This is the best Martin Committee II tenor saxophone that I have seen in many years. It is in phenomenal shape and just got a complete mechanical overhaul. It plays SO well - effortlessly throughout all registers with a beautiful, warm, balanced tone. Martins are known for their power, and this one has that, but it is also more focused and round than most other Martins, and has a nice dense core tone. The intonation is very good, and the keywork is also quite comfortable under the fingers. The thumb rest from the Comm II should be on more saxophones. It's extremely well thought out. If you have played a Committee III (The Martin Tenor) the Committee II has the same kind of power, but it feels completely different (better to me) under the fingers.
The overhaul on this horn is beautifully done with super nice pad seats and flat metal resonators custom made for the horn. The original lacquer is a beautiful dark honey color that is hard to match among modern horns, and of course, the lion and crown engraving is deluxe and distinctive among vintage saxophones. I particularly love the bell key guard design and the overall stylistic impression given by the Martin Committee II tenors. The only sign of past repairs I see is a removed bow dent leading to some lacquer loss all around the bow guard area. That was fixed nicely though and there are no dents or dings now. The neck is in great shape and has the matching serial number to the body.
If you are looking for a great, already-overhauled, beautifully restored, original lacquer vintage tenor to play and enjoy that really does everything quite well, and that doesn't sound just like everyone else, then you would be hard pressed to do better than this one.
