Here's a saxophone that has an AMAZING tone that you don't see everyday (and most people have never seen and never will). It's an SML Rev D professional alto saxophone made in France in 1953. If you've heard of one SML saxophone, it's probably what we call the Gold Medal model. This sax for sale here is the version of SML that won the Gold Medal that became the model name of their instrument after 1955.
SML, short for Strasser-Marigaux-LeMaire, is probably the best known small French maker of saxophones. They produced high quality instruments with a unique blend of features that ended up in what I like to think of as a perfect blend of Selmer and Conn- a very French tone, but big like a Conn.
The SML “Revision D”, which was not an official name but rather one given by collectors to the model run with this particular set of features, is a professional handcrafted French saxophone whose features include rolled toneholes, a switchable automatic G#/C#, double sprung octave mechanism (which is an excellent feature preventing slow octave changes and should be standard on all saxophones), a 4 slot neck tenon receiver (again, an excellent feature that should be made standard, this time one that applies pressure more evenly around the neck tenon for a more secure fit less likely to develop leaks), and adjustment screws on the upper and lower stacks. The only one of the Gold Medal's famous '22 features' that this horn lacks is the rocking octave thumb rest (which isn’t actually so great and is often times disabled at the request of the player).
This alto also comes in the rare and gorgeous Permagold plate finish, which as far as I know, was only used by Selmer Paris and SML (also made in the same area as Selmers outside Paris). My personal SML alto and tenor are both also Permagold. I think it's so cool looking, and it's rare, AND it doesn't tarnish (hence the perm in permagold). It's not gold. It appears to be dichromate plated over zinc from what I can tell reading about the finish on chemistry websites. It is slow wearing and durable and looks just great. This one has elaborate engraving and original case in great shape as well. It's hard to beat!
It has original pads from 1953, so it's time to overhaul it soon if you're planning to play this as your main alto. I will never sell my overhauled Permagold Rev D like this. It has a HUGE, powerful resonant tone with instant response and a ton of depth. It's difficult to describe tone, but it's like a Conn/Selmer hybrid with the dark, spread, room-filling aspect of Conn combined with the focus and lyrical French core of a Selmer, and then in the innovative package of features that SML supplies in terms of keywork and design. Pretty great!
