Selmer Mark VII Tenor Saxophone 249xxx Original and Good Deal!

Description

Here is a chance to get a Selmer Paris tenor saxophone for not much money. This tenor is an early Mark VII which has the Mark VI engraving. It is American-assembled, and was one of the first Mark VII’s made. It also includes the Selmer Vanguard wood case. The bell flare has had the usual thing happen where it bumped something, and I had that dent removed. The neck has also been pulled down and re-angled to the correct angle again, leaving some lines of lacquer wear on the sides. Pads are old, so plan on a repad when you get this horn. I have it priced nice and low, rather than put in a high-end overhaul (which is what I usually do), so that someone can get it for a great deal and do what you like with it. With new Selmer Paris tenors well over $6k new, this is a chance to get something just as well made, if not better, for much less money.

The Mark VII increasingly has a reputation with players as being a solid horn and a good all-around tenor – different from a Mark VI, but good in its own way. To my ear, the VII is naturally louder than a VI, and medium bright with a bigger voice compared to a VI. Tonally, it is not all that different from a late VI (if you have played one in the 230k range for example), except that the keywork is redesigned. The RH pinky low C key can be a stretch for some folks, so if you have trouble with RH pinky reaches, then you might try one of these in person before buying. For most people this is not a big deal at all. In fact, many modern Taiwanese horns have pinky keys inspired by the VII.

Intonation is generally very good, and the scale is quite even on a VII. It is a versatile horn that easily adjusts to different styles and settings and that is mouthpiece-friendly and easy to work with. So here’s a solid, original lacquer Selmer Paris tenor for a very reasonable price that could use a repad. If you want to enlist me to oversee an overhaul on this horn, I would be more than happy to get that done for you to the highest standards for a modest amount of extra money, depending on the specifics of what you want to have done. Just drop me an email about that in that case.