Selmer Mark VI Alto 152xxx Fresh Overhaul

Description

This is a very good lead alto Mark VI in that sweet spot around 140-150k serial when the altos tend to be very dependably good. It has a BIG voice and instant response. Easy altissimo, excellent intonation, including bell keys, and that medium bright, complex, sweet vintage Selmer thing going for it. Part of what makes this horn stand out is the quality of the overhaul. Steve Collins of Collins Hornworks overhauled this with nice, firm MusicMedic precision pads and the correct domed plastic resos, and it just feels great. I am *extremely* picky about this kind of thing, so that you get a quality of setup and playing condition that makes horns like this stand apart from the rest of the options out there. Many people who get horns like this from me tell me that they have never played a saxophone that was as well setup and that responded so effortlessly. “I can play the low notes so quietly and effortlessly” is something people often say, for instance. So if buying a vintage horn is intimidating because you are worried about whether the horn will hold up well, or whether it will need work, look no further. This horn is in better and more stable playing condition than a brand new modern Selmer, and it plays and sounds better too.

In terms of past repairs/issues to mention, everything is currently in excellent shape and there are no problems with the horn. If you look at the low C/Eb post, you can see some lacquer loss there where this got bumped at some point and a dent was removed there, which also meant resoldering that post and the nearby keycage leg. This is standard stuff, and nothing to worry about. The neck also has lost some lacquer on the sides, where it was flexed and had a small dent removed at some point. It looks very good, and it does not look like anything major happened there either. As neck pull-downs go, this is about a 2 on a scale of 1 to 10, so not a big deal. That’s it for past damage. It’s a very nice, clean, original lacquer VI that should make some player VERY happy.

This horn has a medium bow, hich means that the bell keys are better in tune than earlier VI altos. It has the darker nitrocellulose and heavier, sturdier feel like the 5-digit serial VI’s. It is LOTS of fun to play, like you won’t be able to wait till you can pick it up again. This is a quality in some horns that is hard to quantify, but it is very important. I mentioned above that this is an ideal lead alto because of its loud, lyrical voice, but of course, this is also perfectly well-suited for other styles of music; just pop on a different mouthpiece. It is very mouthpiece friendly. Just to re-cap, this is a turn-key purchase for a seriously fun to play, prime serial range Mark VI that is perfect for a wide range of styles. Talk to me about adding a BAM case for safety/protection/gigging, at a great price. The original case is here as well, if you want it; it is is the large gray suitcase style one, but I love BAM cases for keeping your VI in good shape and carrying it around in style.