Selmer Mark VI
Encyclopedia
The Selmer Mark VI is a professional model saxophone
that is generally considered the Selmer Company
's finest saxophone. Although tastes in saxophones differ (e.g. some players like bright tone-colors whilst others prefer dark-sounding instruments) the Mk VI design is universally regarded as one of the best saxophone models ever produced by any manufacturer. Not surprisingly, it is preferred by many jazz musicians. These have included Phil Woods
, Bob Mintzer
, Wayne Shorter
, Stanley Turrentine
, Michael Brecker
, Chris Potter
, Bob Berg
, Sonny Rollins
, Dexter Gordon
, Doug Ostgard
Stan Getz
, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, King Koeller, Bill Clark, Ed Rusk, Branford Marsalis
, Victor Goines
, Dick Oatts
, Eric Marienthal
, Peter King
, John Coltrane
, David Sanborn
, Lee Konitz
, LeRoi Moore
, Kenny G
, Chris White
, Jazz Hamilton
, and numerous others.
The Mark VI was introduced in 1954 and was available in sopranino
, soprano
, alto
, tenor
, baritone
and bass saxophone
s for nearly 20 years until the introduction of the Mark VII model in 1975; however, there were no Mark VII sopraninos, sopranos, baritones, or bass saxes, as these continued to be the Mark VI design until introduction of the Super Action 80 saxophones. There are reports of a select number of baritone saxophones labeled as Mark VIIs but these horns are of the same design as the Mark VI. The entire line of Selmer horns was not revamped until the introduction of the Super Action 80 series in 1980. In 2000 Selmer introduced the Reference 54 series, whose design, look, feel, and sound was patterned after the Mark VI.
The Mark VI was made in France
and originally imported in parts to the United States
in order to avoid import tariffs. They were shipped unassembled and with no engraving to the United States. They were then assembled and engraved in Elkhart, Indiana
. The Mark VIs from this era have a few notable features that separate them from their French-assembled siblings.
The "American" engraving is generally of a flower and does not appear on the bow of the saxophone. Early examples of these saxophones have a serial number on the neck of the saxophone. It is believed that they were stamped with a serial number prior to exportation in France so that they could be matched upon arrival in the US. Eventually this practice was dropped. It is also believed that not all saxophones leaving the Elkhart factory had matching neck and body serial numbers. Technicians in the US also reportedly swapped necks to optimize the sound, which leads some to believe that American saxophones have better quality control than its French-assembled sibling. In the Japanese market, American Mark VIs are seen as more oriented toward jazz, whereas French saxophones are seen as catered to classical. It is believed that the difference in lacquer makes the American Mark VIs "brighter" than the "darker" French variants. Consequently, the Elkhart-assembled VIs are in greater demand in Japan. However, Selmer has never officially verified differences in quality-control or lacquer, so the perceived impact of the origin of assembly on the sound largely remains as speculation.
Aesthetically, the French-assembled saxophones have more elaborate engraving, generally of a Fleur-de-lis
and on the bow.
The design of the Mark VI evolved over time. Switching over from its predecessor, officially named the Super Action, but also called the Super Balanced Action, Selmer's earliest Mark VI models were transitional, incorporating design elements from both the preceding and the current saxophone. Tonally, early examples are considered to have a "dark" tone, while later examples are thought of as having a "bright" sound. The bore of the instrument changed throughout the history of the Mark VI. The shape of the bow was increased during the 90K serial number range to address certain intonation issues. In subsequent years the short bow was reintroduced. Latter-year Mark VIs gained a reputation of being lower quality than early versions (possibly due to Selmer's higher annual production output of the popular saxophone), leading to a greater demand of early-year Mark VIs with a five-digit serial number.
The high F key also shows up on various serial number ranges, though some players believe that instruments without the high F key have better natural intonation. There are also somewhat rare low A alto and baritone models. The low A baritone is especially sought after, whereas the low A alto model is somewhat less desirable (which presumably suffered intonation issues). Nonetheless, Ornette Coleman
plays a low A alto.
