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Buescher Vintage HornsBuescher Saxophones, while meant to be versatile, have a good reputation amongst classical players. Many Sigurd Rauscher School Saxophonists enjoy these horns. After Selmer purchased the company in the 60s, The Aristocrat design was incorporated into the Selmer Bundy student models which have almost identical bodies but were cheapened down. As-is repair specials can be bought as is or can be repaired to any level after initial purchase. |
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Conn Vintage HornsWhile meant to be versatile, Conn saxophones have a reputation for being a good Jazz & Rock Horn. Johnny Hodges played a Conn 6M as the lead Alto Player in Duke Ellington’s Band. As-is repair specials can be bought as-is or repaired to any level after initial purchase. |
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King Vintage HornsWhile meant to be versatile, King saxophones have a reputation for being a good Rock & Roll Horn. During their hay-day, King was one of a few manufacturers who still brazed on their tone-holes rather than drawing them up with machines. This more expensive and time-consuming process is perhaps responsible for the unique King sound. As-is repair specials can be bought as-is or repaired to any level after initial purchase. |
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Martin Vintage HornsSimilar to Kings, Martins use a similar process to King when making their tone-holes. Instead of brazing the tone-holes on, they solder them. Soldering isn’t as strong as brazing but that’s why Martins are usually cheaper than Kings. Both brazing and soldering on tone-hole stacks doesn't affect the bore of the instrument as much as drawing the tone-holes with machines does. Although Martins have their own unique dark sound, if you are looking at Kings, Martins could be a less expensive alternative. As-is repair specials can be bought as-is or repaired to any level after initial purchase. |
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Selmer Vintage HornsThere's nothing quite like a Vintage Selmer Saxophone. Known as the Holy Grail of vintage horns, Selmers command the greatest value in the vintage market. Due to their popularity during their initial production runs, Selmer became the standard of the high-end saxophone industry. Ergonomically, Mark VIs have now been copied by almost every new manufacturer since. As Martin, Buescher, King and Conn folded, newer manufacturers didn't bother to copy anything else but Selmer. This is partially why Vintage Selmers command such high prices. People who try other vintage horns are used to newer student & intermediate models that copied the ergonomics of the Mark VI. Therefore, those who buy anything but a Mark VI will need time to get used to other vintage horns. Apart from ergonomics, Vintage Selmers also command a high value because the newer ones aren't quite the same. Even the Reference 36 & 54 models that were meant to replicate the Balanced Action and Mark VI models respectively don't play anything like the originals. Somewhere along the way, Selmer lost the recipe for these horns. Some believe that the types of materials used in the production of the Mark VI attributed to their uniqueness. One perhaps tall tale is that Selmer used spent artillery shell casings from WWII to build the VIs. A more likely reason is that the machine tooling at the factory wore down over time and that made the horns unique over their seriation. Perhaps a combination of the tooling and experience of the factory workers attributed to the inability of Selmer to replicate their older horns. Whatever the reason may be, these intrinsic qualities are why professional players want Vintage Selmers. Additionally, Selmers are worth varying amounts of money depending on when they were made. In France, a manufacturer is not allowed to raise their prices unless they can prove that they have improved their product. Over the two decades the Mark VIs were produced, many little alterations were made to justify each increase in price. These alterations over 20 years makes each Mark VI unique depending on its age and worth varying amounts. |