[skeller047]

BEAUTUFUL KEY WORK. And beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Beauty and precision are not quite the same thing. If I had to choose, I would take precision over beauty (and looking at me, you would think I would take neither of those things!!!!). I agree with you that the key work is beautiful, I still wish it were more precise

 

[Lambros]

Beauty and precision are not quite the same thing. If I had to choose, I would take precision over beauty (and looking at me, you would think I would take neither of those things!!!!). I agree with you that the key work is beautiful, I still wish it were more precise

Somethings that look like shadows are not gaps in high resolution photos. Remember, that we are looking at close ups thankfully taken without a flash so the best lighting does pick up the highlights of detailed areas.
I agree whole heartedly with what you said as well Steve.
A saxophone however is the more complicated build and design, when compared to a standard soprano flute or clarinet.

 

[frozen fingers]

So they could get away with 5upreme or something like that but I don't see any value in that.

I'm going to call my horn the Selmer Mark "VIpreme" now!

 

[dirty]

And call your Serie II "2 'preme 2 furious"

 

[lostcircuits]

I would say that's ADEQUATE key work. If you look at pivot screw heads, they are not perfectly flush with the tops of the posts - the ones on the LH pinky table sit a touch above, and the ones at the top of the horn are below the countersink area of the post. There are also a couple of small gaps between hinge tubes and posts here and there. It probably works fine, but I expect more.

This is what I was talking about regarding the price of the horn. How much more would it cost if the keywork was perfect? I would like to see saxophones that were manufactured with that attention to detail...

Tsk tsk tsk... Now we are talking I am seriously with you on this. And the G# key brings back memories of the dreaded Buescher TT pinky table. Maybe it wasn't that bad after all

 

[Tranechaser]

Regarding the name, I think they should have called it the "Grand, Exultant, Imperial, Almighty, Invincible, Omnipotent Alto".



Thank you! I was searching all over the other day trying to find info on that sax and I couldn't remember the name of it. I remember seeing it online a few years ago.

They should have called it “the Napoleon Dynamite.”

 

[soybean]

For the moment we don't have a lot of informations about this saxophone -we only know that it sounds really fantastic when played by fantastic players...
So, we are discussing the engraving.

yes, haha! That is so true. Actually I like the engraving. But it really doesn’t matter much ‘cause it’s all about the sound and touch. I am very excited that one of these Selmer Supreme is coming to my house this week. I will be able to see how she plays and sounds. 😙

 

[Guto]

yes, haha! That is so true. Actually I like the engraving. But it really doesn’t matter much ‘cause it’s all about the sound and touch. I am very excited that one of these Selmer Supreme is coming to my house this week. I will be able to see how she plays and sounds. 😙

please report back! hopefully this thread will start morphing into actual testimonies of players experiences with this new model.

 

[Fleming Instruments (Wes)]

So we've got one at Fleming Instruments & Repair here in Houston! Here's my very quick review.

Out of the Box: The guys in the shop are split 50/50 on lacquer color. I personally like the honey gold, most guys say they might be trying to hard to match the old Mark VI's. Most of us don't like the engraving, very busy, and doesn't look to be hand-done. The engraving extends all the way up the back of the horn, near the thumbrest and even higher. Case is phenomenal, very balanced, protective, and stylish. 'Concept' mouthpiece looks cool, I chose not to use it. The sax needed minor adjustments to pad height and level out of the box. Some light feather scratches on the bell flare out of the box as well. Nothing major at all, but something I did notice with ours. Key and clothes guards look very modern and light, but feel a bit thin. Overall a beautiful horn in a beautiful package.

In the Hands: Ergonomics are good. Nothing feels out of place under the fingers. I do like the newly designed front F key. The sax is heavy and feels like a professional instrument sitting in your hands. Action was smooth and quiet. Palm keys feel excellent with rounded edge. Side keys (new angle) took all of 1 minute to get used to and felt very intuitive.

In the Practice Room: I played it for about an hour. I'm classically trained so keep that in mind. Selmer C*, Vandoren reed sz 3. Good open sound, very free blowing and has the ability to sound even in all dynamic levels. Core sound is warm and open on my C*, but responds well to adjustments from the embochure. Low range is a bit punchy for me and I noticed I had to pull back a bit on air pressure below low D. Intonation issues are... better, but not perfect. I hit it with a tuner after a good warm-up, and the same issues we all have still exist on this horn. Flat notes are flat, sharp notes are still sharp, etc. It's better, I feel, but only slightly. Altissimo registers speak and 'slot' better than many horns I've played and tuning has improved slightly.

Overall, I like it. Would I trade in my Yamaha Custom or WO20? Maybe not, but I feel it's a good entry for the professional horn market. It's a bit flashy, and is pushing into 'over-built' territory, but I would definitely suggest it to professionals that come into the shop looking for the best.