The quality and ergonomics of the keywork design of the Mark VI can be observed in current saxophone designs: most modern saxophones have keywork that is more-or-less identical to the basic Mark VI design.
Keep in mind the "Official" Serial number guide issued by Selmer is not exact and Selmer never meant for it to be so. There can be as much as an 18 month (+/-) variation in actual production dates. This has been verified by original owners with receipts of their instruments showing purchase dates earlier than they would have been produced according to this chart. An example exists of an 89,000 series instrument sold in 1959. There is also a Mark VI tenor with a 236,000 serial number which would challenge the 231,000 Mark VII change-over. This gives rise to speculation that Selmer produced both the Mark VI design and early Mark VII horns concurrently, or possibly until the existing parts for the Mark VI were used up.
The Mark VI Soprano, Baritone, and Bass models were produced from 1954-1981. It is possible to find confirmed examples of these instruments in the serial range of # 55201-365000. The Mark VI Sopranino model was produced from 1954-1985 and can be found within the serial number range of # 55201-378000.
The Mark VII was produced as alto and tenor saxophones only.
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
that is generally considered the Selmer Company
The Selmer Company
Henri Selmer Paris company is a French family-owned enterprise, manufacturer of musical instruments based in Paris, France in 1885. It is known for its high-quality woodwind and brass instruments, especially saxophones, clarinets and trumpets...
's finest saxophone. Although tastes in saxophones differ (e.g. some players like bright tone-colors whilst others prefer dark-sounding instruments) the Mk VI design is universally regarded as one of the best saxophone models ever produced by any manufacturer. Not surprisingly, it is preferred by many jazz musicians. These have included Phil Woods
Phil Woods
Philip Wells Woods is an American jazz bebop alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader and composer.-Biography:...
, Bob Mintzer
Bob Mintzer
Bob Mintzer is a jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and big band leader based in Los Angeles, California. Mintzer is a member of the jazz rock band the Yellowjackets.-With The Yellowjackets:*Greenhouse, 1991;*Live Wires, 1992;...
, Wayne Shorter
Wayne Shorter
Wayne Shorter is an American jazz saxophonist and composer.He is generally acknowledged to be jazz's greatest living composer, and many of his compositions have become standards...
, Stanley Turrentine
Stanley Turrentine
Stanley William Turrentine, also known as "Mr. T" or "The Sugar Man", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.-Biography:Turrentine was born in Pittsburgh's Hill District into a musical family...
, Michael Brecker
Michael Brecker
Michael Leonard Brecker was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Acknowledged as "a quiet, gentle musician widely regarded as the most influential tenor saxophonist since John Coltrane," he has been awarded 15 Grammy Awards as both performer and composer and was inducted into Down Beat Jazz...
, Chris Potter
Chris Potter (jazz saxophonist)
Chris Potter is an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist.-Biography:Born in Chicago, Illinois, Potter spent most of his childhood in Columbia, South Carolina where his mother taught psychology at the University of South Carolina...
, Bob Berg
Bob Berg
Bob Berg was a jazz saxophonist originally from Brooklyn, New York City. He started his musical education at the age of six when he began studying classical piano. He began playing the saxophone at the age of thirteen. Bob Berg was a Juilliard graduate influenced heavily by the late 1964–67 period...
, Sonny Rollins
Sonny Rollins
Theodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins is a Grammy-winning American jazz tenor saxophonist. Rollins is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. A number of his compositions, including "St...
, Dexter Gordon
Dexter Gordon
Dexter Gordon was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and an Academy Award-nominated actor . He is regarded as one of the first and most important musicians to adapt the bebop musical language of people like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Bud Powell to the tenor saxophone...
, Doug Ostgard
Doug Ostgard
Doug Ostgard is a professional musician specializing in woodwinds. He has backed up an impressive list of showbiz greats, from Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Johnny Mathis to Rosemary Clooney, Lena Horne and Ann-Margaret....
Stan Getz
Stan Getz
Stanley Getz was an American jazz saxophone player. Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of his idol, Lester Young. Coming to prominence in the late 1940s with Woody Herman's big band, Getz is described by critic Scott...
, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, King Koeller, Bill Clark, Ed Rusk, Branford Marsalis
Branford Marsalis
Branford Marsalis is an American saxophonist, composer and bandleader. While primarily known for his work in jazz as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he also performs frequently as a soloist with classical ensembles and has led the group Buckshot LeFonque.-Biography:Marsalis was born...
, Victor Goines
Victor Goines
Victor Goines is a jazz saxophonist and clarinetist and received his Masters in Music at Virginia Commonwealth University. Goines is the director of jazz studies at the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University. He previously served as first artistic director of the Juilliard School's jazz...
, Dick Oatts
Dick Oatts
Richard "Dick" Oatts is a jazz saxophonist from Jefferson, Iowa. He became interested in saxophone due to his father Jack Oatts. To this day he still plays on the same Selmer Mark VI alto saxophone his father gave to him. He began his professional career in Minneapolis in 1972 and in 1977 he joined...
, Eric Marienthal
Eric Marienthal
Eric Marienthal is a Los Angeles-based contemporary saxophonist best known for his work in the jazz, jazz fusion, smooth jazz, and pop genres....
, Peter King
Peter King (saxophonist)
Peter John King is an English jazz saxophonist, composer, and clarinettist.- Early life :Peter King was born in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, on August 11, 1940. He took up the clarinet and saxophone as a teenager, entirely self taught...
, John Coltrane
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
, David Sanborn
David Sanborn
David Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school...
, Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz is an American jazz composer and alto saxophonist born in Chicago, Illinois.Generally considered one of the driving forces of Cool Jazz, Konitz has also performed successfully in bebop and avant-garde settings...
, LeRoi Moore
Leroi Moore
LeRoi Holloway Moore was an American saxophonist best known as a founding member of the Dave Matthews Band. Moore often arranged music for the songs written by frontman Dave Matthews...
, Kenny G
Kenny G
Kenneth Bruce Gorelick , better known by his stage name Kenny G, is an American, adult contemporary and smooth jazz saxophonist. His fourth album, Duotones, brought him breakthrough success in 1986...
, Chris White
Chris White (saxophonist)
Chris White English jazz/rock saxophonist who toured with Dire Straits from 1985–1995, and who has played with many bands and artists, including Robbie Williams, Paul McCartney, Chris De Burgh and Mick Jagger.-Biography:...
, Jazz Hamilton
Jazz Hamilton
Jazz Hamilton is a Puerto Rican saxophonist, recording artist, musical director, and composer. Known for his recordings on jazz, Latin jazz, smooth jazz and salsa genres, he also recorded two classical musical pieces in his album My Soul released in 2008, the classical piece Wolfgang Jacobi Sonata...
, and numerous others.
The Mark VI was introduced in 1954 and was available in sopranino
Sopranino saxophone
The sopranino saxophone is one of the smallest members of the saxophone family. A sopranino saxophone is tuned in the key of E, and sounds an octave above the alto saxophone. This saxophone has a sweet sound and although the sopranino is one of the least common of the saxophones in regular use...
, soprano
Soprano saxophone
The soprano saxophone is a variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument, invented in 1840. The soprano is the third smallest member of the saxophone family, which consists of the soprillo, sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, contrabass and tubax.A transposing instrument pitched in...
, alto
Alto saxophone
The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions...
, tenor
Tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
, baritone
Baritone saxophone
The baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" , is one of the largest and lowest pitched members of the saxophone family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax. The baritone is distinguished from smaller sizes of saxophone by the extra loop near its mouthpiece...
and bass saxophone
Bass saxophone
The bass saxophone is the second largest member of the saxophone family. Its design is similar to that of the baritone saxophone, with a loop of tubing near the mouthpiece. It was the first type of saxophone presented to the public, when Adolphe Sax exhibited a bass saxophone in C at an exhibition...
s for nearly 20 years until the introduction of the Mark VII model in 1975; however, there were no Mark VII sopraninos, sopranos, baritones, or bass saxes, as these continued to be the Mark VI design until introduction of the Super Action 80 saxophones. There are reports of a select number of baritone saxophones labeled as Mark VIIs but these horns are of the same design as the Mark VI. The entire line of Selmer horns was not revamped until the introduction of the Super Action 80 series in 1980. In 2000 Selmer introduced the Reference 54 series, whose design, look, feel, and sound was patterned after the Mark VI.
