Behold: the mythical 80k alto in nearly new condition. This original silver plate Mark VI alto SN#82xxx is about as close to buying a new Mark VI in 1959 as you are likely to find. This horn was assembled in France, and has not been played much since it was new. There are no dents or dings, no past repairs, except for one key guard foot on low Bb. The (doubtless original) neck, body tube, bow and bell all look great. The small amount of tarnish in the silver will of course wipe off easily. The pads look good, though it has not just been freshly overhauled. It's on consignment, and it looks like the owner got it repadded and didn't play it much. It still plays quite well, with a medium dark, focused, punchy tone. It has the medium bow length for better bell key intonation.
If you've been looking for a beautiful, collectible, and great playing premium vintage alto, this would be hard to beat.
