[Henblower]

I'm not an expert, but I'm pretty sure this offer at Ebay features a relacquered horn. Maybe some experts can have a look. I think it might be a good idea to tell the guy what he is offering.....

http://www.ebay.de/itm/saxophone-te...605928?hash=item43eab603e8:g:NU4AAOSwQYZWzHgY

Thanks.

 

[pontius]

Looks like a re-lacquer to me. Some of those feathery floral motifs look buffed .

 

[mrpeebee]

Also looks like a (good) re-lacquer to me.

He is also wrong about the year, this horn is probably from 1954 (my 506xx late SBA was constructed in June 1953).

 

[1saxman]

He never mentions the bottom bow being crushed, restored, guard feet re-soldered and a later guard being used on the 'C' either. He never shows the 'MK VI' mark, located near the LH thumb rest on the early ones) which it would not have in the first place being a Super Action in transition to the MK VI.
I think it's a $3000 sax - maybe.

 

[brasscane]

It is some transitional horn. It has the left pinky cluster from the SBA. The MKVI mark was stamped on some horns and not on others. I don't know about the lacquer. Might be a horn that suffered bad damage early on and was sitting in a case until these became so valuable and worth a major overhaul.

 

[musekatcher]

But clearly a re-lacquer with repairs and replacement parts. I've seen better re-lacquers, especially on horns of this collect-ability.

 

[beezer]

It is some transitional horn. It has the left pinky cluster from the SBA. The MKVI mark was stamped on some horns and not on others. I don't know about the lacquer. Might be a horn that suffered bad damage early on and was sitting in a case until these became so valuable and worth a major overhaul.

As a non expert, the left pinky cluster looks Mk6 to me.
How can you tell that it is SBA? (Genuine question)

 

[lePhilippe]

Picture no 6 shows the pinky cluster and the rods for G#/low C#/B/Bb (? may be the wrong term). These rods end on the same level on Mark VI horns, whereas on SBAs they look like in the picture.

 

[beezer]

Picture no 6 shows the pinky cluster and the rods for G#/low C#/B/Bb (? may be the wrong term). These rods end on the same level on Mark VI horns, whereas on SBAs they look like in the picture.

Thanks for that. I thought that Brasscane was referring to the key cluster, and not the rods.

The horn could be a SBA with a Mk6 neck?

 

[brasscane]

Picture no 6 shows the pinky cluster and the rods for G#/low C#/B/Bb (? may be the wrong term). These rods end on the same level on Mark VI horns, whereas on SBAs they look like in the picture.

That is more accurate - thanks.

The horn could be a SBA with a Mk6 neck?

If you believe the Conn/Selmer serial number chart on the web, this sax was made late in 1953, so anything is possible. It may also be a non-original neck. The blue in the "S" on the octave lever is in exceptionally great shape for a 63 year old sax, but perhaps it was touched up if/when the sax was relacquered.

 

[Alain Gen]

Picture no 6 shows the pinky cluster and the rods for G#/low C#/B/Bb (? may be the wrong term). These rods end on the same level on Mark VI horns, whereas on SBAs they look like in the picture.

Yes, but as far as I know the SBA didn't have a tilting table and picture no 6 shows a tilting table (the connecting bar is clearly visible).

 

[sugaki]

He never mentions the bottom bow being crushed, restored, guard feet re-soldered and a later guard being used on the 'C' either. He never shows the 'MK VI' mark, located near the LH thumb rest on the early ones) which it would not have in the first place being a Super Action in transition to the MK VI.
I think it's a $3000 sax - maybe.

Maybe $5000 at the lowest, more like a $6-7k sax from what I see. Light buffing on the floral engraving but pretty nice. Don't like how he doesn't disclose the faults that are hard to see, like a noticeable ding in the bow in addition to the replacement C guard.

Since it's a Euro horn it probably doesn't have the Mark VI mark (mine doesn't either). Hard to say whether it's a Mark VI or SBA in playing, because it probably sounds like a mix of both.

The tilting table mechanism is Mark VI, G# key and rod layout are definitely SBA. I don't know if I agree with his statement that Mark VIs up to 57k used SBA bodies... I played a 55k Mark VI and it sounded almost exactly like my 58k.

 

[Mike F]

He never mentions the bottom bow being crushed, restored, guard feet re-soldered and a later guard being used on the 'C' either. He never shows the 'MK VI' mark, located near the LH thumb rest on the early ones) which it would not have in the first place being a Super Action in transition to the MK VI.
I think it's a $3000 sax - maybe.

No European MKVI ever had that engraving near the LH thumb rest. In fact, no Euro MKVI ever had MKVI engraved anywhere. It was STAMPED (MARK VI) on the front of the bell bow joint from sometime in the late 60's on.

 

[glunkglunk]

I don't think that it is a re-laquered horn, mine (1960) is exactly the same with the engraving = laquer is done after engraving (UE horns). I don't know why....I asqued the question to Selmer Paris and they told me it is the original laquer. Can I trust them ? I've seen re-laquered horns and the engraving is buffed, we can see clearly the difference.

 

[musekatcher]

I don't think that it is a re-laquered horn, mine (1960) is exactly the same with the engraving = laquer is done after engraving (UE horns). I don't know why....I asqued the question to Selmer Paris and they told me it is the original laquer. Can I trust them ? I've seen re-laquered horns and the engraving is buffed, we can see clearly the difference.

Well, its possible it was buffed at the factory maybe. But the OP's has been buffed under the lacquer. Every pic of the engraving shows feathering. Look at the last pic, right and down from the Bb hole. There's some lines almost completely gone. Also, the lacquer loss on the bow looks odd for original, but happens with a re-laq. If yours looks the same, I'd have to conclude the same.

Just looked again at the ser. nu. and patents..different font, misaligned, and different relative sizes than my 6 digit. A fake?

And the sellers history is odd - there are seven buyers who are no longer registered? fishy.

 

[glunkglunk]

I asked to the Ebayer, just for curiosity, where he got it. He told me that it belonged to a member of his family. He was this WE at Selmer Paris for expertise.

 

[Henblower]

Just saw that the seller ended the auction because the item is not available any longer. Might be a good idea to ask again, glunkglunk, because, as a native speaker, you have the best basis for a rich communication. I have found two more interesting horn at Ebay and will ask about them in new threads. One of them, a Balanced Action tenor from the 30s, looks heavily buffed for me.