Watch out for C Melody saxophones described as alto or tenor saxophones also, and MANY ebay sellers have absolutely no idea what they are selling, or rather it's playable or not. I would definately make sure that you are able to return the item if it is not exactly as depicted.
I've been fortunate with ebay, but know many people who have not been so lucky. One should be particularly careful when buying a used horn especially through ebay or any online forum where they are unable to see and play the horn before purchasing. Sure, there could be some adjustment issues out of the box, but most reputable music stores will check the horns when the unpack them. There is very little difference between new horns of the same model. Must be nice to have that much time on your hands to be able to do all that! Not to mention, the costs! BE PRACTICAL! Yes, it's a good idea to try a horn before you buy it. You won't regret it.Sorry for the long post.
Wo20 vs selmer reference 54 series#
Basically, the 875 and Series II were similar, the Ref 54 was on its own in the middle, and the Series III and 82ZII were brighter horns. From darkest to brightest (simplification), I'd rank them: 875EX, Series II, Ref 54, Series III, 82Z. If you had asked me what horn to buy before I played this Ref. About 2 years ago I had the chance to try an 82ZII, 3 Reference 54's, a Series III, and a series II. George is using a Selmer S80 F Mouthpiece and Medium. I got another 52 and played it for 17 years before replacing it with this horn. Jim and George take a look at the differences between the iconic Selmer Paris Mark VI & Selmer's modern tribute to this sax, the Reference 54. When I finally raised the money to replace my horn, (Selmer was the University's) I tried the SA-80, Selmer Omega and another YAS52. With the 52 I had before it, I took it in once a year just to have it check out. I didn't like key placement and about once a month it had to be adjusted. It was this experienced that soured me on Selmer. blowing my mind I would have saved some money and bought this horn.I played a Mark VI my sophomore year in college becuase my old Yamaha 52 was stolen. Yamaha 82Z - Too bright for my tastes and not very responsive in the low register.2. Keilworth - eveness of tone was not there.
Of the horns I played I ranked them in this order.5. I played it along with the Keilworth mentioned above, the Yamaha 82Z, and 875EX, and the selmer III. I am not a Mark VI fan and was not a selmer fan until I played this horn. Ask the friend if the sound is really darker or louder to the listener.I just took delivery of my Ref.
Tune the horns and let the friend record the intonation while you play a chromatic scale. Take a tuner and a friend down to the store and try both again before you decide. I don't notice the 54 being darker or brighter than any other Selmer. You will definitely want to tune a 54 to the low register, or you'll be sharp down there for sure. This can cause pitch issues in unison section playing if you are not diligent. In addition, the Ref 54 has octaves that are narrow, as opposed to most Selmers and other Selmer-like horns where they are actually a little bit wide. The Ref alto is much touchier at the low end and will try to give you multiphonics on low C at low volume (not subtone), which has caused me and many others to replace the neck with an aftermarket neck or a Series III neck. If I had it to do over again, I would have bought (another) Series III.