SML Rev D / Gold Medal Tenor 11660 Original Perma-Gold Overhauled!

Description

If you can find one, this is the SML to own in my opinion. I have a Rev D / Gold Medal tenor (and alto) in perma-gold  in my personal collection. This one is a bit nicer than mine!

This is a rare, original Perma-Gold  SML Rev D tenor (same model as the Gold Medal 1, but made just before it won the trade show “gold medal” for quality and was renamed). This horn has almost all of its beautiful original finish 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 examples of a tenor that I’ve seen. It has almost all of its original finish, and three past repairs: the bell side of the bell body brace was resoldered where it had been pushed in. The bell flare had a slight crease removed, and there was a dent in the back of the bow where you now see the finish gone. This is all pretty standard stuff for vintage horns and has all been repaired very well now.

This SML Rev D just got a full overhaul and restoration! The overhaul on this horn is very good, with a nice, snappy pad feel on the rolled tone holes, and super easy response even at low volumes and in the extreme low register. No trouble with low Bb at pianissimo on this horn – it stays full, dark, and lush. Tonally, SML is a company started by craftsmen who split from Selmer Paris, in order to make a French saxophone that could rival the quality of a 1930’s Conn. (Conn led the world in saxophone tone, intonation, and build quality at this time.) You can see many Conn influences here – most obviously the rolled tone holes, and the wide, bold tone quality. These horns also touted over twenty features found on no other saxophone, which you can read about here. If you love Selmer but would like it to sound more like a Conn while having more Selmer-y keywork than a Conn, hey, you might be the newest member of the SML club. These horns are really fantastic, and this one is very special. I have seen regular lacquered ones selling for more than this price on eBay over the last few yeas without the fresh overhaul this horn has, and with multiple bidders at the higher prices, so I think the price is quite good for this one.

Only one available!