This explosion produced, among other lines, Selmer’s Mark VI, which was the culmination of Selmer’s two-decade drive to play the best-sounding, most playable saxophone ever. The years from 1945-1957 saw an explosion of new designs, arguably producing the best saxophones ever built in America and Europe (and some would say anywhere). Though many manufacturers diverted resources to military contracts, their engineers were working overtime. This Means War (Approximately 1941-1970)Įven World War II didn’t put an end to the ongoing battle for saxophone supremacy. If someone advertises one of these models and those pads are both on the right side of the bell, they are post-1976 models and may not even be made in the US factory. Identification Tips: With the exception of the Selmer Balanced Action, most of these horns have the low B and Bb pads on the left side of the bell (from the player’s perspective). Those experiments culminated in a period (1932-1935) during which every major manufacturer introduced models that were significant upgrades, all of which are still in demand today (some more than others): For a time, incremental improvements crept into the first- and second-generation low pitch horns.
#SELMER REF 54 SERIAL NUMBER PHOTO PROFESSIONAL#
An Era of Transition (Approximately 1930-1941)Īfter the Great Depression started and the demand for saxophones fell off, there was still a battle to make the best professional saxophone. Some brands made this migration slower than the others, but by WWII, all US brands and most Euro brands had made it (Selmer Balanced Action being the exception, with the B and Bb pads migrating to the right side of the bell). Identification Tips: During this time, the low B and Bb pads started sitting next to each other on the left side of the bell (from the player’s point of view). Other manufacturers, like Martin, renamed their line of saxophones every time they tweaked things. Some manufacturers, like Buescher, “snuck in” their upgrades without fanfare - so later models have improvements over the earlier ones. The low B and Bb pads are on opposite sides of the bell.Īn Era of Continuous Incremental Improvement (approximately 1920-1931)įor the next fifteen years, the saxophone market exploded, leading to constant tweaking as each manufacturer tried to demonstrate some advantage over the other.The words “Low Pitch” near the thumb rest, usually accompanied by a patent year from 1914 or later.Identification tips - Most of the first-generation low-pitch horns have two defining characteristics: Patented updates such as those Conn and Buescher made in 1914 and Martin made in 1918 mark the beginning of the new age of saxophone development. During that shift, several other improvements were often included. If you’re read our other articles, you’ll remember that we tend to count the beginning of “vintage” saxophones from the early 1900s, when most of the major manufacturers shifted emphasis from manufacturing “high-pitched” horns to making “low-pitched horns” in the correct pitch for 20th- century American orchestras and bands. The Low Pitch Revolution (approximately 1914-1920) The truth is that, while there is a market for any vintage horn that can be restored to playability, not all vintage horns are created equal. Many sellers present any old saxophone they’ve come across as a rare, highly desirable piece, worth thousands in any condition. This article is an attempt to help vintage saxophone shoppers compare apples to apples when presented with various vintage brands and models.