It feels good in the hands, and all the keys fit right under the fingers as you would expect from a Selmer. When you pick up the horn, you can feel a horn of substance. The only nod to the original as far as the keywork goes is a pearl for high F instead of the teardrop key more in use today, and a round instead of elliptical pearl for the side F# like you would find on a Mark VI. What they did was to take a 1954 Mark VI alto which they found in New York which epitomized the best aspects of the model in terms of sound, study its specifications and then reproduce it exactly, with only the keywork updated. Selmer was no longer the dominant maker of saxophones. For one thing, companies like Keilwerth, Yamaha and Yanigasawa were building quality saxophones, giving Selmer their first real competition in years. Selmer realized that the increased demand for Mark VI's on the vintage market represented an opportunity for them to reclaim some of their prominence. With this saxophone, prominent American brands like Conn, Buescher, Martin and King would soon cease all saxophone production or be reduced to making only student level horns, or go out of business altogether. What was interesting about the Mark VI was that Marcel Mule, the eminent classical saxophonist had a hand in its design, yet classical players didn't take to it, but jazz players did in droves and soon it seemed almost no one played anything else. Of course it was forgotten that when the Mark VI replaced the Super-Balanced Action, many players of the time were saying the same thing. Still, there were enough players and collectors bemoaning the fact that there was no longer any Selmer saxophone that could compare to their beloved Mark VI's.
#Selmer reference 54 alto used series
It was replaced by the Mark VII, which did not receive a warm reception from Selmer devotees and the saxophone market in general and consequently, after only a couple of years, was replaced by the Super Action 80, followed by the Series II and more recently the Series III. It was produced from 1954 through 1974, a twenty year run. Our pre-sale set ups ensure the pad seating is spot on and the springing and venting is set up to perform at the optimal level.The Selmer Mark VI is probably the most popular and also most costly vintage saxophone on the market. This Reference 54 comes in a special Reference case and Selmer accessory pack, however mouthpiece is not included.
#Selmer reference 54 alto used professional
In summary its a step too far to call the Reference 54 a revolution but its safe to say its certainly re-affirmed Selmers position at the top of the now very highly competitive food chain and is a serious must try for anybody looking for a new professional Alto. The other challenge is obviously some of the vintage Saxes out there have now seen 50 or 60 years of hard use, after all they are just mechanical equipment that gradually wears out. In short it was revolutionary and this is what has made it live on as a mythical beast for so long, however there are differences in the tonal desires of some modern day saxophonists and a desire for better intonation and reliability. The MKVi turned up just as Saxophonists were exploring the extreme tonal possibilities of the Sax, the design brought something new to the market at the time and the more ergonomically designed key work helped facilitate better and faster techniques. Throughout the course of instrument design the requirements of the professionals of the time have been sculpted by their musical needs. The matt lacquer combines a modern look but with a vintage feel and the intricate hand engraving really delivers on an aesthetic level but most importantly the sound concept and intonation is spot on.
The 54 is a clear tip of the hat to 1954 when the MKVi was first produced and the look of the new instrument oozes class and character. So, the Selmer team in Paris set about consulting top players, re-modelling the key sizes, shapes and layout, referring back to some of their old designs including the shaping of the necks and bow to bell design shape and size, and the Reference series was born. The feeling that the Series II was perhaps a little muddy sounding and the Series III had the opposite problem of being too bright compounded this and for many neither had the amazingly slick and positive key action found on some vintage Selmers. Whilst Selmer had enjoyed some commercial success with the Series II and Series III Saxophones in the 1980s and 1990s there was still a feeling amongst many of the keen Saxophonists that the modern day Selmers didnt quite hit the mark. Produced to pay homage to their MKVI Saxophones that began production in 1954, the Reference series was designed to bring a new level of tone and ergonomics to the worlds leading Saxophone brand. The Selmer Ref 54 Alto Sax is part of a Reference series that has re-shaped the modern day perception of the Selmer brand.
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