Saxophones Upgrading to Selmer SA II

[Kostas Greece]

Hello my fellow Sax players!!!
Happily I can tell you, that I am finally trying to upgrade to my Dream Horns!!!
For the last few years I was playing on Cannonball Alto and Tenor saxes, which in my opinion a very good saxes!!!
But a few days ago I had this outstanding oppurtunity to get me a pair of Tenor and Alto SAIIs'.
I test played them and they both blew my socks off...
Now I'm putting my Cannonballs on ebay and hope they make their money I'm selling them!!!
Wait and see...
I can tell you my friends that I am very happy to close up to my dream!!!
What's your opinion in upgrading to Selmer Super Action II ????

 

[TomMapfumo]

Glad you've found some saxes you love! I play a Selmer Ref54 Alto and really love it - a vibrant and alive sound but with a core of warmth, complexity and richness. I used to play the Selmer Super Session mouthpiece but found it too mellow and a little lacking in depth so eventually switched to the ones I currently play - Phil-Tone. Mouthpiece Cafe and Drake, who all produce great Meyer Bros type mouthpieces. Never tried a Selmer Tenor or the SA II saxes.

Kind regards
Tom

 

[kevgermany]

Enjoy. Sounds like a good move. One of our biggest Cannonball fans upgraded recently - to Yamaha.

 

[Kingsleyhk]

I've been playing a Series 80 II tenor for about twenty years - love it!

Tried lots of mouthpieces but always come back to a metal Link 5* with a leather lig - although I do find a Dukoff D7 very good when playing in rock bands.

 

[Kostas Greece]

The tenor came with a refaced Berg Larsen metal and now I can't decide which I play with. With my Link NY or the Larsen!!:shrug: Both are great players and they make my Selmer sing!!! The Alto sadly came with a C* S80. I guess I try to make my Drake work with that or my V16 HR. To soon to tell that. After all my new Alto came in today!! So, I guess I am open to any suggestions!!

 

[jazzdoh]

I recently had a go on a series II alto which a friend had bought and i was very impressed,nice horns.

 

[TomMapfumo]

The new Phil Tone/Theo Wanne Tribute mouthpiece is rather good on tenor.

 

[Koen88]

indeed nice horns.. but I went from a SA80II alto to a Cannonball Big Bell Global Series alto...

 

[Kostas Greece]

indeed nice horns.. but I went from a SA80II alto to a Cannonball Big Bell Global Series alto...

It was really a hard decision between Cannonball and SAII, but Big Bell was not in my sound direction. I tried with several mouthpieces and reeds to get more of my sound imaginated, but when I tried the SAII I had it right where I wanted it.
Sadly the Dealer in Greece did not have the Vintage Reborns for me to try out. It maybe would be my horn to live with it...:shrug:
Still I can say to everyone before buying a horn to try Cannonball first. Now I'm looking forward to get me a Cannonball soprano. Tested one recently and they sound GREAT!!!!

 

[Koen88]

Now I'm looking forward to get me a Cannonball soprano. Tested one recently and they sound GREAT!!!!

one of those is still on my list too! good luck with that!

 

[dooce]

Enjoy. Sounds like a good move. One of our biggest Cannonball fans upgraded recently - to Yamaha.

I wouldn't describe it as upgrading, more to do with finding a horn that worked better for the sound that I am trying to move towards. Cannonballs are pro quality, I certainly wouldn't infer that mine was in any technical sense inferior to the Yamaha.

 

[tzadik]

I played a Series II tenor for about 11 years.
I was very happy when I got rid of it.

It's a good horn for classical playing.
For jazz stuff, it's very limited.
Even if scientifically overhauled and setted... it's hard to keep in tune if you are into "contemporary style" playing.
It's definitely not mouthpiece friendly.
It has the same annoying "thinning effect" in the high register, typical of Serie I and Mark VII (due to neck design/shape).
Great focus... but not so many "meat" in the sound.

I've ended up it's too much work playing jazz/pop stuff with a Series II...
When I had the money, I sold the Series II and I bought to a big bore horn (aka R&C R1 Jazz) which fitted (and still fits) better my tastes and the way how I play/blow.

 

[Dr G]

I'm a big fan of the Selmer Serie II alto (I've owned three of them). If you have to play alto, it's an excellent all 'round player.

The tenor seems to be less flexible. It has it's fans, but you're likely to find more of them in classical settings.

 

[nhmaf]

I've had very pleasant experience with my SA80-II tenor. I will say that it isn't a loud/deep/lush as some other horns for jazz or rock, particularly compared to JKeilwerths, but it isn't bad either. It can be a pretty flexible horn in my opinion, and works well for me over a broad range of classical, big band/jazz ensembles. I've never had any intonation issues with it whatsoever. For mouthpieces, depending upon the group, I play all of the following with it with good results: Selmer Soloist D facing, Old OttoLink SuperTone Master 7*, Saxscape FatCat, and Van Doren V16 T75 (metal).

 

[tzadik]

The Series II is probably the Selmer with the tighter focus ever made. (Even the Series III is rounder sounding.)

It's not so desiderable feature for a "jazzy" horn... but some people like, not me for sure. 🙂