Selmer Reference 54 Serial Numbers
The first Selmer clarinets were made in 1890. By 1900 Selmer was also manufacturing Alto Clarinets, Bass Clarinets, Flutes, Oboes, and English Horns. In 1904 Henri joined with his brother Alexandre to form H. Selmer Serial Number Ranges By Model. Although, as the chart below. Super Action 80 Series II, Series III and Reference horns are currently in production.
Selmer Mark VI tenor saxophone Concert model with high F#, right hand G#, D to E flat trill and C to D trill using the palm key E flat The Mark VI is a produced from 1954 to 1981. Production shifted to the Mark VII for the tenor and alto in the mid-1970s (see discussion of serial numbers below), and to the Super Action 80 for the soprano and baritone saxophones in 1981. The sopranino saw limited production until about 1985. Selmer debuted the Mark VI in 1954 with,,,, and, until the introduction of the Mark VII model in 1975. Since the Mark VI design continued for sopraninos, sopranos, baritones, or bass saxes, they did not have a Mark VII model. There are reports of a limited number of baritone saxophones labeled as Mark VIIs, but these horns were of the same design as the Mark VI. All Mark VI saxophones were manufactured in France.
After manufacture, instruments designated for the British/Canadian or American markets were shipped unassembled and unengraved to their respective markets for completion. The style of engraving on the bell of the instrument is an indicator of the place of assembly. Bell of a Selmer Mark VI alto saxophone in the 80,000 serial number range. The French-assembled Mark VI engraving is usually of a butterfly and floral motif, and the engraving typically extends to the bow. Some French-assembled Mark VI's lack any engraving other than the brand stamp. Nickel or silver-plated keys with a lacquer-finish body were offered among the French-assembled horns. The British/Canadian Mark VI's often have a symmetrical medallion engraved on the front of the bell, and a design reminiscent of the chambered along the sides of the bell.
American-assembled Mark VI's have floral or scroll engraving, with only the earliest models extending to the bow. The design of the Mark VI evolved over time. Switching over from its predecessor, officially named the Super Action but commonly called the Super Balanced Action, Selmer's earliest Mark VI models were transitional, incorporating design elements from the preceding model.
Tonally, early examples are considered to have a 'dark' tone, while later examples are thought of as having a 'bright' sound. Programma dlya sravneniya lic na foto skachatj. The bore taper, bow, neck designs, and some mechanical features changed throughout the history of the Mark VI. The changes were not documented by Selmer.
The length of the bow was increased on altos during the 85K serial number range to address certain intonation issues. In subsequent years the short bow was reintroduced. Some altos had baffles soldered into the bow to correct intonation issues. At least three changes to neck design were made on the tenor during the 1950s and 1960s, and once again in the 1970s.
Some contend that the neck design changes account for the different tonal and playing qualities between earlier and later Mark VI's. Others contend that Mark VI's produced after about SN 180,000 had harder metal as a result of a change in the metalworking process, however, that SN corresponds to a known change in neck design so differing characteristics before and after can not definitely be ascribed to metallurgy. 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. An employee's description of the assembly and quality control process at Selmer USA during the 1960s indicated that different quality Mark VIes were sold through different channels; the top tier was offered to musicians under contract to Selmer ('Selmer Artists'), the second tier went to pro dealers in major markets, and the third tier went to the general market. Hence, the best assurance of the quality of a Mark VI may be its sale history, as more variability could be expected in the quality of horns initially sold in the general market. [ ] The high F ♯ key was offered as an option, though some players believe that instruments without the high F ♯ key have better natural intonation.