This is a good deal on a 5-digit serial number early Selmer Mark VI Tenor with matching serial neck and American engraving. This is from 1956 and has a dark, powerful tone with lots of focus and projection. You save about half price on this compared to original lacquer. That new ‘coat of paint’ affects the value more than it probably should, but it can be a nice way to get a fantastic vintage of Mark VI for a lower price. This horn had an unusual repair issue – the bow was ‘split’ underneath the bow guard on the braze line (where the brass was originally brazed together from a flat sheet). I sent it to Aaron Barnard, in Cedar Rapids IA, who is probably the best in the world at this sort of repair, and he got it all brazed back together, removed a moderate bow dent, and resoldered the bow guard. The lacquer is missing in the bow area because of that, but in terms of soundness, the horn is back to original quality and dimensions in the bow. There are not many other past repairs – low C keyguard is resoldered, and there’s some scratching from a metal stand on the front lower part of the bell. This horn has older pads and will need a good overhaul soon both to replace the pads and to do the mechanical adjustments / key fitting that are needed at this point, almost 70 years into its musical life. It should be an excellent tenor with a good overhaul. It ‘makes saxophone noises’ currently on the older pads that are mostly sealing, enough for me to give it my blessing as potentially a great Mark VI with an overhaul. Original neck is in good shape and not pulled down. It comes with the SKB case in the photos, which could be swapped for a different case depending on what you want and whether I have one.
