In the event that you've spent any time looking at vintage instruments, you know that hunting for the sax alto selmer mark 6 is basically the particular ultimate goal for many players. It's that will one horn that comes up in every conversation, whether you're going out at a local jazz club or moving through endless threads on SOTW. It's not just a piece of brass; for a great deal of us, it's the benchmark that every other saxophone considering that 1954 has been measured against.
But what's the particular actual handle it? Why are individuals willing to fall the price of a good used car on the piece of steel that's fifty or sixty years aged? It's a mixture of background, some really clever engineering for the period, and an audio that—honestly—is just hard to replicate with contemporary manufacturing.
The storyplot Behind the Tale
Back in the early 50s, Selmer Paris has been already doing okay, but they weren't the undisputed kings yet. When they will released the Mark VI in 1954, they didn't simply make a "better" saxophone; they totally redesigned how the instrument felt in your hands. Just before this, most saxophones had keywork that felt a little clunky or disseminate. In case you've ever performed an old Conn or a Martin from the 40s, you know what I mean—they sound great, but your pinky fingers have to do a literal workout to obtain around the table secrets.
The Mark VI changed all that. They presented the tilting Bb rocker and processed the offset keywork, which made the horn feel very much more natural. It had been the first time a saxophone really felt like an extension of the body rather than machine you had to combat. They produced these from '54 till about 1974, plus during those twenty years, they fundamentally wrote the system for the modern alto.
That will Specific "Mark VI" Sound
Request five different gamers such a sax alto selmer mark 6 sounds such as, and you'll possibly get five different answers. That's in fact its biggest strength. Some horns have got a very "baked-in" sound—they're always bright, or they're constantly dark. The Mark VI is even more like a chameleon.
In order to sound like John Desmond with that airy, flute-like quality, a Mark MIRE can do that will. If you need to scream such as David Sanborn (who famously played the Mark VI for years), it may accomplish that too. This has this "core" to the sound that is incredibly centered but stays flexible. There's the certain harmonic richness in the center register that simply feels "expensive" with regard to insufficient a much better word. It's got a vibrance that will doesn't wash away when you push it hard, which is why this became the first choice for the hard bop era.
The Serial Number Obsession
If you start buying for one, you're going to run into people talking about serial figures like they're decoding ancient scripture. There is a massive obsession along with "five-digit" Mark VIs—horns with serial quantities under 100, 500. People claim these have a specific magic because associated with the specific brass mixtures used following the war or the way the bells were hammered.
Then you have the particular "Sanborn era" horns, usually within the 140, 000 to 150, 000 range, which are known regarding being absolute lasers. Toward the end of the run, in the 200k+ range, the horns supposedly got a bit heavier and more "classical" in their leanings.
Does it actually matter? Yes plus no. While there are definitely trends in how certain batches sound, these had been handmade instruments. I've played 60k serial number altos that felt "stuffy" and 210k altos that blew the doors off the space. You can't just buy a number; a person have to enjoy the horn.
Ergonomics That Still Hold Up
Although the sax alto selmer mark 6 is the "vintage" horn, this doesn't think that one. If you pick up a brand-new Yamaha Custom Z or a Selmer Reference 54 today, the key layout is almost identical towards the Mark VI. Selmer got it so right in 1954 that nobody has actually found a method to significantly enhance it since.
The action will be tight, the vacation of the tips is short, and everything is best where your fingers expect it to be. For an alto player, this is huge because alto parts are often fast and technical. A person don't want to be thinking of whether your pinky is usually going to slip off the G# essential. On the well-maintained Mark VI, the "altissimo" (those crazy high notes) usually jumps out much easier than on various other vintage horns due to the fact the venting is so well-balanced.
What things to Watch Out Intended for When Buying
Buying a sax alto selmer mark 6 is a bit of a minefield. Because they're so valuable, people do all kinds of things to them. The biggest controversy is always "original lacquer" vs. "relacquer. "
Purists will inform you that if a horn provides been buffed and relacquered, the metallic is thinner and the sound will be ruined. While that could be an exaggeration, a relacquer definitely kills the resale value. You want to look for crisp engraving. If the particular "Selmer" logo appears faded or blurry, it's probably been sanded down and resprayed.
You also have to check for the "mechanical" health. These horns are actually played—hard—for decades. Search for signs of "pulled down" necks (where someone compressed the neck as well hard while putting it on) or sloppy keywork. The Mark VI that will hasn't been maintained in twenty years will feel like a tractor, yet once a good tech gets their own hands on this, it should feel such as a Ferrari.
Is it Actually Worth the Money?
This is usually the thousand-dollar question—well, more like the eight-thousand-dollar question these types of days. If you're a hobbyist which plays once per week, a modern professional car horn from Yanagisawa or Yamaha might really be "better" in terms of intonation and reliability. Contemporary horns are more consistent.
But they don't have the soul. There's something about the way a sax alto selmer mark 6 vibrates in your hands. This feels alive. As well as, unlike a brand-new horn that seems to lose 30% of the value the 2nd you walk out of the store, a Mark VI is basically a blue-chip investment. They haven't long gone down in cost considering that well, ever.
Final Thoughts within the Mark VI
At the finish of the day, the sax alto selmer mark 6 is renowned for a reason. It's the sound from the 20th century. Whenever you hear a classic jazz record, there's a huge chance you're hearing this exact type of saxophone.
It's not a secret wand—it won't allow you to play like Steve Parker if a person don't practice—but it does step out of your own way. It enables you to express whatever is within your head with out the instrument battling back. Whether you're hunting for the beat-up "player's horn" with no lacquer left or the pristine collector's product, playing an excellent Mark VI is definitely an encounter every saxophonist ought to have at least once. You should be warned: once you enjoy a great 1, it's really difficult to go back again to anything else.