Selmer Balanced Action Alto Saxophone 24540 Original Lacquer Good Condition

This Selmer Balanced Action Alto Saxophone has the worn look of an old Venetian palazzo on the grand canal. Beautiful in its wear, it has been played a lot, and is ideally for a player who will play it a lot more. The lacquer (what remains) is original, though some of the engraving is worn from lots of handling on some parts of the bell. I love the look of these authentically played in vintage Selmers. Because of the wear, and some resolders, like on the bell brace and some key guards, I priced it quite a bit lower than a typical Balanced Action alto goes for. It will only keep going up in value.

I’ve said it a lot of different ways over the years, but the Balanced Action is a sweet spot for vintage Selmers, and for alto saxophones in general. It has the epoch-making keywork updates that shaped all later saxophones, and that feels natural and comfortable under the fingers. It tunes nicely on most mouthpieces (though bell keys can go sharp if you bite down too hard or have a classical setup), and above all, it has a beautiful tone. Warm, rich, medium dark, medium spread and lyrical. Fantastic!