Selmer Mark VI Alto Saxophone 223xxx

Description

Here’s a beautiful and great-playing later VI alto. It has one ding on the back of the bow that has been removed since I took these pictures, and just a tiny bit of lacquer wear here and there (see pictures below), and that’s it. The neck is perfect, the bell is perfect, the body tube and keywork are perfect. It has the original pads, and they are sealing very well and in good shape.

The later VI altos (post 138xxx or so) have the best intonation of the VI altos. They also have a very open and free-blowing tone that is also brighter than the earlier serial VI altos. The ones around 14ok-160k are generally nice, but also particularly good are the American-assembled (engraved with this pattern of engraving) later VI altos with an improved bow design that gives the tone an extra umph, and that can turn a good alto into a great one. This horn has that vibe going on. Plus, it’s such a clean and unmolested example, that it should be a great buy for anyone looking for a VI alto to play. The earlier serial horns are worth more at present, but the later ones are sonically better. It is only a matter of time for the values of these later altos to catch up, and with all vintage Selmers going up all the time, this horn is both cheaper now than a Reference 54 (for instance), is better made, and makes a much better investment over the long-term as well.