it comes with isn’t great, so see below about cheap but good mouthpieces.

    It comes in this version, which is brass, and then in the bronze version also. The bronze is a slightly darker tone, and gives you the two tone look, where the all brass like this just looks like a typical new saxophone. You won’t go wrong with either one. Both of them include the pictured hard case which has wheels, as well as the other accessories in the photos. I would recommend a Yamaha 5C or Rousseau for an inexpensive beginner baritone mouthpiece for concert band, and the Rico Metalite bari for jazz, or there are lots of other options getting listed in the baritone mouthpieces section of the site. 

    These low A baritone saxophones tend to sell quickly, so please let me know if you are wanting to order more than one, so that I can be sure to order them far enough in advance to fill your order quickly.

  • Selmer Balanced Action Alto Saxophone 21532 1935 Beautiful! Overhauled!

    $ 5,650

    Beautiful example of a very early Selmer Balanced Action alto. The engraving is especially nice on this alto, as is the dark lacquer color. This has the rare individual adjuster screws on the lower stack keys, which you only see on the earliest BA’s. The Balanced Action is beloved for its warm, spread tone that has a sweet lyrical core. And for its modern keywork (all modern horns copy the Balanced Action design).

    It does not have any significant past repairs. I really don’t see any. No dents, no dings, no resolders. Neck is in great shape with a little lacquer wear from use. Bell flare is undamaged. It’s quite nice. The engraving is very sharp and looks great. I don’t know for sure whether the lacquer is original, but with the engraving so sharp and the lacquer nice and dark like this, it probably is. Pricing it on the low side so someone gets a deal!

    This beautiful Selmer Balanced Action Alto just got a fresh overhaul, and it plays BEAUTIFULLY! What a warm, sweet tone. Plenty of power if you push it, but mainly lyrical and balanced. Response is excellent. Low Bb is just another note. Saturated subtone ppp is no problem. Altissimo pops out easily. The pad work is super great, with a ‘dry’ feeling under the fingers that means these pad seats are wicked flat. It has the nice reusable slightly domed metal resonators that I love on Selmers. They’re very much like the vintage Tone-x resos, and you can keep them on your new pads if you swap a pad out sometime. You just get a bit more tone out of the horn with these, without changing how it was meant to sound. It’s rare to find a BA this nice, WITH a high end overhaul, and priced affordably!

    There’s no better looking or sounding Selmer in my opinion. Only one available!

  • Selmer Mark VI Alto 1966 Original Lacquer Beautiful Condition 137647

    $ 7,000

  • Selmer Mark VI Alto 1968 160943 Original Lacquer Excellent Condition!

    $ 6,850

    Great deal on a beautiful, original lacquer Selmer Mark VI alto with a recent repad. You don’t need to overhaul this one! It plays well right out of the case. There are minimal past repairs, and this is a very desirable serial number as well. To me, the 160k’s are just about the best value in a Mark VI alto. They are cheaper than the 5 digit serial VI’s by a lot. But they also tune better than most 5 digit altos! They play with the warm, projecting, rich tone of a 140-149k VI, but again, without the premium price. You’re getting all the best VI features, and original lacquer, for the price of a new Reference 54. Which is great because the VI will continue to increase in value while you own and enjoy it. Plus you don’t need to sink an overhaul into this one on top of the purchase price. A good overhaul can be quite expensive. This alto plays with a medium bright, warm, moderately focused tone. It does everything well, which is, of course, why the Mark VI became so popular in the first place. It’s often imitated, but the quality, tone and satisfaction of playing the original hasn’t been matched.

    This is a really nice one, and someone should grab it immediately!

  • Selmer Mark VI Alto Saxophone 1955 58119 Price Includes Overhaul! Relacquered Great Deal

    $ 5,250

    This 5-digit Selmer Mark VI Alto from 1955 just got a complete overhaul! It’s an excellent player, and it represents a very good value in an alto. For way less than a Reference 54, you can get an actual ’55 Selmer Mark VI with a complete restoration just finished. These first year Mark VI altos play dark, with a lot of focus and warmth, and they are punchy when pushed. They project well with a higher baffle mouthpiece. Effortless response in the low register. They’re just fantastic, and they are better built than most modern altos including modern Selmer. Plus this comes with a better pad job than any new horn you can currently buy, and it will stay in adjustment well for many years with only the most routine of maintenance. You save thousands of dollars because this horn got a new coat of ‘paint’ at some point along the way. That makes a lot of sense to me. It comes in a nice BAM contoured alto case that is similar to the Selmer Flight Cases that come with the Ref 54. Fits the horn hand in glove.

