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SBA Tenor Single B - Bb - Cage

3K views 14 replies 8 participants last post by  jgreiner 
#1 ·
Hi all

Need help in establishing the concept of the Individual Caged B and Bb keys on the Selmer Paris SBA. Which year did they begin making them, and which one are the best serial number wise. I notice John Coltrane played and had one in his collection, as does David Sanchez. What are the price ranges for the silver plated and gold lacquered engraved and non-engraved models. Thanks your opinions and knowledge from you experts here on our forum.


Philo
 
#3 ·
Here some more reference points:

Saxpics:
http://saxpics.com/?v=mod&modID=13

Notes from Marin Spivack:
Product Font Screenshot Technology Parallel


The first two ranges can have some intonation issues at the low B and Bb. These also have separate bell key guards. The third series (from around 48xxx) is seen as the best. The later, the more they come to early six horns. In this third series Selmer also changed from separated to on big bell key for the low B and Bb (like in the Mark VI). I own and play a 50xxx horn from 1953, a very nice tenor.
 
#11 ·
Here some more reference points:

Saxpics:
http://saxpics.com/?v=mod&modID=13

Notes from Marin Spivack:
View attachment 198410

The first two ranges can have some intonation issues at the low B and Bb. These also have separate bell key guards. The third series (from around 48xxx) is seen as the best. The later, the more they come to early six horns. In this third series Selmer also changed from separated to on big bell key for the low B and Bb (like in the Mark VI). I own and play a 50xxx horn from 1953, a very nice tenor.
It's a little of this and a little of that and a little spread but not quite with a sprinkle of Mark VI with a little fairy dust from an earlier model but retaining some of the qualities of the later...
Huh?

I haven't played as many Selmers as him but I've noticed that from the BA through the change in the later, mid 60's(?), MarkVIs each model seemed to get progressively darker.
I guess it was those damn classical guys helping with the design.
 
#4 ·
Thank you guys... Good information...

This saved me from purchasing a SBA Tenor that I had my eye on, and I was familiar with the intonation problems on earlier SBA horns, but not to knock the opinion or knowledge of anyone, but was told by another very worthy forum member that the problem with the intonation was not really a factor, but on the individual playing the horn and his set up. I'll leave at that, because what I was really interested in was what serial number range were the best SBA's with the individual B and Bb cages. I now have an idea, so I'll go with the another nice minty SBA Silver Plate in the 50XXX range, which is in really beautiful condition... price is not bad either. Thanks again...

Philo
 
#5 ·
Reply concerning mrpeebee's offering on Re: SBA Tenor Single B-Bb-Cage "In this third series Selmer also changed from separated to on big bell key for the low B and Bb"..........Hey - -
There is a BA from 1936 (1st year) with papers selling on eBay right now (08-08-18) with the double cage but my dad's 30's BA had the single cage set-up. So, you can't say that Selmer "changed" to the double cage at any juncture because even the very earliest BAs also came with the MarkVI style double guard. I have seen other BAs with this double cage and I have also seen SBAs with single individual cages on the low B and Bb keys. Go figure. It seems to me that it is possibly that they had a boatload of the single cages leftover and used-them-up whenever they felt like it. Maybe someone else knows the real info about it, mrpeebee.
 
#6 ·
Well, personally I've never seen an early BA tenor with the single B/Bb cage and I've seen a lot of 'em. Your dad's 30's BA was a tenor and not an alto? The altos seemed to change to the single cage before the tenors did for some reason. Yes, later SBA tenors do indeed have the single cage, but I have no idea if there's a rough estimate serial #-wise when that happened. Maybe Douglas Pipher will see this and chime in.
 
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