well, some sixes did have a high f sharp, as did some SBAs, but the mark VI stamp is totally wrong and the engraving looks wrong, as does the made in france writing.

 

I've never seen the stamp in that area. Perhaps it's an after the fact applied stamp on an otherwise legit sax? The design looks VI enough, but the pictures aren't that clear.

 

she justed e-mails some photos over... posted at

http://picasaweb.google.com/brigont/SelmerFromEbay#

 

Boy, it sure looks like a VI to me. Could this be a European horn?
The only other place that I can think of to look is the arms on the side Bb and side C. I'm not sure when they started making them with the little 'ball' mechanism, but I have a 161,xxx tenor that has them.

 

As a good, general rule of thumb... don't bid on Mark VI's from sellers with zero feedback.

 

I did not notice that...

 

it looks like a VI allright, I've seen the made in france before on VI's but never the mark VI stamp in that stange place on the horn.
the engraving is very selmer like. If it's not a VI it's a very good falsification.
It probably is a VI but somebody decided to stamp mark VI on it because it didn't show anywhere else on the horn that it is in fact a mark VI.
But the fact that "mark vi" is not written on it is very common so that was a bad idea.

 

I remember seeing a tenor a few days ago that was stamped the same and some one said that the Vritone models were stamped "Mark VI" like that. Could it be a Varitone?

 

That is a VI, and probably a good one. VI with that stamp were apparently slated for Varitone setup, but some were just finished as normal. Bore size/selection of horns was particular in this case.

See this thread showing my tenor VI of the same model (for sale). If you look at the picasaweb link you will see the same stamp.

http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=95083

 

Good answer. Marin--do you know when they started putting the little ball thingies (I have no idea what to call them)--you know, the ones that make the noise when you trill b-c and A to Bb?

 

at www.usahorn.com, they have pictures of two Mark VI altos for sale.
The one with the 129k serial appears to have the ball thingy noisemakers.
The one with the 110k serial appears to lack these.

I don't know if this is proof that the change took place between these two serial numbers. In case it matters, both of those horns are silver plated, and both have the high F# key.

 

Looks like a real one to me. I had a 14x,xxx alto that had the vertical Mark VI stamp several years back and it was the best VI I've ever played.

 

This appears to be a European finished horn. It has the blue paint in the octave Key S. It has the European engraving(I have one). High F# was a often chosen option avaialable in Europe. The mark 6 stamp on the back is a mystery, though, unless the Varitone theory is right.

 

I'm not an expert on Mark VIs, but I've seen a Mark VI stamp on that place on a horn... I can't remember when, though.

 

I've seen a few now that have the stamp VI on the body and they are all 140xxx's . I think it was just another phase. These are really nice instruments.

 

I know the older Euro horns did not have Mark VI on them but could this be a Euro stamp only?

 

"A lot of the Mark VI's were ordered with optional keywork, plating, etc., so it's very much like there are no two VI's exactly alike.

The really interesting development with the introduction of the Mark VI is the first widely-available low A alto. While the low A alto isn't a new idea - some sources suggest that A. Sax himself created this variant - AND Selmer themselves sold low A horns around the time the 22 or 26 was available -- this was the first "large production" of any low A altos.

I have seen a lot of these horns -- and even played a couple -- and can conclude from this that there are many more than the 200 or so that is generally rumored. However the configuration of low A with altissimo F# (Selmer catalog #52AF) is probably the least common and the least common finish was gold plate."
from http://saxpics.com/?v=mod&modID=14

 

I have a 140xxx Alto and I can confirm the V1 stamp on the body. Mine also had the varitone, There is no F sharp on mine and obviously the engraving is different (US assembled) awa no blue Paint on the crook. I guess this is down to the fact it is European assembled.

The horn I have killed any GAS (which I had for so many years) for good reasons

 

Too bad there is now feedback. I sent the guy a request for more pics. I don't like the fact that every picture has a different shade.

 

I agree with the majority of people here that there's more than enough reason to give this one a miss.

 

I would say that it's for real and is worth a lot of money. Phil

 

No doubt it's worth a lot of $'s and before I would part with my money i'd be asking a whole lot of questions.

I also have sold a couple of selmers on ebay with hardly any rating so it low feedback does not equate to scam, Just ask the right questions to protect your hard earned $$. These 14xxxx are great selmers.

I don't think this particular saxophone is a varitone but i cannot imagine that would have any bearing, to take the varitone off the horn you have to butcher the lacquer to a degree.

I paid a whole lot more than the price offered so could be a steal... one way or the other

 

The seller is going to send me more pics via email and he said that trial is available if you live in the san diego area.

 

* i've seen this kind of Mark VI stamp before, altho I don't remember serial ranges or dates.

* might be Euro engraving, as the engraving on the bow reminds me of some Euro stuff i've seen before(off the top of my head).

* probably a good deal, but the zero feedback is of some concern.

HOWEVER, if one can strike a good enough deal, IF one can pay via ccard & paypal, could be worth pursuing.

Depending upon your location, if enough $$ can be saved, fly out there and eyeball it, or see if you can find someone in the vicinity to check it out(pay 'em a fee, etc).

I came across a mint silver Series III soprano a couple of yrs back, in the Bay Area, which is quite a ways from where I'm at. Fortunately, my sister lives out there, so I had her take a bank check and meet the seller at a FedEx office. She eyeballed the horn, read serial/stamping, etc, to me over the phone and made sure it was boxed up and shipped.

So, if you're flexible, there's probably a way to make a deal happen.

In regards to the Low A alto blurb above, yes, there's gotta be way more than 200 of these thing made.

I used to have a gold plated low A alto w/F# key. Bought it cuz I knew it was the most rare of this issue(must have cost a fortune back then, as the 'base' low A model was around $630 or so in the mid 1960's, and gold plating would really jack up the price).

Was in primo, almost mint condition, too

Sold it to a collector in Japan a year or two ago when I was cleaning out my closet.

Can't speak too much to the playing characteristics, as I only tooted on it a couple times to see if it would play(needed a pad job).

Interesting horns, tho.

 

I used to have a gold plated low A alto w/F# key.

Did it have a baffle soldered in the bottom of the bow?

 

yes beware of ebay 0 feedbackers or craiglist local dealers..i saw someone using the serial number of a VI quinn had.

 

The seller has yet to send me any more photos of the horn.

 

I started the thread. She sent me picts and I posted them here...

http://picasaweb.google.com/brigont/SelmerFromEbay#

You can find the same link early on page 1 of the thread.

I have decided not to go for it.

I hope this helps.

BG

 

Those pictures look like 2 different horns to me. It could be the lighting, but also the background is different on some pics.

 

could just be a bad photographer. too

when i question things I always ask for a specific picture at a specific angle. Then you know whether they actually have the horn or not .. just make sure it's not in the existing pics anywhere.

 

should tell him or her to tag her pictures.

 

Look at the all the photos on Picasa of that horn. They all have the date on them. Sometime in September 2008 and one (I think) reads the year 2000. So it might be an old picture which is why it has a different background...