I recently finished work on a very rare Selmer MKVI low A alto. I think this is only the third I’ve seen in my entire time repairing instruments; this particular horn is in excellent condition, and plays great. It didn't need much in terms of repair, so enjoy this eye-candy.
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Rare Bottali Brevetto Tenor Rothphone in Silver Plate
A true ghost from wind history just landed on the bench! Discover the rare Bottali Brevetto Tenor Rothphone in Silver Plate—an early 20th-century Italian double-reed horn built with saxophone ergonomics. Check out our latest bench notes, photos, and a look at how this unique brass-bodied survivor bridges the gap between bassoon tone and sax fingering.
How to Choose a Professional Saxophone: Yamaha vs. Yanagisawa vs. Selmer vs. Eastman
Choosing a professional saxophone is less about finding the “best” horn overall and more about finding the one that perfectly fits your sound, playing style, and long-term goals. Yamaha, Yanagisawa, Selmer Paris, and Eastman all produce stage-ready professional instruments, but they approach ergonomics, aesthetics, and tonal philosophy differently. This comprehensive guide breaks down the major contemporary lines from each legendary manufacturer to help you identify the perfect match for your musical voice.
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2 comments
Richard,
They’re all good, tonally they’re different depending on the year of manufacture since Selmer was constantly tweaking the design. Earlier ones sound closer tonally to a SBA with a bit more roundness and depth and later ones have more punch and brightness, generally speaking. One thing to note is with later Selmers (like the one in question) they changed the way they set them up from the factory in a way that many players found disappointing (but it was lucrative for Selmer) and this ultimately lead to the commercial failure of the Mark VII. This horn was completely repadded and set up at our shop, and most likely plays better then it did coming out of the factory. This horn in particular has a very focused, compact sound and solid intonation despite the extra length of tubing the Low A gives the horn.
This alto is very high in the mark 6 serial number. Is this range still a really good range?
I was told after 1972 they went down in quality what is your opinion on that end of this horn?