Hi is there a link to a buying guide for vintage selmers?
I know from my limited experience the lacquer is the first thing people look at to assess value. Usually its obvious but sometimes cases pop up of saxes that have been relacquered but also re-engraved and it makes things confusing.
The second thing I've learned to look for is the pull down or bent neck. It seems most necks have been bent or pulled down due to age. (There is a great video on Bob Reynolds page where Ben Wendel suggests vintage horns have a distinct sound because their necks are all out of shape.) A tell tale give away that a neck has a repaired pull down is the markings along the sides of the neck that indicate the neck was readjusted. Dealers have told me a repaired neck lowers the value of mark vi tenor by $1000. And this was four or five years ago. Along these lines I've also learned how important the tenon and neck fitting are. A good seal here goes a long way to making sure the horn plays in tip top form. If there is green gunk around the neck tenon then that means air is getting in and the seal is not good. Anything else to look out for in this area?
Also, through watching Matt Stoher's videos I've learned too look an see if the keys have any play in them. I need to google 'swedging' to refresh my memory on how this affects value. I know there is info out there on this.. I think swedging has to do with rods.....
Dents don't seem to affect the value that much if the horn plays well. I see people are willing to pay up for a horn if its dented and repaired but plays really well. Are there certain dents to be more wary of than others? Along these lines if posts have been dented or repaired is that a big deal?
Regarding wear of the brass like on the thumb hook area of the sba's, when is the integrity of the brass/horn an issue? Also, I've seen horns with rust like patina, could this patina that can look like rust cause the metal to fail at some point?
Regarding resolders- how durable are they if done right the first time? Are they as good as new? Or will they be weaker and wear out?
******A big question I have is original pads and resonators: If horn does not have original pad and resonators does that affect value? I know these horns need to be repadded but does that affect the value? What if it doesn't have the original resonators? How does that affect the value? What should people be thinking about here when buying a horn with respect to value?
Any other metrics you look at?
I know from my limited experience the lacquer is the first thing people look at to assess value. Usually its obvious but sometimes cases pop up of saxes that have been relacquered but also re-engraved and it makes things confusing.
The second thing I've learned to look for is the pull down or bent neck. It seems most necks have been bent or pulled down due to age. (There is a great video on Bob Reynolds page where Ben Wendel suggests vintage horns have a distinct sound because their necks are all out of shape.) A tell tale give away that a neck has a repaired pull down is the markings along the sides of the neck that indicate the neck was readjusted. Dealers have told me a repaired neck lowers the value of mark vi tenor by $1000. And this was four or five years ago. Along these lines I've also learned how important the tenon and neck fitting are. A good seal here goes a long way to making sure the horn plays in tip top form. If there is green gunk around the neck tenon then that means air is getting in and the seal is not good. Anything else to look out for in this area?
Also, through watching Matt Stoher's videos I've learned too look an see if the keys have any play in them. I need to google 'swedging' to refresh my memory on how this affects value. I know there is info out there on this.. I think swedging has to do with rods.....
Dents don't seem to affect the value that much if the horn plays well. I see people are willing to pay up for a horn if its dented and repaired but plays really well. Are there certain dents to be more wary of than others? Along these lines if posts have been dented or repaired is that a big deal?
Regarding wear of the brass like on the thumb hook area of the sba's, when is the integrity of the brass/horn an issue? Also, I've seen horns with rust like patina, could this patina that can look like rust cause the metal to fail at some point?
Regarding resolders- how durable are they if done right the first time? Are they as good as new? Or will they be weaker and wear out?
******A big question I have is original pads and resonators: If horn does not have original pad and resonators does that affect value? I know these horns need to be repadded but does that affect the value? What if it doesn't have the original resonators? How does that affect the value? What should people be thinking about here when buying a horn with respect to value?
Any other metrics you look at?
