1947 Tenor Saxophone SELMER Paris Super Action – SBA, 34xxx

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As early as the mid-1940s, SELMER further developed the Balanced Action and created the Super Action, which is now one of the most sought-after saxophones in the world. The term “Super Action” is the name SELMER gave this saxophone. Nowadays, this SELMER model is better known as the “Super Balanced Action” or “SBA” for short.

The Super Action was the first saxophone to be equipped with staggered tone holes for the right and left hand. This more ergonomic playing position means that the hands are turned slightly more outwards, the shoulders slightly further back and the chest slightly more open so that the breath can flow more freely. This design feature is now used on all modern saxophones.

Other features, such as the removable knee/cup unit, have been introduced compared to the previous model. However, the most important feature was certainly the more focused sound compared to the “Balanced Action”.

As the predecessor model to the Mark VI, the Super Action was only built for around 7 years and the number of units produced is far lower than that of the Mark VI, which was manufactured for over 20 years. This is certainly one of the reasons why the SBAs are among the most sought-after saxophone models today and why prices have risen steadily in recent years. A trend with no end in sight.