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Sax on the Web Forum Archive / Selmer saxes / MKVI 59 xxx

T-Rex
User ID: 9934403 Mar 11th 6:40 AM
MKVI Tenor 59xxx in very good shape - What can you tell me about the horns with this kind of serialnumber - what would be a fair price for this horn? Thank you.

Tommy Boy
User ID: 7796273 Mar 11th 5:59 PM
Hehe, my sax teacher paid $7000 for a similar vintage Mark VI a few years ago. I personally think that's a bit overpriced, but if you've got the money, might as well spend it. :-)

ARKdad
User ID: 0130044 Mar 12th 11:13 AM
Supply and Demand !

T-Rex
User ID: 0380734 Mar 13th 7:00 AM
Come on, people! I have the chance to by one with those caracteristics. Gimme some information to help me decide. Thank you

StageDoor Johnnie
User ID: 1662364 Mar 13th 9:08 AM
Tommy, no offense but your teacher could have done better, price-wise.

More like $4500 - $5000. I just played a nasty looking 56,XXX with 40% finish, here in Long Island, New York & they wanted $4800 for it. It played really nice, those horns had larger bores & you can really push them as far as you want, without the sound breaking up. (A Selmer trait all around, I might add)

I liked the 56,xxx & was surprised that it played darker than my 73,xxx, which was a bit glitzier. I was surprised that there would be that much difference. I dug it.

hope this helps you a bit

Steve Cars
User ID: 2386864 Mar 13th 11:40 AM
T-Rex, I think you'll find an idea on www.saxgourmet.com, look in the vintage horn section... StageDoor' seems close...

Tommy Boy
User ID: 7796273 Mar 13th 8:39 PM
I would totally agree Johnnie. I would say $4000-$4500 would be a fair price if you can swing it. I wouldn't pay much more than that because you can get a Reference horn for that much. I played my sax teacher's mark VI and was not too impressed (compared to my Conn), but I recently played both the Reference horns and they were both very good. I might even be getting a Reference 54 soon. If the particular sax you're looking at plays as well as the Reference horns I tried out, I would say that this is definitely a fair price.

Majus
User ID: 9851073 Mar 19th 4:29 AM
T-Rex if you are not into that horn...or the price is not right for you, hook me up will ya, I might be into it, I love that vintage. musicmajus AT yahoo dot com

saxersize
User ID: 0582664 May 11th 9:51 PM
I recently got a nice looking original 59xxx alto, put an overhaul into it with prestini pads and the correct metal resos. I traded it soon afterwards. It was an ok horn, but nothing special. It didn't take pushing air well, and just seemed lack luster. In some other conversations subsequently, it seems many people more knowledgeable than I think that the early mk vi altos were all over the place and really didn't hit a somewhat more reliable stride until the 70xxx+ range. I have a 81xxx alto that is in every way superior to the 59xxx, in my hands, anyway. As for price....jeezis, that can go anywhere your apetite may take you. Is it original lacquer, dents/dings, any solder.....oh yeah, and how does it play?

saxersize
User ID: 0582664 May 11th 9:57 PM
ps....

sorry folks....I looked past the TENOR in the beginning of the thread. That's a whole different animal. The early tenors are monsters (read fantastic) and often worth whatever you can hide from your wife to get your hands on one. No substitute for play testing, of course, but a nice early vi tenor could certainly approach 7,000 from a dealer...though I'd hope to undercut that significantly by looking for a private sale...maybe 4500 to 5500 depending upon particulars and impulse ;-)

Nefertiti
User ID: 3591464 May 13th 8:00 AM
Hey Tommyboy.
Man, Your teacher must have a crankin' teaching studio to pay 7000 for a VI and then 1000 for a Guardala. What's his secret?

BATMAN
User ID: 9781133 May 13th 9:38 AM
jeez...$8K for ONE horn and ONE mouthpiece??!

wow.

If it's the best horn ever, that's one thing. I personally can't justify that much for any horn, Selmer or not. Anyway...I agree with saxersize...around $4-5K is the going rate for an early MK VI. There ARE deals around though...it just takes some effort. I got my 83K for $3500 and it is absolutely a killer horn, even with a few leaks as it is right now. If it was any more, then I perhaps would have bought something else.

Tommy Boy---did you ever purchase that Ref. horn? How's it play?

Tommy Boy
User ID: 0443584 May 13th 7:04 PM
No, actually the music shop where my teacher has lessons is quite small and not very fancy. He got the horn and mpc when he was in college I believe. (Berklee in Boston) He had a deal with Emilio at the time to make monthly payments on the horn. (basically the horn needed a complete overhaul) He has since paid off the horn. I personally don't really like his sound with his current setup. The fusion mpc sounded a little better, but his sound is still too compact and small for my tastes. I never thought I'd be spending $4000 on a horn, but my Ref 54 was worth it. I'm still haven't settled on a setup on this horn though. It definitely works better with some mpc's than others. It plays great now that it's been regulated--by far one of the best feeling and sounding horns I've played.

