Martin The Martin Tenor 174xxx

Description

The “The Martin Tenor” is the top model tenor that the Martin Band Instrument Company made. The Martin Company was so sure of its workmanship that its horns came with a 50 year warranty! That means that this horn is, amazingly, only recently out of its warranty period! It has been relacquered once, and probably not too long ago, since it now has very resilient gold colored epoxy lacquer on it. The relacquer job was done well, preserving all the little details in the extensive bell engraving (some of the nicest standard engraving on any saxophone I think). The original neck has the matching serial number.

The tone on these horns is very hard to beat. It has a big powerful tone, with a dark, compact core. With a large chamber piece, it can be laid back and jazzy (think Tex Beneke with his Brilhart Tonalin) or with an aggressive mouthpiece, this is the ultimate R&B and rock tenor. The pads on this horn are medium-old. They are sealing fairly well, and the horn plays as-is. It’s the kind of situation where I can sell it as playing ok, or I could put a bunch of money into a full overhaul to get it perfect. Most buyers seem to prefer a horn that is priced low and plays in this kind of situation, so that’s what you’re getting. It ships in a modern hard shell case.