[smoothjazztenor]

Hi

I've noticed in many Mark VIs that there is a visible "brown" line running down the middle of the front of the bell. This is only seen in the lacquered VIs. What is this line all about? Does it tell me whether the horn has been relacquered?

 

[selmer]

the dark line is on all the mark VIs.......no need to worry.

 

[hgiles]

There is a line on my Buescher as well. I wouldn't worry about it. I don't think it is any indication of it being relacquered either.

 

[Martin Williams]

Its just the seam where the brass was joined and tells you nothin!

 

[littlemanbighorn]

Its just the seam where the brass was joined and tells you nothin!

Actually, it tells you where the brass was joined.

 

[Seasax]

yes, , lol, there will be little bits sticking out from it swell, were the metal has tags cut into it and hammered in to make the join.

it shows up more clearly when it is relacquered, though

 

[Martin Williams]

Actually, it tells you where the brass was joined.

well yes there is that, but what does that matter?

Anybody want to dicuss the effects of the location of the bell seam on intonation and tone?

 

[Gordon (NZ)]

Perhaps the bell projects in the direction of the join.... Or away from it?

 

[Martin Williams]

I think you have the warmest tone when the seam is nearest the bell keys.

 

[magical pig]

The best early Mark VI supposedly have an out of center seam indicating they were manufactured with the tooling when they still used WWII brass remains to build their horns. It's said that the out of center construction add extra resonance and complexity to the tone due to non-linear sound waves reflections. All the great players from the blue note era used Mark VI with out of center lines on front of the bell.

 

[simso]

The join lines show up fairly easy on saxes that dont have a lot of buff shine to them, Ive relaquered a bell that had no visible join line, but after being plastic bead blasted the join line stood out very significantly, same again with relaquers they tend to stand out a bit more. No idea as to yet why, but they do.
Yes I also agree having a visible join line doesnt meen its been relaquered either, just mentioning they become more pronounced after stripping and relaquering

 

[Grumps]

Some folks refer to it as the zipper.

 

[Chu-Jerry]

The seam becomes visible after time because it is a different metal alloy than the bell. So it tarnishes to a slightly different shade. It eventually becomes visible on all clear lacquered or bare brass horns. Re-lacquering has nothing to do with it, except possibly if the bell was heavily buffed, the seam filler metal might be of a slightly different hardness, which could raise a ridge when buffed.

 

[davevillajr]

The best early Mark VI supposedly have an out of center seam indicating they were manufactured with the tooling when they still used WWII brass remains to build their horns. It's said that the out of center construction add extra resonance and complexity to the tone due to non-linear sound waves reflections. All the great players from the blue note era used Mark VI with out of center lines on front of the bell.

BRAVO!!!!

We have a winner, something new to obsess and conjecture about!!!

wheeeeee!!!

dv

 

[AMASAX]

The best early Mark VI supposedly have an out of center seam indicating they were manufactured with the tooling when they still used WWII brass remains to build their horns. It's said that the out of center construction add extra resonance and complexity to the tone due to non-linear sound waves reflections. All the great players from the blue note era used Mark VI with out of center lines on front of the bell.

Otoh, maybe they -all- used these horns cuz that was all that was available back then if one wanted a Selmer.

I never have bought into the WWII brass thing, and having owned many, many of the vintage Selmers, the main diff in separate models is in the neck, not in some obscure alloy thing.

 

[Graysax]

Yes this may be true - however it was at its best when the seam was joined on tuesdays at 3:47pm, Wednesdays at 11:23am and Thursdays at 10:13am.

Come-on - dont you guys know anything!!!!! I thought that was common knowledge!!



Charlie

 

[HUTMO]

line on Bell

The seam becomes visible after time because it is a different metal alloy than the bell. So it tarnishes to a slightly different shade. It eventually becomes visible on all clear lacquered or bare brass horns. Re-lacquering has nothing to do with it, except possibly if the bell was heavily buffed, the seam filler metal might be of a slightly different hardness, which could raise a ridge when buffed.

Go to Planetconn and look at the images of the 10M's with original lacquer...they all have the line.

No Biggie
HUTMO

 

[magical pig]

BRAVO!!!!

We have a winner, something new to obsess and conjecture about!!!

wheeeeee!!!

dv

That clearly was NOT my intention.

Victor.

 

[davevillajr]

Victor,

I was really looking forward to the arguments on this one. I had popcorn ready and was sitting back in my chair waiting for the fun to begin. Ah well, back to work.....

dv

 

[tbone]

The seam becomes visible after time because it is a different metal alloy than the bell. So it tarnishes to a slightly different shade. It eventually becomes visible on all clear lacquered or bare brass horns. Re-lacquering has nothing to do with it, except possibly if the bell was heavily buffed, the seam filler metal might be of a slightly different hardness, which could raise a ridge when buffed.

All true but there is a way to make it disappear on de-lacquers and re-lacquers.
Simply plate over it with a brass brush plater like the ones from caswell and it's gone. Well, not gone but surely hidden.