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Sax on the Web Forum Archive / Selmer saxes / Silver Keys on a MK VI

Some guy
User ID: 8681043 Jun 24th 9:45 PM
I went to try out a m60XXX "mark vi", and the key work was all silver colored, and the body was the gold lacquer. Did the early VIs have silver keys?

saxpics
User ID: 2818304 Jun 24th 10:33 PM
That'd be nickel, not silver (unless the horn was gold plated, and the plating on the keys have been worn down to silver).

A bunch of French manufacturers came out with pro horns with nickel keywork and lacquer bodies. These, however, were primarily sold in Europe.

I'd assume that there is a possibility of a gold plated Mark VI with silver plated keywork, but that'd be a custom horn.

singlereed
User ID: 8868883 Jun 25th 2:59 AM
They make do some silver plated (as opposed to nickel) key lacquer Mk VIs whereas nickel was a common found option - I have seen one with SP keys, though.

saxpics
User ID: 2818304 Jun 25th 11:45 AM
singlereed, if that's an option, I've never seen or heard of it.

Do note that there are relacquered horns out there that may very well be lacquer body with original silver keys. I didn't mention this because I've generally seen this on old Conns and Bueschers -- and, in most cases, the keys are replated nickel, too.

singlereed, are you positive the horn you saw was original lacquer with silver keys?

Lenny
User ID: 0561484 Jun 25th 4:12 PM
I just saw a 171xxx VI tenor that was a Paris European model ( no engraving) that had silver keys.
In every other way it looked like my 179xxx European VI.

Joe
User ID: 9077913 Jun 25th 5:39 PM
Original nickel keys with lacquered body were made, I've seen several. I've seen pictures of mid ser. # VI's with lacquered body and silver plated keys, but I don't know if they were original or not. I would imagine that it was available as a special order item since Selmer offered a lot of options on the VI's. You could pretty much get them any way you wanted them.

It's become common practice to have keys relacquered/replated since the word has been out for awhile about not relacquering horns. Many have just opted to take their keys off and have them redone to improve a horn's appearance. A guy I play with had the keys on his 112K VI alto goldplated and it looks really nice.

Some guy User ID: 8681043	Jun 24th 9:45 PM I went to try out a m60XXX "mark vi", and the key work was all silver colored, and the body was the gold lacquer. Did the early VIs have silver keys?
saxpics User ID: 2818304	Jun 24th 10:33 PM That'd be nickel, not silver (unless the horn was gold plated, and the plating on the keys have been worn down to silver). A bunch of French manufacturers came out with pro horns with nickel keywork and lacquer bodies. These, however, were primarily sold in Europe. I'd assume that there is a possibility of a gold plated Mark VI with silver plated keywork, but that'd be a custom horn.
singlereed User ID: 8868883	Jun 25th 2:59 AM They make do some silver plated (as opposed to nickel) key lacquer Mk VIs whereas nickel was a common found option - I have seen one with SP keys, though.
saxpics User ID: 2818304	Jun 25th 11:45 AM singlereed, if that's an option, I've never seen or heard of it. Do note that there are relacquered horns out there that may very well be lacquer body with original silver keys. I didn't mention this because I've generally seen this on old Conns and Bueschers -- and, in most cases, the keys are replated nickel, too. singlereed, are you positive the horn you saw was original lacquer with silver keys?
Lenny User ID: 0561484	Jun 25th 4:12 PM I just saw a 171xxx VI tenor that was a Paris European model ( no engraving) that had silver keys. In every other way it looked like my 179xxx European VI.
Joe User ID: 9077913	Jun 25th 5:39 PM Original nickel keys with lacquered body were made, I've seen several. I've seen pictures of mid ser. # VI's with lacquered body and silver plated keys, but I don't know if they were original or not. I would imagine that it was available as a special order item since Selmer offered a lot of options on the VI's. You could pretty much get them any way you wanted them. It's become common practice to have keys relacquered/replated since the word has been out for awhile about not relacquering horns. Many have just opted to take their keys off and have them redone to improve a horn's appearance. A guy I play with had the keys on his 112K VI alto goldplated and it looks really nice.