1954 55,xxx Selmer Mark VI Alto Saxophone, Double S Neck, Fresh Overhaul
1954 55,xxx Mark VI alto saxophone. The full serial number is 55848, which indicates that this is one of the very first Mark VI altos ever made. It has the rare "double S" logo, which if you look closely is actually an S and C, for Selmer et Cie. The neck has never been pulled down and is original to the horn.
The horn just received a top of the line overhaul from Aaron Barnard, who is one of the very best repairmen in the business. His work is top notch and he uses the best materials available, including Pisoni Pro pads. We used reusable domed rivetless TM resonators for the overhaul, which are an excellent match for this vintage. The sax comes in a brand new Bam Cabine Panther case, which retails for around $400.
This sax arrived with a very old coat of non-original lacquer, which was still in great condition. The sax was sent to Indiana to have the engraving expertly recut, and then onto Aaron, who performed his bare naked overhaul, chemically stripping the old coat of lacquer, never seeing a buffing wheel.
This is a great sounding early Mark VI, which I think shares many playing characteristics of a good SBA. The horn has a beautiful focused, centered sound that is a bit darker than later Mark VI's. The keywork was expertly done, so the horn feels incredibly tight and locked in.
