MY SELMER STORY (by Don Mackrill)

Since the early 20th century Selmer Paris have provided us with the design sound style and technique preferred by todays giants. Copied by many Selmer Paris set the trend for saxophone manufacturers all over the world, it’s standard has never been matched. Its Bright cutting sound does not work on cheap copies they sound like scratchy records in comparison with todays selmer

Their first two saxophones, Modele 22 and Modele 26 were small bore instruments and probably suited the sound at that time.The Selmer evolution really started with the SSS series(Selmer Super Sax),Modele 28 ,Cigar Cutter and the Radio Improved .Introduced into Radio Bands and Dance Bands of the time. With great players like Freddie Gardner and Jimmy Dorsey coverting their Radio Improved Altos . Continuing on to the Balanced Action of which many versions were made, then the Super Action or the Super Balanced Action as it was known in the US (I played a one of these for many years,before that I had a Gold plated Cigar Cutter, what a cracker) By 1948 Selmer had a tremendous line up of Internati0nal Artists using their instruments including great players such as Charlie Parker,Stan Getz,Flip Phillips,Lucky Thomson,Coleman Hawkins,Jimmy Dorsey, Marcel Mule,Leslie Gilbert (Ted Heath Band) and many many more.

Then came the mighty Mk6. The six initially in the UK was not accepted by the regular pros. Being so used to the squared feel and the layout of their Conn 6m 's and Conn 10M's with the long B flats ,they found it very awkward to finger, even those already using the earlier Selmer Super Action's and Balanced Action models where complaining of the C# - Bb link but the mighty six won in the end. It had that big bright cutting sound which every player wanted.

At the time of the Big Palais Band revival in the mid fifties many musicians were using the Conn 6M Altos and Conn 10M Tenors these were more rounder sounding horns, Selmer had a much brighter sound in comparison and would cut through the section,through the crowd of dancers in front and could be heard at the back of the ballroom.Unlike the the rounder sound which just hit the crowd at the front of the Band and did not travel any further. Sure enough it was not long before the Lead altos were all playing selmer ,the 2nd tenor who usually had the solos in the band soon followed suite for the same reason, that cuttinbg sound. Some UK Band leaders of the day were even insisting that their lead players used Selmers for this same reason.

There were lots of tuning problems with the Mk6's particularly on the Altos but at the end of the day the player had to be the ultimate tuner.

Since introducing their first Mk6 Selmer Paris continued to try and correct this problem by changing the length of the bells particularly to improve the low C and D which were known to be sharp!

Selmer continued altering their Mark VI models year by year some for better some for worse.This was to be an annual feature of Selmer Paris always trying to improve on what they had no matter how small .

Many British Players in the 50 and 60's would take their newly purchased Selmers to Gordon Beeson for him to re lacquer and re pad them. The Beeson lacquer was said to be the best in the world and improved the sound of the instrument ,a sacrilege today , his overhauls were second to none