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Until the 1990's the vast majority of professional saxophonists in the US played a Mark VI. A number of classical players played later Selmers (Mark VII and SA 80) but there were still quite a few who played their Mark VIs. In the non-classical fields - jazz, pop, rock, studio work, Broadway shows, freelance, etc. - most players played Mark VI. A few played Super 20s, and a few more played Conn saxophones. But look at any working saxophonist from 1960 through 1990, the odds are above 80% that they played a Mark VI.
That is not true today - Yamaha and Yanagisawa made large inroads starting in the 1990s. Yamaha owned the student market by the year 2000. Now, there are many brands, from Japan, Taiwan, China, Vietnam, etc. Keilwerth gained some traction in the 1970s, and they remain important today. Selmer, while still important, is no longer king of the hill. Also there is a very large group of jazz and rock players who prefer older horns like Conn.
So - to say one saxophone is "the best" is just a matter of personal opinion. But there is a reason for the Mark VI mystique. While it was being made, and for a number of years after, a large majority - not just many people, but MOST people - preferred it above all others. Like Buffet with clarinets, Selmer owned the market with the Mark VI.
Perhaps it is not the best, again that is a personal choice - it is certainly my choice! But I think it is safe to say it is one of the most important saxophones ever made. It is the first "modern" saxophone. It is the model for most horns that have been made since. Its influence is undeniable.
That is not true today - Yamaha and Yanagisawa made large inroads starting in the 1990s. Yamaha owned the student market by the year 2000. Now, there are many brands, from Japan, Taiwan, China, Vietnam, etc. Keilwerth gained some traction in the 1970s, and they remain important today. Selmer, while still important, is no longer king of the hill. Also there is a very large group of jazz and rock players who prefer older horns like Conn.
So - to say one saxophone is "the best" is just a matter of personal opinion. But there is a reason for the Mark VI mystique. While it was being made, and for a number of years after, a large majority - not just many people, but MOST people - preferred it above all others. Like Buffet with clarinets, Selmer owned the market with the Mark VI.
Perhaps it is not the best, again that is a personal choice - it is certainly my choice! But I think it is safe to say it is one of the most important saxophones ever made. It is the first "modern" saxophone. It is the model for most horns that have been made since. Its influence is undeniable.