 

[LostConn]

So we've got one at Fleming Instruments & Repair here in Houston! Here's my very quick review.

Thanks for the nice post. How does the Supreme compare to the Series II, Series III, and/or Ref. 54 altos (whichever ones you're familiar with) in terms of tone and responsiveness/resistance?

 

[Fleming Instruments (Wes)]

Thanks for the nice post. How does the Supreme compare to the Series II, Series III, and/or Ref. 54 altos (whichever ones you're familiar with) in terms of tone and responsiveness/resistance?

I've only had a limited time on the Series II and III. Tone is most similar to the Series III, but is more adaptable, meaning that it's not as rigid and I can change the style of sound much easier. The Series II makes a larger sound with the same setup, but isn't as centered as the Supreme. The Supreme has slightly better intonation and responsiveness as well. These are all my opinions though, someone who plays these horns more often might disagree.

 

[J-Moen]

Thanks for the summary and details! Very glad to hear some thoughts on this one.

 

[Guto]

Thanks for the review Wes (I hope that’s your right name) !

 

[saxman1234]

So Selmer expects ( U.S. ) to pay $8,500 plus taxes for an alto ? ! They are seriously bugging ! I love the Selmer tone , BUT the inherent resistance is a bit much for me . I still have a Ref.54 Flamingo Alto w/o F# key that stays in the closet . For $8,500 USD , I can buy 3 Yanagisawa AWO1's or an AWO1 and a TWO1 or an AWO1 and a SWO1 and well you get the picture . Thank you Selmer , but I'll stick to my Yanagisawa AWO2 UL , TWO2 UL and SWO2 UL respectively . 🤑💰💵💸

The previous models are fine. Just fancy engraving and marketing hype. Selmer have lost there way.

 

[dirty]

Before we get too carried away going to town on Selmer for the $8500 price tag, it seems like these are actually going to change hands for less than that.

Remember that MSRP on a Series III alto is over $10k, according to Kessler's site. Actual "street" price is significantly lower, especially now after the price drop that it seems was done to make room around the old price point for the 2preme 2 cubeous.

I don't know when I became such a Selmer apologist!

 

[LostConn]

Before we get too carried away going to town on Selmer for the $8500 price tag, it seems like these are actually going to change hands for less than that.

Fwiw, I quoted the street prices for the Supreme back in post #86 in this thread.

 

[Guto]

The previous models are fine. Just fancy engraving and marketing hype. Selmer have lost there way.

Have you played one too? Please provide more details on your experience.

 

[Lambros]

I've only had a limited time on the Series II and III. Tone is most similar to the Series III, but is more adaptable, meaning that it's not as rigid and I can change the style of sound much easier. The Series II makes a larger sound with the same setup, but isn't as centered as the Supreme. The Supreme has slightly better intonation and responsiveness as well. These are all my opinions though, someone who plays these horns more often might disagree.

Wes, I enjoyed reading your review and just wanted to know if you feel that the double in line upper C tone holes changed anything for C#2, C#3, and upper register palm key notes? Is it gimmicky or a bold choice that Selmer attempted to correct on the Series III with the 3 octave vents? Is the lower register too spread or does it play evenly with the rest of the horn? I only ask because you commented on it not being to your liking. Thanks!

 

[LostConn]

Wes, I enjoyed reading your review and just wanted to know if you feel that the double in line upper C tone holes changed anything for C#2, C#3, and upper register palm key notes? Is it gimmicky or a bold choice that Selmer attempted to correct on the Series III with the 3 octave vents?

I'm not going to comment on what the Supreme does on these points, but as to the Series III, this description may be conflating two different key mechanisms, so it's worth a clarification. There is an automatic C# correction key present on all Series III altos that improves the intonation of C#2 by raising the pitch slightly. The player doesn't have to do anything to engage this mechanism. Separately, a few Series III altos also have been equipped with an optional "harmonic key" that does indeed operate, in effect, as a third octave vent, with the pip between the standard body octave vent and neck octave vent. This harmonic key requires the player to engage it when desired; it's not automatic. The key is intended mainly to improve intonation in the upper register, but it may also provide altissimo benefits.

 

[Guto]

From what I read the automatic C# correction key was redesigned in the Supreme (hopefully for the better). Here is the best description of it I could find, with a picture link:

Initial Thoughts on the new Selmer Paris "Supreme" Alto Saxophone — Joshua Heaney

It is not often that Selmer Paris releases a new top-end alto saxophone. For better or for worse, today will certainly will be considered a historic day in the history of the company! The newly released Selmer Paris “Supreme” model is being positioned as a new zenith in saxophone design from the com

www.heaneymusic.com