This is one of the 200 or so King ‘Full Pearls SilverSonics’ that were made (or Full Pearled SilverSonics if that’s how you learned it) FPSS for short. It just got a fresh full overhaul a year ago by Matt Stohrer, who does king overhauls better than anyone I know. Then it got a COA by Matt before being listed for sale, so it’s back to as fresh as can be in terms of pad condition, playing condition, and cosmetics. It’s REALLY hard to beat this horn as a player. It was actually the one we featured on our huge tenor sounds video series. (Links below)
This is a ‘Series II’ Full Pearls, which is the version with the later and more desirable keywork. This is the first one of these I have had for sale on the website in many years, and it is in excellent condition. It has been relacquered, but it looks like original lacquer on first inspection, because it has seen minimal buffing and the engraving is still very sharp, even on the bell key cups, which ordinarily (but not this time) tend to be buffed harder than the bell engraving. The bell engraving almost looks untouched.
These horns are kind of the ultimate saxophone collectible because they have both qualities that usually are mutually exclusive – they’re the best version of the Super 20 that King made, and they’re also ridiculously rare at the same time. In the early 50’s King was focused on selling brass bell Super 20 saxophones, and it seems you had to know somebody to get them to make you a SilverSonic, so it rarely happened. I don’t know of any other example of a saxophone that is the best of its class and similarly rare. The Conn saxophones in F are rare and are fun to play, but they’re not like THE best saxophone Conn ever made (that would be the rolled tone holes 10M/30M). The Mark VI C melody is similarly rare, but also not the best C melody ever made, nor particularly outstanding just in itself. But these Series II King Full Pearls Silversonics should please the person who wants both a really rare, collectible investment sort of saxophone, and the person who wants a great playing horn. Anyway, to get back to this horn, it has the original case in nice shape, and the original solid silver neck with matching serial number, also in excellent condition. I would keep this one if I could afford to!
