My New Mark VI Sopranino...

[MrMiyagi]

So I found a 1980 (#309xxx) Mark VI Sopranino at this one vintage sax store in Tokyo... not a real popular store as its kind of hard to find... anyways, I saw the price at 500,000 Yen (roughly US$4,000)... I'd been looking to get a 'Nino for some time now, but wasn't really interested in paying that price...

I was thinking about getting a Sugal, but I wasn't really impressed with Gary's response e-mails... thought about the Earlham... tried a Yanagisawa, but just did not like the right-hand D#/Low C keys... but finally, upon talking to some people and thinking it over, figured it would be a good investment to just get this Selmer one to compliment my Mark VI Alto... FWIW, I haven't seen one being sold anywhere else...

This 'Nino is a beauty... looks as if it has barely been played on... just a few teeny-weeny scratches, but no dents... original lacquer... and, it's key'd to High F#, first time I've ever seen a 'Nino (outside of Series II) key'd that high... the two bad sides, no mouthpiece and the case is weak... so I bought a S80-C* for it... here's some pics of my new baby...

Front / Back
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b285/miyagi360/Sopranino1.jpg

Key Work
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b285/miyagi360/Sopranino2.jpg

1980 'Nino / 1956 Alto
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b285/miyagi360/MarkVIs.jpg

[ThunderWhale]

Looks like a nice horn! I've never heard of a MkVI 'nino! Congrats!

How does it play?

[tjontheroad]

Welcome to the 'nino madness :) Did it come with a mouthpiece?

[Michael Ward]

Wot a find..fantastic horn you jammy person....

[A Greene]

Right out of college I worked in a music store (pre-E-bay or SOTW) They had a VI Sopranino in stock that I used just for fun to play Christmas Carol. I had a great time but didn't know really the quality of the sopranino or what it would come to be valued. I was just a kid having a great time on this little sax. TOO bad - I'd really loved to have the horn now.

Maybe that's my next saxophone purchase. :D

[Grumps]

I've never heard of a MkVI 'nino!
Oh, they're out there. I've got one that was custom ordered from the factory in black lacquer back in the early 70's. It's only keyed to Eb3 though.

[bruce bailey]

Nice find. I have only played about 3 of these and I think they are a better horn than the Bb sopranos from Selmer.

[MrMiyagi]

How does it play?

it sings, man, it sings... but, its going to take me a while to develop the chaps for it... right now, I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to tune myself on it... I suspect that my regular tuner won't work so well for such high pitches...

Did it come with a mouthpiece?
unfortunately, no... wasn't a big problem though, I just went ahead and bought a S80 C*... something simple to get started...

[tjontheroad]

it sings, man, it sings... but, its going to take me a while to develop the chaps for it... right now, I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to tune myself on it... I suspect that my regular tuner won't work so well for such high pitches...


unfortunately, no... wasn't a big problem though, I just went ahead and bought a S80 C*... something simple to get started...

Generally, the higher the pitch, the better your tuner will track the signal due to the shorter wave length. There's not too many mouthpieces out there for the 'nino. The Yani' metal 5 is the best I've tried so far. It's frickin' loud with that piece.

I've been playing my 'nino more and more lately. It's fun scaring all the dogs in town :D

Enjoy yours