Selmer Super Action 80 Series II Alto 538xxx Silver Overhauled!

Description

This is a gorgeous original silver Selmer Series II alto in excellent, near mint condition. It is mechanically in better than new shape, because it has had a full overhaul and then a thorough, recent setup by Ken Beason.

Many people shopping for a modern Selmer do not realise it, but most modern Selmers (anything series ii or later) often need a repad whether they are used or still brand new, if you really want them to play their best. This is because Selmer unfortunately uses a factory combination of very thin pads and very deep seats that make the horn both difficult to work on well and prone to leaking soon after you start playing it. There are exceptions, I have heard, but I have not seen one yet out of scores of otherwise-very-clean-looking modern Selmers that have come through over the years. I often find myself getting at least all the sprung open pads replaced on any modern Selmer that I want to describe as being in good playing condition. So if you are going to buy one of these, and you want it to actually play well, you may either want to buy one that has had a good repad, or plan on getting it repadded even if it looks cosmetically “pretty.”

This particular horn is probably the most responsive Series II that I have played. It has a big voice and can easily cover a wide dynamic range. The tone is classic Series II, which means fairly clear and round, medium between bright and dark, with a delicate “French” core to it. Everyone asks whether silver plate makes horns play darker, and here’s my stock answer: In my experience a horn’s superficial finish doesn’t seem to affect the sound appreciably, though the base metal obviously does (like solid bronze vs solid silver etc.). The silver is more beautiful than lacquer, and it is also more durable and costs quite a bit more to buy new compared to a regular lacquered Series II.

There is no damage on this horn, and there are no past repairs. There is very little cosmetic wear of any kind. It is just a really clean, exceptionally good-playing (and notice that I don’t say that about every single horn on the site), and beautiful Series II alto that has already had its factory pads replaced and has a world-class setup. Ideally, someone who is in the market for a new Series II will get smart and buy this instead. It comes in the original case in excellent condition, by the way.