Saxophones Selmer USA Alto Sax, what are your opinions please?

[jbtsax]

The link works with my Mozilla Firefox.

 

[altissimo]

ah, it's the country that's the problem, you have to set it to USA and not UK

 

[milandro]

These horns, whatever they might sell in the US, are very difficult to sell in Europe. Also, in my opinion, their new price has very little bearing on what they bring once they are sold as a second hand item.

I would have serious troubles selling one in my neck of the woods for more than €500 and personally, even if it were offered to me at less that that, I probably wouldn’t buy it because I know that I wouldn’t be able to shift it or it would take me a real long time.

If these fetch higher prices in the US... then sell in the US (but factor in the shipping prices and the remote but always present possibility that the buyer would be charged some customs, it almost never happens but it did happen to me with a jinxed horn that got damaged in transit and upon which they levied custom charges too...)

 

[ProfJames]

Are they available for sale in the UK via Selmer dealers?

 

[milandro]

Selmer USA is a separate company from the Conn-Selmer group (which is the Selmer Paris France, distributor in the USA) their products are distributed in the UK by

ACTIVE MUSIC DISTRIBUTION
7 Goose Green Trading Estate

GBR
Phone: +44 (0)20 8693 5678
Fax: +44 (0)20 8299 6704


VINCENT BACH INTERNATIONAL
Unit 71 Capitol Park
Edgware Road, NW90EW

GBR
Phone: 442-083-5888

 

[griff136]

They probably would be but the price at which they would sit ( around £1500 new) woud be direct competition with other decent horns on the market - and as a brand that is for want of a better description "Selmer Paris' very poor cousin" then I don't think there's much point in stocking something that will be a hard sell. IMHO

 

[ProfJames]

Thanks Griff and Milandro. Was intrigued as to the whole pricing differential/resale and product positioning.

 

[flukeyluke]

sax.co.uk stock the selmer (usa) la vie...has an rrp of £1500 and they sell new at £899,,,,i emailed them a week ago asking which sax out of that and the conn selmer premiere would give me the more aggressive brassy sound and they said the la vie,,,they also said its a very good quality sax easily up for gigging,they sung its praises but then again they would want a sell

 

[ProfJames]

You could buy a hell of a good sax for £899!!!!! And that would include a very good mouthpiece as well.

 

[Ads]

Yup, £900 would get you a scruffy-ish YAS62 or Yani 901 ........ a very nice Conn 6M ........ a tatty SA80 ....... or best of all , a tatty YAS-21, used Link tone edge mouthpiece, a slightly scruffy Y reg Ford Fiesta with alloy wheels and a bag of Genuine Andy Sheppard Autograph chips WITH Fish in newspaper

 

[ProfJames]

But peas would be extra!

 

[Ads]

I`m not sure peas would be a good idea, the resultant posteriorological "bell notes" would give the horn competition and be hard to keep in tune

 

[ProfJames]

Not at all....as long as you take the peas out of their shellacs!

 

[daveysaxboy]

Sax.co.uk have the Selmer la vie in there sale. They are pro horns. Build is great, very solid. Tuning is great. Top end made sax. My Elkhart deluxe is the same as these but a different stamp. Also my new alto Elkhart deluxe is made by Selmer USA, Conn-selmer and its freaky good. The £899 price at sax.co.uk is great and if I had that cash I'd be getting 1. I'm that pleased with there horns.

 

[ProfJames]

However Davey you don't play one!

 

[daveysaxboy]

sax.co.uk stock the selmer (usa) la vie...has an rrp of £1500 and they sell new at £899,,,,i emailed them a week ago asking which sax out of that and the conn selmer premiere would give me the more aggressive brassy sound and they said the la vie,,,they also said its a very good quality sax easily up for gigging,they sung its praises but then again they would want a sell

The Elkhart Raw alto at £699.00 at sax.co.uk is the SAME sax as the Conn-Selmer Premiere vintage sax at £1,050.00 at sax.co.uk, same sax , different stamp made by the same factory for Conn-Selmer who are the same horns as Selmer USA and Elkhart deluxe.

 

[daveysaxboy]

However Davey you don't play one!

However I do play 1. A Elkhart deluxe alto by Conn-Selmer ,

 

[daveysaxboy]

I have a customer that has a 1998 Selmer La Voix Alto, in Copper? finish, not sure if it is completely, or just the bell as know nothing of them whatsoever, played a lot since then so I cannot see it yet, but advised that it plays well and is in good condition.

I believe he feels it is worth around £800- £1000, as purchased it new for around $1800.00, and whilst just off the top of my head in thinking, Selmer USA 2008, Asian probably, possibly a nice horn?, but perhaps half his valuation-? sorry, I just do not know to be precise. He advises it is on the heavy side due to illness/injury and felt that some of the vintage ones-i.e. Conn etc are lighter. Plus, he likes it, but says it is a bit thin whilst playing next to his pals with Chuberrys and such..

Can anyone please enlighten me regards this, I have advised I would not be offering those sums as part -ex, however, I would like him to get the best deal possible for his horn, and would like to be able to put him in the right direction, what is it really worth in say very good condition and playing out of the case? And if so, Would any one wish for it? If so, I shall speak to him, get him to join the cafe and put it in the yard sale-or me on his behalf.

My knowledge of modern horns is very limited i'm afraid, I would sooner him able sell it quickly to be honest to go towards paying for the vintage one

Thank you for your help

AS there is the sale horns at sax.co.uk at the moment a used one for me is worth around £400 . Its a pro horn in the end fot not much cash.