[stormott77]

I have only played one and I was not impressed. It was a nice enough sax but it was the most unselmery sounding selmer I have played. Out of all the Selmers I have played this one had the least amount of core to it's sound. Is this common with the VII or was this one a dud? It played well but the sound was just not happening. I know that a lot of people don't like them but a lot do.

 

[saxphil]

Here we go again, yeah probably a dud, Shane.

Scmergonomics!

Bueschers, Kings, Martins ergos are better?
Enough already!

 

[William Bua]

Most of the VII that I played were not that good....for that very reason you mentioned. Plus, the ergonomics were horrible. I think when Frederick Hemke helped design the Mark VII, Selmer took for granted that he had hands like Minute Bol!

Here a tidbit,
According to Pete Christlieb, it was Helmke who encouraged Selmer to destroy the mark Vi tooling because the mark VII was a better horn. I bet his reeds suck too.

 

[Locust Solus]

Here you'll find some help: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?135014-Is-the-Mark-VII-a-bad-horn
And my opinion: Probably a dude.
MKVIs need to be properly set up, same with MKVIIs.

 

[Honeyboy]

I played an early Mark VII that sounded just like my Mark VI- nice dark, rich core. The main difference was the ergos.

 

[daigle65]

I played a Mark VII tenor for 10 years.
I wouldn't say it sucked but there were a couple of things I didn't like about it.
It was unresponsive and stuffy compared to the SBA that I play now.

 

[magical pig]

I played a Mark VII tenor for 10 years.
I wouldn't say it sucked but there were a couple of things I didn't like about it.
It was unresponsive and stuffy compared to the SBA that I play now.

Having tried a couple of SBAs and owning a VII, I would have to agree the SBA is a more "free-blowing" horn. A MKVII can be somewhat unforgiving but if you play it right it can sing and sound very much like a mid or late VI.

Stormott77, with this out of the way, the very reason why I bought my VII (an early one) is because it has that "Selmer core" so I'd say the one you tried was either a dud or not properly setup. And I can't stress this enough. I had the opportunity to play the best horn I ever played (a SBA) before and after it was set up. Before, I could tell the ergos were really well laid out and the horn was much lighter than my VII and as a consequence a little more vibrating, but nothing compared to how my VII played : rich, laser beam dark tone. After the setup, I could have sold my VII and one of my kidneys for it.

At the end of the day, and considering market value and store prices, I'd take a VII over any Chinese or Taiwanese horn on the market. The ergos of a VII have nothing to envy to that of a Mauriat or Cannonball for example, and these don't have the beautiful Selmer midrange.

Next horn I'll buy will either be a SBA or early VI because I can justify spending more on a horn only if it's one of these, but to each his own. Some people don't understand how someone can spend $12,000 on a Neumann U47 when a $100 Chinese mic does the job "just fine"...

 

[NissanVintageSax]

I played a Mark VII Alto for 10 years. The LH ergos got me. As I was playing more music on the LH cluster, it became noticeably cumbersome. The tone was awesome, but it wasn't too mouthpiece friendly. Changing necks to a Mauriat Super VI neck, improved the tone by leaps and bounds, but the ergos were still off.

That when I sold it, and was in the market again. It was a toss up between the Model 38 Vito I now have, or a Muariat System 76. Decided on the Model 38, cause I could then also afford to upgrade the mouthpieces. Both the System 76 and the Model 38 have Selmer-like characteristics, that reminded me of the power of the VII (it is a very powerful horn!), but the ergos and core of a VI or BA.

 

[saxmusicguy]

Here a tidbit,
According to Pete Christlieb, it was Helmke who encouraged Selmer to destroy the mark Vi tooling because the mark VII was a better horn. I bet his reeds suck too.

What do you mean by "destroy the tooling"? You mean start with a new mechanism design?

 

[Grumps]

You can get used to playing anything, and I played a VII tenor (my first brand new sax given to me by my folks) for a couple decades before realizing my true preferences elsewhere. When I went back to it after a couple of years on the shelf I wondered how the hell I ever played it. I then sold it; sentiment be damned.

 

[RS]

The VII supposedly has a larger bore than the VI. Possibly that explains why the VII doesn't have the famous Selmer "core" of the VI. It makes sense that a larger bore would produce a more "spread" sound.

 

[milandro]

I have had and sold 3 Mark VII tenors, 2 were average, one was a great horn which I've sold to a fiend of mine.

The same friend of mine came to my house with two Sixes (one great, one not so good) a reference 36 and 54 , the first great the second not so good.

Variation is the norm in many saxophones and it is there in Mark VII's as much is in any other horn.

 

[dexdex]

Tsssssss ........[rolleyes]

 

[milandro]

Tsssssss ........[rolleyes]

oh well even if I spill the beans, I know I am not going to convince those who don't want to be convinced.

After all some of the more paranoid members are convinced that Selmer , purposely, put out a generation of dog saxophones in an attempt to commit suicide.

Another , perhaps far fetched, theory is that this Mark VII " situation" resulted from a conspiracy orchestrated by the " firm" which was trying to rescue the American saxophone industry and put the French one under a bad light, so they damaged irreparably the magical " tooling" , took away all the WWI bomb shells brass which was laying around there and swapped it overnight with inferior Japanese brass (or even , G-d forbid, Russian one!), resulting in Selmer having to produce an inferior saxophone for years and never to recover from the blow.

One day I will write the whole story, it will be a best seller and I will, finally, make lots of money selling the script to Hollywood.

The film will be called the " French Job" and will star Tom Cruise and Uma Thurman.
[rolleyes]

 

[dexdex]

If ever anyone comes to Switzerland: don't forget your mouthpiece. You'll get a Mk7 tenor testdrive for free, plus a Spritz Bitter in the garden if the weather allows for it (which isn't currently the case). Bienvenue ! Ceux qui préfèrent peuvent avoir un Ricard.

Milandro, I like your idea to write a best seller (en français: un polar) about the Selmer Dynasty. Bertrand Tavernier would make a brilliant movie, before Hollywood would overproduce a dumb remake. Worse: a never ending soap with 175 episodes.

 

[milandro]

thanks a Sprits sounds good I prefer it to a pastis ! .......... great idea about Tavernier too! Hook me up with him!

 

[warp x]

FWIW I played a VII some time ago, and it was a very good horn. Wide open sound, and good intonation. Even across all the registers. Better sounding and playing than a lot of VI"s I played. YMMV, but stating the VII is not a good horn is like saying all VI's are great, i.e. nonsense.

 

[saxphil]

The VII supposedly has a larger bore than the VI. Possibly that explains why the VII doesn't have the famous Selmer "core" of the VI. It makes sense that a larger bore would produce a more "spread" sound.

My VII tenor has the Selmer "core".
It is focused, not spread.

 

[magical pig]

My VII tenor has the Selmer "core".
It is focused, not spread.

Same thing here.

 

[dexdex]

The MkVII tenor is a great horn choked by a bad neck. Change the neck (-> Ref54) and you get a roaring horn with the Selmer sparkle. (thing ...)