T-Rex User ID: 9934403	Mar 11th 6:40 AM MKVI Tenor 59xxx in very good shape - What can you tell me about the horns with this kind of serialnumber - what would be a fair price for this horn? Thank you.
Tommy Boy User ID: 7796273	Mar 11th 5:59 PM Hehe, my sax teacher paid $7000 for a similar vintage Mark VI a few years ago. I personally think that's a bit overpriced, but if you've got the money, might as well spend it. :-)
ARKdad User ID: 0130044	Mar 12th 11:13 AM Supply and Demand !
T-Rex User ID: 0380734	Mar 13th 7:00 AM Come on, people! I have the chance to by one with those caracteristics. Gimme some information to help me decide. Thank you
StageDoor Johnnie User ID: 1662364	Mar 13th 9:08 AM Tommy, no offense but your teacher could have done better, price-wise. More like $4500 - $5000. I just played a nasty looking 56,XXX with 40% finish, here in Long Island, New York & they wanted $4800 for it. It played really nice, those horns had larger bores & you can really push them as far as you want, without the sound breaking up. (A Selmer trait all around, I might add) I liked the 56,xxx & was surprised that it played darker than my 73,xxx, which was a bit glitzier. I was surprised that there would be that much difference. I dug it. hope this helps you a bit
Steve Cars User ID: 2386864	Mar 13th 11:40 AM T-Rex, I think you'll find an idea on www.saxgourmet.com, look in the vintage horn section... StageDoor' seems close...
Tommy Boy User ID: 7796273	Mar 13th 8:39 PM I would totally agree Johnnie. I would say $4000-$4500 would be a fair price if you can swing it. I wouldn't pay much more than that because you can get a Reference horn for that much. I played my sax teacher's mark VI and was not too impressed (compared to my Conn), but I recently played both the Reference horns and they were both very good. I might even be getting a Reference 54 soon. If the particular sax you're looking at plays as well as the Reference horns I tried out, I would say that this is definitely a fair price.
Majus User ID: 9851073	Mar 19th 4:29 AM T-Rex if you are not into that horn...or the price is not right for you, hook me up will ya, I might be into it, I love that vintage. musicmajus AT yahoo dot com
saxersize User ID: 0582664	May 11th 9:51 PM I recently got a nice looking original 59xxx alto, put an overhaul into it with prestini pads and the correct metal resos. I traded it soon afterwards. It was an ok horn, but nothing special. It didn't take pushing air well, and just seemed lack luster. In some other conversations subsequently, it seems many people more knowledgeable than I think that the early mk vi altos were all over the place and really didn't hit a somewhat more reliable stride until the 70xxx+ range. I have a 81xxx alto that is in every way superior to the 59xxx, in my hands, anyway. As for price....jeezis, that can go anywhere your apetite may take you. Is it original lacquer, dents/dings, any solder.....oh yeah, and how does it play?
saxersize User ID: 0582664	May 11th 9:57 PM ps.... sorry folks....I looked past the TENOR in the beginning of the thread. That's a whole different animal. The early tenors are monsters (read fantastic) and often worth whatever you can hide from your wife to get your hands on one. No substitute for play testing, of course, but a nice early vi tenor could certainly approach 7,000 from a dealer...though I'd hope to undercut that significantly by looking for a private sale...maybe 4500 to 5500 depending upon particulars and impulse ;-)
Nefertiti User ID: 3591464	May 13th 8:00 AM Hey Tommyboy. Man, Your teacher must have a crankin' teaching studio to pay 7000 for a VI and then 1000 for a Guardala. What's his secret?
BATMAN User ID: 9781133	May 13th 9:38 AM jeez...$8K for ONE horn and ONE mouthpiece??! wow. If it's the best horn ever, that's one thing. I personally can't justify that much for any horn, Selmer or not. Anyway...I agree with saxersize...around $4-5K is the going rate for an early MK VI. There ARE deals around though...it just takes some effort. I got my 83K for $3500 and it is absolutely a killer horn, even with a few leaks as it is right now. If it was any more, then I perhaps would have bought something else. Tommy Boy---did you ever purchase that Ref. horn? How's it play?
Tommy Boy User ID: 0443584	May 13th 7:04 PM No, actually the music shop where my teacher has lessons is quite small and not very fancy. He got the horn and mpc when he was in college I believe. (Berklee in Boston) He had a deal with Emilio at the time to make monthly payments on the horn. (basically the horn needed a complete overhaul) He has since paid off the horn. I personally don't really like his sound with his current setup. The fusion mpc sounded a little better, but his sound is still too compact and small for my tastes. I never thought I'd be spending $4000 on a horn, but my Ref 54 was worth it. I'm still haven't settled on a setup on this horn though. It definitely works better with some mpc's than others. It plays great now that it's been regulated--by far one of the best feeling and sounding horns I've played.