    Only one available!

  • Selmer Mark VI Alto Saxophone 1960 88979 Original Lacquer

    $ 8,950

    Here’s a beautiful original lacquer Selmer Mark VI Alto saxophone from 1960, with 5-digit serial 88979. This Mark VI is from one of the most desirable serial ranges of all for a Selmer. The original lacquer is mostly present, and is a dark nitrocellulose, which you mainly see on the 5 digit serial VI’s. It has some wear from use, as you’d expect on a VI that plays great and that got played a moderate amount. The neck has the matching serial number to the body and is in great shape. There are no resolders at all. This horn was well cared for! The bell flare, bell, bow, and neck show no signs of dent work or past repairs. The body tube had at least one very minor dent removed where one of the post feet of the octave key was slightly pushed in. It’s fixed beautifully leaving very little trace. The pads on this alto are old, obviously. Many are probably the original factory pads. So plan on an overhaul soon, if you want to get the full experience. It ‘makes saxophone noises’ now, and it’s clear enough that this has the dark, focused, powerful, tenor-like voice of a typical late 85k-95k serial VI alto. These are great players and deserve to be well cared for!

    If you’re looking for a stand out VI alto to get overhauled and then play like crazy, then you might want to grab this one while you can. Nice 5-digits are getting hard to find, and this one is definitely going to be a superb player when it’s repadded.

    Only one available!

  • Sold Out

    Selmer Mark VI Alto Saxophone 1970 184973 Original Lacquer American Engraved Fresh Overhaul!

    $ 6,000

    This is a sweet deal on a freshly-overhauled original lacquer Selmer Mark VI alto saxophone from 1970 serial 184973. This was a one-owner alto before I got it, and the guy was a pro player in the NYC/NJ area. He took great care of it, and now that it’s freshly overhauled, it is all ready for its second life. If you read around on here, you’ll see that I really love the Mark VI altos from the late 60’s and early 70’s like this. They finally got everything right on the Mark VI alto at this serial, after making incremental changes to the bore, bow length, and neck from 1957-1967 or so. By ’67 the alto hits its stride, and the 1970 is basically the same horn. Because the market is not fully rational, you can get some of the best Selmer Mark VI altos for this sort of price, even with a full overhaul, where some of the earlier serial ones will cost much more. That makes this one a great deal.

    If you have the cash, I think you might as well buy the nicest alto you can, and enjoy playing it. Pro altos are easier to play than student and intermediate ones, and the Mark VI is among the easiest vintage saxophones to play and to own. It’s easy to get worked on, well-built, and stays in adjustment well over time. The keywork design set the standard for all modern saxophones and feels great under the fingers. The tone is gorgeous, and the intonation is good. It’s the one horn that does everything the best on average, which is why it is so popular.

    This particular alto has a tone that is medium between bright and dark, and is a nice, balaced player. Not brash and bold like a 220k VI, and not dark and laser-focused like a 60k VI. It’s flexible, dynamic, and easy to take where you want it to go tonally with the right setup. The intonation is good, and the pads feel nice and snappy under the fingers, as they should on a good overhaul. The neck is in good condition and the neck ‘fit’ is all perfectly sealing in the tenon, which is one of those small but important things to have done on a vintage horn to take it from good to great. Cosmetically, you can see this horn has been played, and has some honest wear throughout. After all, it was lovingly pro-owned for many years, but aside from that, it’s very nice. The only past repairs are a resoldered foot of the low C guard that popped loose as it does on so many VI’s, and a few small dents removed from the back of the bow, which is now dent-free. Neck is beautiful, bell flare is in great shape. Tone holes are all great of course.

    It’s a very good deal on a solid Selmer Mark VI alto. This would be, to me, much preferable to spending $6700 on a new Reference 54 alto, which, unfortunately, will probably need an overhaul on top of the purcahse price in order to play its best. This will go up in value, hold up better to prolonged use, and get you your money back should you ever want to sell it. It comes in the new BAM case in the photos.

