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Original Lacquer on Selmer

7K views 43 replies 14 participants last post by  Oric Muso 
#1 ·
I got a 50s Selmer alto which has pads without resonators
and at the edge of the pads it looks like they are sprayed with lacquer.

I think this indicates these are the original first pads ?
 
#2 ·
Yes - unless someone was clever enough to put old pads in it and spray their sides with lacquer.

Yes.

On the other hand, what happened to the resonators???
 
#5 ·
Got some pictures you can share? It'll help.
 
#9 ·
I've seen original Selmers with lacquer overspray on the sides of the pads - that's not a surprise.

I am more surprised to see horns of that period without resonators.
 
#26 ·
I've seen original Selmers with lacquer overspray on the sides of the pads - that's not a surprise.
Gotta query this. Saxes are lacquered disassembled. I don't think it possible to do assembled. The only thing I can think of is if the engraving had a coat of lacquer to seal it then you might get away with doing it on an assembled sax, but really you aren't going to want to, because of dust, if nothing else.

I've seen 'lacquer' on pads before. Where it's been used the pads have lasted a long time, but I've seen it on instruments that the owner has had relacqered, (and then padded) so it isn't original and it isn't lacquer overspray.
 
#15 ·
Well, nothing about the engraving suggests that's anything other than the original finish, and pads with lacquer on the edges aren't unusual.

No pics of the center of the pads though, so I couldn't see if it had resonators or not.
 
#16 ·
Can you share more photos? Especially of the center of the pads where the resonators would be. From the photos, it is hard to tell if there are or aren't any.

It would have had resonators. Getting those resonators out without removing the pads or removing the pads, removing the resonators, and then re-installing the original pads would have been a major, major pain. So my vote goes to non-original pads if it really doesn't have any resonators. Pads also look to be the wrong color- when a Selmer has original pads the age plus the lacquer tends to give it a darker and slightly redder look. (I've worked on lots of Selmers with original pads, in fact doing one right now)

The engraving seems pretty crisp, but the lacquer color looks weird- even if one of these is left in its case, after 60+ years the lacquer tends to darken. Also the lacquer is strangely not wearing at all around the engraving. The rods and screws are also still very bright. Sharp edges on everything. Strange. OP, is the color in the pictures the color you see in person?


More photos and I can help- take photos with and without flash, close-ups (use the macro function, especially on engraving and around post feet and the scrollwork around the bell-to-bow and bell-to-body braces), high-res, and put 'em in a Picasa folder and share the link here.
 
#18 ·
No way those are original pads. If there is lacquer on them, and it looks like there is, then it's been resprayed after a pad job with the wrong pads.
 
#19 ·
Interesting! Not original pads. It has been played a fair amount- see wear on the side keys.

The lacquer color bothers me- but it looks like it might be darker than it appears in the ebay photos from your picasa photo of the pads. I do not immediately see any obvious signs of relacquering. More photos that are not the ebay photos might tell me more.

For some color comparisons, see these:

(the one I am working on right now)63k: http://www.getasax.com/product_info...ucts_id=196&osCsid=hb97lg851nqtgc5fd608rc9cl5

About as original a VI as you'll ever see, 77k: http://www.getasax.com/product_info.php?cPath=21_30&products_id=174

So, how does the horn play?
 
#20 ·
i had my 62 selmer alto in for service and was told the laquer on the side of the pads is a way to identify that they are original pads. he said they applied the laquer after they were assembled and that is the overspray. he said if they didnt have that, you would think it might have had an overhaul. he recommended not replacing all the pads and onl replaced 2.
 
#21 ·
Hi
thanks for your opinion ! Yes on the ebay photos it looks to bright the lacquer color is exactly like my 1935 Conn 26m and like the 63k M6(get a sax), dark brown lacquer

So I am shure its original lacquer this sax is from england maybe they delivered them without resos

OH the horn plays very great !! When It will be repadded I think I use again no resonators/ or just for the low keys because now without resonators it sounds great

thanks TOM
 
#23 ·
That horn, engraving, lacquer and pads are all original, very clearly.
the color is correct for a European Selmer. I just sold a silver SBA, same engraving, all original, SAME PADS.
European Selmers, one thing they were not consistent with was resonators. I had a 71k Euro Vi tenor that came with metal resos, but they were totally cheap garbage resos with a foil twist behind the pads.. junk... well the horn was great, but the original resos were awful. So those lacquer sprayed pads are original.
 
#25 ·
Looks original lacquer to me to but I don't see lacquer on the pads and they look too fresh to be original. Then again, the sax looks in super condition with hardly any wear.
I suppose the factory could have done special orders and fitted pads with riviets if asked(?)

Does anyone know when Selmer started stamping their name on their pads? I have some old Selmer pads - a couple of different designs IIRC. The old pad design I recall from this period had a purple ring on the back.
 
#28 ·
There are several coats, and word is on the VI (and I guess BA and SBA?) they applied the last coat fully assembled. I can confirm on NOS and barely touched examples I have seen and worked on that the pads do have a very light coat of lacquer, as do the pearls.


Spraying lacquer on pads after seating is also a method (not one I have used, but I know of it) to (ostensibly) waterproof pads and make them last longer. This is a whole other can of worms though.
 
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