Selmer MarkVI

Sunday.

A million years ago my father gave me a clarinet and arranged some lessons with a guy named Brian Jarman who was lead alto in a local dance band.

At some point Brian mentioned "doubling another instrument" and that's when I got a 1937/8 Buescher Aristocrat tenor that one of his musician friends was selling because he was too ill to play any more. I've still got it today.

When I wasn't blowing or carting the Buescher around, I was reading about or listening to saxophone players on record or live when they were on tour: Johnny Hodges, Paul Desmond, Paul Gonsalves, John Coltrane, Sonny Stitt, Gerry Mulligan, Tubby Hayes, Jimmy Skidmore, Tony Coe. These guys' were so technically good it was downright intimidating - I couldn't think that fast. I couldn't even get close and as most of them seemed to play Selmers I always blamed it on the Buescher. Johnny Hodges played Buescher. I should have realised it was me and not the instrument but it was nice to have an excuse to fall back on.

Brian Jarman had a brand new Selmer Balanced Action Alto. He let me hold it but I never got to blow it and that's when my fascination with Selmer began. Trouble was that new Selmers were out of my price range. But the need to own a Mark VI stayed with me.

On holiday in New York I was wandering around looking for saxophone shops but getting sidetracked into looking at guitars and basses, until someone sent me off to Doctor Rick's shop in Greenwich Village. I was very tempted.

Then at the top of a flight of stairs just round the block from my hotel I found Roberto's. A shop where you could take a dozen Mark VI's, one after the other into the practice rooms until you found one that got on with you.

I'd spent 40 years dreaming about Selmer Mark VI tenor saxophones and in one day I'd handled and blown more Selmers than I'd ever seen. And they were different. The keys seemed to fall under your fingers even after all those years playing on the Buescher.

Bottom notes had always been a problem for me on the Buescher, but not on these Selmers. Having said that, there was no magical transformation - I didn't turn into a sax giant - But I certainly felt like one.

I don't suppose I'll buy another saxophone now.......... unless it's a soprano..... or an alto and I've always hankered after..... a baritone.

Sax Links

Selmer History

Buyer's Guide

Buescher Serial Numbers

Selmer Serial Numbers

Dr Rick's

Roberto's

Stolen Saxes

I've just spent an hour sorting this stuff out - only to find that I've already posted it back in October - Oh well never mind. I'll probably republish Prague tomorrow.