    Only one available!

  • Sold Out

    Selmer Mark VI Baritone Saxophone Original Lacquer 1964 112502 Getting Overhauled!

    $ 5,950

    Getting a complete overhaul now. This beautiful original lacquer Selmer Mark VI baritone is from 1964. It has had some dents removed from the body tube and bow, but they are nearly invisible, and it is completely straight and in excellent condition now. I’ll add new photos once it has the overhaul done and the pads in. The neck is from a different VI bari, but the VI bari neck was always the same, and all the necks are basically interchangeable, so it will play its very best when it’s all overhauled with all new everything and totally ready to go. You can’t beat the overhaul this horn comes with, and it’s already included in the price. If you want a VI bari that plays effortlessly throughout the whole range, with a low Bb that pops right out and great even feel, really nice, dry, snappy pad work that will last a long time, and basically everything just as it should be, then you should reserve this one! The overhaul will be done soon. It’s priced like a used Yamaha, and it’s an original VI from 1964. What’s not to love?

  • Selmer Mark VI LOW A Baritone 63959 Original Lacquer and Pads

    $ 10,500

    You’d be hard pressed to find a nicer, cleaner, more all-original 5-digit Selmer Mark VI baritone saxophone than this one! It’s gorgeous original lacquer, and it even still has its original factory pads! That’s insane. Plus it has the rare and desirable low A key that makes it an all-purpose modern instrument. If you want this horn plus a top shelf overhaul, send me a message. I’d love to get this overhauled for someone, but it’s also hard to find one with original pads from 1956, so I haven’t wanted to do it till I see if someone would rather have an untouched one. You can play it on the orig pads, and it plays beautifully with a rich, medium dark tone, kind of ‘woody’ with a nice focused core. But it’s leaky, and really needs an overhaul to play its best! Do that, and you will have a world class bari with the best looking lacquer of any Selmer in my opinion. I’m a sucker for that dark nitrocellulose lacquer look.

    Only one available!

  • Selmer Mark VI Tenor 195260 Original Lacquer American-Engraved Plays Well

    $ 5,950

  • Selmer Mark VI Tenor 1964 Original Lacquer 118907 Frank Zappa Band

    $ 12,000

    This is a sax with two descriptions! The first is the personal history of the horn, as written by its owner, Robert Martin. Robert is a great guy whose illustrious career as a sax player and multi-instrumentalist is also described a bit.

    Robert’s description of the horn can be found here. 

    The second description is mine as a saxophone dealer who pays attention to the details of condition, and compares saxophones to each other. From that perspective, what we have here is a very nice, one-owner example of a Selmer Mark VI tenor from 1964 with original lacquer, that has been played a lot and well cared-for over the years. It was assembled and engraved in the USA, so it sports what Selmer people call “American engraving”, and it has the dark honey colored nitrocellulose lacquer that is typical of this vintage of Mark VI. The tone is really beautiful on this tenor. I love the early 60’s VI’s, and this is one of the best ones I’ve played. It’s medium dark, medium focused, with lots of power. It’s a lot like a late 5 digit in that way, but has a little bit brighter tone. It’s nothing like a 140k or later VI, where they get quite bright and lose the darker, more focused core of a horn like this. It’s a superb player.

    Cosmetically, it’s obviously been played a fair amount, so it has some honest wear to the lacquer throughout. The neck has seen some minor flexing over the years, but only about a 1-2 on a scale of 1-10 of severity. It is still the correct angle also. The neck has the matching serial number to the body.

    A dent was removed from the upper body tube near high F, and the top post there also got pushed back into alignment. The back of the bow and bottom bow have seen dents removed, and the bottom bow guard is still a little flat. The low Eb, C and chromatic F# keyguards have been resoldered, though done quite well with little evidence left of the repairs. The bell flare also had a minor crease removed at some point. All in all, these are the typical sorts of repairs that you see on a good horn that has been played a lot. Everything is nice and tidy and fixed up now, so I wouldn’t be particularly concerned about the repairs.

    The overhaul on this horn feels great. It was done extremely well somewhere on the west coast, with medium firm leather pads sealed with red paint. Those sorts of pads last forever and keep their feel. I’ve played 25+ year old overhauls on similar pads that are still going strong. Resonators are slightly domed and correct for the vintage of horn. The pad work feels great – dry, snappy, and correctly balanced. You won’t be disappointed!

