PROBIRT Forums: Mark VI Tenor 1961

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Topic: Mark VI Tenor 1961

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RonRobbins
Technician

Joined: January.13.05
Location: USA
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5

Posted: April.18.05 at 7:15pm \| IP Logged

I agreeded to put this sax on Ebay for a retired gentleman. It is a one owner sax and things appeared to be orginal. However, after receiving email questions from several sax collectors I started having second thoughts on how orginal this sax is. I hope someone can give me some straight answers on several items.
1. Did Selmer put plastic or metal resonators on saxes in 1961? This horn has plastic resonator and lacquer around the edges of the pads. Either Selmer used plastic resonators on this horn or it has been repadded and relacquered to appear orginal.
2. Is the Mark VI marking always on the body/bell ring? This sax has the Mark VI markings on the upper back part of the body.
3. Did Selmer, on the '61 tenors put the blue lacquer behind the "S" on the neck?This does not have that.

I closed the auction after 1 day. The owner of this sax could not give me satisfactory answers.

I appreciate any information I can get.

Ron
Band Instrument Repair Shop

JeffPeterson
Technician

Joined: January.26.05
Location: USA
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0

Posted: April.26.05 at 12:42am \| IP Logged

Ron, I would have to see this horn to be sure but I suspect that it is original. Plastic
resonators would not surprise me. This sax is from about the beginning of the plastic resonators. Pull one out and see if it is a "screw back" rather than a snap or heat-stake. The originals have a brass screw holding the reso to the pad.
I don't know exactly when it changed, but typically, five-digit sixes have the "Mark VI"
engraved up by the octave mechanism, while the later ones are on the bow-to-bell ring.
I have heard various versions, but my understanding is that the blue backing around the S indicates a European market rather than one originally designated for the USA.
If you have photos available, please e-mail them to me. Regards, -Jeff

SAXGOURMET
Technician

Joined: January.11.05
Location: USA
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0

Posted: August.27.05 at 6:38am \| IP Logged

The VI series had brass resonators until AROUND 80,000. The Blue S does not always appear. Sometimes, it's black, sometimes it's red, sometimes it's brass. The bell/bow ring is usually, but not always engraved.

michaeldurocher
Technician

Joined: September.25.05
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0

Posted: October.02.05 at 9:54pm \| IP Logged

Due to the marketing and differences from locations it can be almost impossible to defend this question. The horns shipped to the US were made but not assembled, tone-hole levelled, lacquered or engraved in Paris. The US used several engravers and styles.

I would contact Glenn Woo for more details as he has an extensive knowledge of engravers and historical information that could be useful to you.

I think the bottom line here is that it is a Mark VI and the buyer needed to decide based on hir or her knowledge. If they are a player and not an investor, then t shouldn't matter that much. The sound from that vintage is what's important.

The bells were made of bell brass which was not repeated.

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