The Mark VI was made in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and originally imported in parts to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in order to avoid import tariffs. They were shipped unassembled and with no engraving to the United States. They were then assembled and engraved in Elkhart, Indiana
Elkhart, Indiana
Elkhart is a city in Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. The city is located east of South Bend, northwest of Fort Wayne, east of Chicago, and north of Indianapolis...
. The Mark VIs from this era have a few notable features that separate them from their French-assembled siblings.
Aesthetically, the French-assembled saxophones have more elaborate engraving, generally of a Fleur-de-lis
Fleur-de-lis
The fleur-de-lis or fleur-de-lys is a stylized lily or iris that is used as a decorative design or symbol. It may be "at one and the same time, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic, and symbolic", especially in heraldry...
and on the bow.
The design of the Mark VI evolved over time. Switching over from its predecessor, officially named the Super Action, but also called the Super Balanced Action, Selmer's earliest Mark VI models were transitional, incorporating design elements from both the preceding and the current saxophone. Tonally, early examples are considered to have a "dark" tone, while later examples are thought of as having a "bright" sound. The bore of the instrument changed throughout the history of the Mark VI. The shape of the bow was increased during the 90K serial number range to address certain intonation issues. In subsequent years the short bow was reintroduced. Latter-year Mark VIs gained a reputation of being lower quality than early versions (possibly due to Selmer's higher annual production output of the popular saxophone), leading to a greater demand of early-year Mark VIs with a five-digit serial number.
The high F key also shows up on various serial number ranges, though some players believe that instruments without the high F key have better natural intonation. There are also somewhat rare low A alto and baritone models. The low A baritone is especially sought after, whereas the low A alto model is somewhat less desirable (which presumably suffered intonation issues). Nonetheless, Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman is an American saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter and composer. He was one of the major innovators of the free jazz movement of the 1960s....
plays a low A alto.
The quality and ergonomics of the keywork design of the Mark VI can be observed in current saxophone designs: most modern saxophones have keywork that is more-or-less identical to the basic Mark VI design.
Years of production by serial number
- 1954- 55201-59000
- 1955- 59001-63400
- 1956- 63401-68900
- 1957- 68901-74500
- 1958- 74501-80400
- 1959- 80401-85200
- 1960- 85201-91300
- 1961- 91301-97300
- 1962- 97301-104500
- 1963- 104501-112500
- 1964- 112501-121600
- 1965- 121601-131800
- 1966- 131801-141500
- 1967- 141501-152400
- 1968- 152401-162500
- 1969- 162501-173800
- 1970- 173801-184900
- 1971- 184901-196000
- 1972- 196001-208700
- 1973- 208701-220800
- 1974- (After 231,000/Mark VII) 220801-233900
Keep in mind the "Official" Serial number guide issued by Selmer is not exact and Selmer never meant for it to be so. There can be as much as an 18 month (+/-) variation in actual production dates. This has been verified by original owners with receipts of their instruments showing purchase dates earlier than they would have been produced according to this chart. An example exists of an 89,000 series instrument sold in 1959. There is also a Mark VI tenor with a 236,000 serial number which would challenge the 231,000 Mark VII change-over. This gives rise to speculation that Selmer produced both the Mark VI design and early Mark VII horns concurrently, or possibly until the existing parts for the Mark VI were used up.
The Mark VI Soprano, Baritone, and Bass models were produced from 1954-1981. It is possible to find confirmed examples of these instruments in the serial range of # 55201-365000. The Mark VI Sopranino model was produced from 1954-1985 and can be found within the serial number range of # 55201-378000.
The Mark VII was produced as alto and tenor saxophones only.