Sometimes, when an instrument shows up, it's a true pleasure to work on. Repairs and maintenance can be fun, but a pleasure to work on isn't as common as you might think. Most horns are fix them, play test them and get them back to the customer. This was not the case with the customer who brought in his grandfathers tenor sax. He brought it in to me, asking if I could go over it and do some light maintenance on it. When I opened the case, my jaw dropped instantly. It was a Selmer Mark VI, and looked brand new
The Mark VI tenor horn is one of the most sought after vintage saxophones of all time. They started being produced in the mid 50's, when many of the instrument manufacturers in the US were shifting back to making horns after WWII. Many of the factories had halted production and switched to war-time production of tanks, planes, etc...... The Selmer plant evolved the design of the pre-war Balanced action and the Super-Balanced action to make the new model, and it's tone and ease of play made it an instrument that became an instant success.
Usually, when I get in a vintage instrument, it looks like it's had a hard life. The easiest sign of the age is the state of the lacquer or silver finish. Scratches and scrapes abound, showing exposed brass that has turned green with patina. Also, there's usually some other wear and tear on the instruments in the form of dents, dings, or discoloration. There was none of that on this horn. The lacquer on this horn was complete and scratch free. I thought maybe it had been refinished, but the darkening of the finish that was there told me otherwise. The once clear coat finish had darkened over time, so the bright brass underneath now had a smooth caramel color to it. It was gorgeous.
I took the horn apart, expecting to find some clues to tell me it had been refinished or restored, but everything I saw pointed to the fact this was all just meticulously cared for. There was some light cleaning to do on the hinge rods for the keys, and a few pads needed to be readjusted to level. All in all, took very little time to bring it up to specs. Then came the fun part, play testing time.
I'm originally a trumpet player, and only learned basic level of woodwinds for the purpose of play testing them to make sure they were working correctly. I know if the squeak coming out is me or more work to be done, so I know that I don't sound anywhere near good on most woodwinds. That being said, the sound that came out of this saxophone brought the saxophone instructor down the hall to find out what was going in. Big, bold, and well rounded, this was a sax that was a joy to play.
When the customer came to pick up the horn, I had to ask more questions about the history. His grandfather played it occasionally, but most of it's life was spent being cared for, and that level of care really showed. It was a horn I was truly pained to see leave, and hope that it will last and be played for many decades to come
