Saxophones Selmer Signature

[MMM]

Well, just because no one mentioned them yet: a new alto and tenor model from Selmer, the good news is that their cheaper than the Supreme!

Signature, notre nouvelle gamme de saxophones

Le renouveau de la tradition Les saxophones Signature incarnent l'évolution des saxophones Super Action 80 Série II (pour l'alto) et Série III (pour le ténor), améliorant leurs qualités acoustiques et ergonomiques tout en s'inspirant des dernières innovations appliquées au modèle Supreme. Ces...

www.selmer.fr

 

[MarkSax]

Can mean that as good as it might be the Supreme is not selling as well as Selmer expected. Or the Series 2 and 3 are getting a refresher under a different name. Marketing IMO.

 

[Jimmymack]

Sax.co.uk have got them and they do seem to be refreshed series 2 and 3 with a bit of added Supreme, and still a fairly high price. Jim has done a quick video.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?be

 

[Macs]

£5.5k Alto, £6.9k Tenor are the ‘least expensive’ finish prices.

 

[trimmy]

Camilla George & Sylvain Rifflet on alto & tenor signature

View: https://youtu.be/z3vFlMNOmWc?si=Zz0_AQTlT9kxVNZc

 

[Dr G]

Camilla George & Sylvain Rifflet on alto & tenor signature

View: https://youtu.be/z3vFlMNOmWc?si=Zz0_AQTlT9kxVNZc

It sounds like Sylvain is struggling with the low end response. Intonation between the two is unfortunate at times.

C'mon, Selmer. Give me something that gets the juices (and money) flowing. I played Selmers (BA, Mk VI, SA-80, Serie II, Serie III, Ref 36) for 30 years or so, but this leaves me perfectly happy with my ol' Borgani.

 

[skeller047]

I think I’m keeping my SBA alto and Mark VI tenor.

 

[james8383]

Companies need to create new values to maintain revenue flow, sounds maybe different but just very minor point

 

[David Roach]

£5.5k Alto, £6.9k Tenor are the ‘least expensive’ finish prices.

Yes, I saw those prices. To me, they seem overpriced, I was expecting something about 1K less for the Signature models.

 

[Pete Effamy]

The biggest challenge for all instrument manufacturers is that whilst all their costs have risen over time, the gig fees for their customers largely remain the same 🙁

 

[Dr G]

The biggest challenge for all instrument manufacturers is that whilst all their costs have risen over time, the gig fees for their customers largely remain the same 🙁

That begs the question of the changing demographics and assumes that the buyer is a working musician. For instance, I have seen that a great many boutique guitars are bought by wealthy clients who do not depend on music for their income.

 

[turf3]

I would predict that there are essentially zero high-dollar saxophones being bought by working musicians who are making their living that way.

At these levels what we're seeing is Daddy money, Spouse money, and day-job money.

Quite honestly Selmer don't appear to have come up with anything actually new since the Mark 7 (it was a market failure, but it was something new). Everything since then has basically been "back to the Mark 6 but with a few tweaks here and there" and special finishes and engraving. The Super Action 80 was basically an answer to "why don't they just make the Mark 6 again instead of this dreadful Mark 7?". I was there at the time and it was very very clear to everyone that that was Selmer's intention. Everything since then has just been more of the same.

Maybe this is the way musical instrument design goes. Pretty much all flutes made today are just copies of the Haynes handmade with better scales; pianos are all copies of the Steinway of about 1930; violins are all just copies of the re-cut Strads from the middle 1800s. Maybe the saxophone market has decided in that way things like this happen, that the Selmer Mark 6 with improved intonation is "the saxophone" and everything from now on is just going to be variations on that theme.

I better go buy up some Conns and Martins and Bueschers.

 

[Jimmymack]

Really I don’t think the world needs any more saxophones anyway and at the prices the new Selmers are going for they’re not going to be bought by many working musicians. None of the new “Pro” style horns are going for chump change either so they are aimed at the reasonably well off amateur market as well.

I love seeing these new horns, as I heard Sonny Rollins say “I can just watch saxophones” but if you walk into any sax store you won’t be short of something to lust after.

 

[davidk]

Really I don’t think the world needs any more saxophones anyway and at the prices the new Selmers are going for they’re not going to be bought by many working musicians. None of the new “Pro” style horns are going for chump change either so they are aimed at the reasonably well off amateur market as well.

I love seeing these new horns, as I heard Sonny Rollins say “I can just watch saxophones” but if you walk into any sax store you won’t be short of something to lust after.

The world always needs more saxophones

 

[jonf]

I agree with the comments about these saxes not being bought by working musicians. Why pay nearly £7k for the tenor Selmer when you could get good Yamaha or Yanagisawa for half that, which would probably stand up to regular use far better?

 

[turf3]

It's the same with guitars - who's buying those zillion dollar customs and super special edition Martins? It ain't the guy grinding out $200 a night gigs. Those guys are playing Takamines and Yamahas.

 

[jonf]

It's the same with guitars - who's buying those zillion dollar customs and super special edition Martins? It ain't the guy grinding out $200 a night gigs. Those guys are playing Takamines and Yamahas.

Yup. Wealthy enthusiasts indulging themselves. Nothing wrong with that, of course, if you've earnt some money you can spend it on a lot worse than musical instruments.

 

[Pete Effamy]

I just find it odd that whilst premium horns never felt cheap, they all felt attainable 20/30 years ago.
Pretty much every clarinet player at a Conservatoire would have turned up with an R13, 10C or 1010 in the ‘80’s; I wonder if that is changing.

 

[Ivan]

I wonder if that is changing

The market has changed, Pete...

The most expensive horns aren't necessarily the best

 

[Dr G]

The market has changed, Pete...

The most expensive horns aren't necessarily the best

Have you played the pink gold Yanagisawa tenor?

I’m saving up for the osmium edition.