1962 Tenor Saxophone SELMER Mark VI, without lacquer, beautiful patina, 99xxx

“This is what a SELMER Mark VI should look like!” I hear again and again from many SELMER enthusiasts. They are referring to the beautiful patina that has developed over the years on bare brass. It makes a difference whether a SELMER saxophone has been stripped of varnish or whether the varnish has worn off over the decades due to heavy – mostly professional – use.

Henri SELMER Paris has always attached particular importance to the sound of the saxophones they produce and the varnish used is an important component in saxophone construction in terms of vibration behavior and sound development. Therefore, SELMER used (and still uses today) varnishes that do not dampen the vibrations of their instruments. Unfortunately, the disadvantage of these varnishes is that they are not as durable as the varnishes used by Japanese manufacturers, for example.

This 96xxx SELMER Mark VI tenor saxophone from 1962, which is fitted with high F#, has precisely this beautiful patina. Its sound development is very free, the timbre beautifully dark and mellow.

The pads are not new, but cover well and the horn can be played well over the full register and it has – probably also due to the missing varnish – a lot of dynamics and radiance.

Maybe it’s your tenor? Feel free to make an appointment to test it with us and compare it with many others from our collection or order it in the store if you want to try it out at home.