    If you’re looking for an original lacquer VI tenor with a beautiful tone, a great overhaul, and an interesting history, this would be the one to get.

    Only one available!

  • Selmer Mark VI Tenor Saxophone from 1970 American Engraved

    $ 6,450

    This is a beautiful example of a Selmer Mark VI Tenor Saxophone from 1970. It is American engraved and assembled. The entire horn is original lacquer. Except for the neck, which has been relacquered, but still completely matches the horn in look and color. The neck evidently had a dent removed under the octave key, and the original owner wanted it to look as good as the horn, so had the dent removed and the neck resprayed. Anyway, it’s not a big deal playing wise, but I’m lowering the price of the horn by around $1500 to give someone a great deal on an original lacquer VI in excellent condition that is also cheaper than buying just a regular new Selmer tenor sax. Compared to a new Series II tenor, or a new Ref 54 or (gasp) Ref 36, you are saving hundreds to several thousands of dollars and getting a horn that is better made, plays better for almost any style but classical (nod to the Series II and III purists here) and will hold its value or go up in value rather than going down like a new Selmer would.

    To keep the price low, I’m selling it with all of its original pads still intact. It actually still plays quite well on the original pads, and seals up with little ‘note like’ pad pops all the way down to Bb. It’s a joy to feel the high quality pad work that Selmer Elkhart did on its original factory setups.

    All in all, this horn is in AMAZING physical condition. You very rarely find original lacquer horns that are 48 years old that look so great. It’s a great opportunity for someone to score a really eye-turning VI tenor for a discounted price.

    Only one available.

     

  • Selmer Super Action 80 Series II Alto Saxophone 517537 SA80-II Excellent Condition Great Price!

    $ 3,150

    Save thousands of dollars getting this beautiful condition used Selmer Series II alto. This instrument has very little wear, and comes to you in excellent condition. It just got several new pads and a thorough setup, so it is playing very well and effortlessly throughout. As I’m sure you know, the Series II is the standard, go-to alto saxophone for serious saxophone study. You never need to upgrade it, and you can take it to college for saxophone study and it will be in good company there with a lot of other Series II’s and III’s. The tone is balanced, warm, clear and round, with a lyrical core tone and very good intonation. The Series II likes to have a classical style or concert mouthpiece like a Selmer S80 C* or D, or a Selmer Concept etc. Lots of other mouthpieces work, but if you’re not sure what to get, then get one of those two.

    Saxophones don’t really wear out if you maintain them, so there’s really no reason not to save a few thousand dollars on a nice used example of one of the most popular professional alto saxophones. You can keep this for the rest of your life and play it. It will hold its value as long as you own it. These are only going to go up in price over time.

  • Tenor Madness Custom 500SL Tenor Saxophone Cognac Lacquer High F# Effortless Player Newest Model L01110

    $ 4,500

    This is the best TM Custom tenor that I have played so far. It is brand new, plus it got a new horn setup on top of that. This is the new light body tube version of the 500SL model, and it is a truly effortless player. The intonation is excellent throughout. This bore is designed to have the F# tone hole present, so the tuning is excellent and altissimo is easy including the handy high F# key. The low notes are nice and saturated even at pp, and the horn will shake in your hands if you push it to ff. The palm key tone stays more full and rich than on most Taiwanese tenors that I have played (like P Mauriat etc.). The neck on this tenor is modeled on an early Mark VI tenor neck, and you do in fact get a Selmer-ish tone on it. I am impressed that you can get a horn this good for this price that has been thoroughly setup in the USA by TenorMadness pre-sale.

    The hand engraving is inspired by 50’s Selmer engraving, and it is of course gorgeous. The lacquer color is as well. This is one of the best looking tenors on the market today for sure. It comes in a contoured case that should be good for shipping and gigging.

    If you’re looking for an easy, turn-key purchase for a high-quality modern horn that is darker and more complex than some other new horns on the market, and that is really dependably easy to play, this would be a great choice. Really no matter what style of music you play, this horn gets the job done.

    Only one available!

  • Sold Out

    Yanagisawa S6 Soprano Good Condition

    We pay the best prices for great saxophones.