Martin The Martin Alto 176xxx

Description

This is a classic The Martin Alto, which is a very sweet-singing vintage saxophone with a full, medium dark voice and lots of power. It is a natural jazz horn, favored by Art Pepper among others, and matches well with an MC Gregory or Meyer mouthpiece, though lots of other pieces work too, of course. This horn is incredibly clean with no past repairs, no damage, and medium-aged pads that have just been setup, are currently sealing well and have not been played on much. This horn is difficult to judge lacquer wise. It looks definitely original when you look at the touch points, the engraving, the color, the case condition, and lots of other small factors, but there is also definitely lacquer overspray over the patent sticker down by the thumb hook, which might mean that it is either a factory re-do prior to the initial sale, which sometimes happens when a horn gets any kind of scratch in the finishing process, or some later overspray by someone who wanted to keep the horn looking pristine, or to attach the patent sticker more firmly? I’m really not sure, but I’m discounting the price accordingly just because of the question mark, though it plays well and is about as clean and beautiful as you would ever find a The Martin Alto. Case includes the original candy and warranty card.