1938 SELMER Balanced Action Tenor Saxophone with beautiful Cottage engraving, 25xxx

There certainly are people who hold that gravure and appearance generally have no influence on the sound of a Saxophone. From a purely technical standpoint this is surely correct; from personal experience and feedback from many customers, however, looks do in fact play a role: when a Saxophone appeals to me aesthetically, it undergirds my playing sensibilities and consequently my sound as well!

Be that as it may, this Saxophone is really a beauty with its lovely gravure: the bell’s midsection is embellished with a landscape motif with a lake view nestled in rich floral motifs engraved down to the bow. The handsome dark lacquer is still almost completely intact, the Saxophone was once relacquered at an earlier time — that good and careful work was done is seen especially in the area of the gravure, only at the back of the body is the surface somewhat undulated, a sign that perhaps the Instrument was not heavily or too heavily polished prior to lacquering (exorbitant polishing often causes irreparable damage to the Saxophone! More info on this under “Interesting facts”).

Sound-wise this is a typical Balanced Action Tenor Saxophone: full, voluminous sound, powerful projection, the tone radiates with wonderful breadth. It exudes maturity in every tone, and with its 86 years of experience, it has every right to do so….

Would you like to give this superb Saxophone a try and compare it with other Tenors in our expansive Legendary Saxophones Collection? You are cordially invited to pay us a visit and find your Saxophone.

We may also ship our Saxophones to you so you can test them at your leisure in your own space. Simply place an order at our Online Shop.