Selmer SBA Tenor Saxophone 47xxx Original Silver Great Player Super Balanced Action

Getting overhauled now! Here is a gorgeous Selmer Super Balanced Action tenor, built in 1952.  It has its original silver plated finish, and it is in very good condition.  The Selmer Super Balanced Action tenor is among the most desirable tenor saxophones ever. And for good reason. It’s the horn Coltrane famously played for many years (up until around 1965), and the horn Branford Marsalis and many others play today. It has the classic Selmer tone that, whether you know it or not, is already in your ears from all those classic Blue Note era recordings. Hank Mobley on Soul Station is one for me among many others.  Point being, if you’ve heard a saxophone on a famous recording, you’ve likely heard one of these. And that is no accident- these saxophones are sublime.

This beautiful SBA tenor is getting a complete overhaul right now, reusing the original resonators if possible, or using TenorMadness domed brass reusable resonators if necessary. It already plays very well, with the broad and rich Selmer tone that these are so known for. The only damage is a scratch inside the bell flare, probably from a clip on microphone. The bell flare is just a little uneven in that spot when you look at the light reflecting on it. Super minor, but I’d rather you are pleasantly surprised by the horn’s beauty than disappointed at a flaw you didn’t notice.

The keywork is comfortable and intuitive, owing to the underlying design started with the Balanced Action and honed with the Super Balanced Action that was so inspired it remains the basic template for all saxophones made to this day.  The intonation is excellent (this is one of the later long bell tenors- the early short bell tenors are known for needing a bit of extra attention to low note intonation) and the response is quick and lively, and as the best Selmers do it lends itself easily to any style of music- which is one of the things that sets Selmers apart from the rest.  It is an ability that is in my experience rare among saxophones, and nobody does it better than Selmer.