Selmer Paris

Selmer(Paris) 

Selmer Serial #s may overlap models and years. Use it as an estimate.

Year Model Serial Number

Model 22
1922  750-1400
1923  1401-2350
1924  2351-3350
1925  3351-4450
Selmer’s first saxophone (some available with the Adolphe name) made between 1922 and 1925. This horn had a small bore which, theoretically, suited the style of music in the early 1900s. The early models had no high F key and were keyed to high Eb. Interestingly enough some had double octave mechanisms while other only went down to low B.  Interestingly enough, the early Model 22s had the Right Hand Trill G# and other interesting alternative keywork.  Selmer also had available a fully curved soprano sax.

  • Early British imported horns were stamped “Modele 1922” with the name of the British Agent also stamped on the bell “J R Lafleur & Son Ltd which was a division of Boosey & Hawkes.The serial number is No 1143 which dates from the year 1922.
  • They made a full range of saxophones:Sopranos,Altos,Tenors,C Melodies and Eb Baritones. They were all stamped with the Henri Selmer Signature and with the address’ 4 Place Dancourt Paris’
  • Some were heavily engraved but most were not. They were available in Silver,Gold lacquer and Gold plate
  • 1922 models also included C Melody variations.

 

Model 26
1926  4451-5600
1927  5601-7850
1928  7851-9700
1929  9701-11950
One version of the Model 26 only went up to high E and had two right hand side keys.  Left hand table keys were mk VI soprano type with a round pearl G#.  Pictures of Model 26 from Selmer
“Cigar Cutter”/”Super Sax”
1930  11951-14000
1931 14001-15750
1932  15751-17250
1933  17251-18700
“Radio Improved
1934  18701-20100
1935  20101-21750
The Radio Improved was the first version where the lye holder was part of the socket area. The saxes still had wire key guards.  Pictures of Radio Improved from Selmer
“Balanced Action”
1936  21751-22650
1937  22651-25600
1938  25601-27650
1939  27651-29300
1940  29301-29750
1941  29751-30500
1942  30501-31150
1943  31151-31580
1944  31581-31850
1945  31851-32350
1946  32351-33700
1947  33701-35800
3 Version of the Balanced Action – commonly known as BA21751-24999 – The inline action had adjusting screws including to adjust he middle D which the early Selmers had slight problems with. These horns also had two separate low B & Bb bell key guards. The Bell was inline (most saxophones of this era were inline).

25000-26999 – The Bell had a slight offset with one piece guard on the Bell keys. Pictures of a 1938 model w/lower stack stopper that were the posts  No pant guard.  Full lower stack screw adjusters which stopped against the posts.

27000-35800 – These models are the most sought after from 1939. Production was ceased at the beginning of World War II but was resumed after the war. Some models had black finger pearls due to the shortage of mother or pearl.

The Balanced Action brought many improvements which included the “modern design non-articulating” right hand table keys; the adjusters on the Bbis and G# keys and its adjusting arm.

1947 Selmer had a Jimmy Dorsey model

“Super Action”
1948  35801-38500
1949  38501-41500
1950  41501-45100
1951  45101-48300
1952  48301-51800
1953  51801-55200
Commonly known as SBA, or Super Balanced Action.
“Mark VI”
1954  55201-59000
1955  59001-63400
1956  63401-68900
1957  68901-74500
1958  74501-80400
1959  80401-85200
1960  85201-91300
1961  91301-97300
1962  97301-104500
1963  104501-112500
1964  112501-121600
1965  121601-131800
1966  131801-141500
1967  141501-152400
1968  152401-162500
1969  162501-173800
1970  173801-184900
1971  184901-196000
1972  196001-208700
1973  208701-220800
Selmer mk VI advertisements from SelmerAltos – early VIs (pre 80k) had small neck openings making them fairly resistance and a fairly focused tone.

Altos – around 80k through 90k the neck opening was increased until the sound got bigger, brighter and fuller.  The resistance decreased.  This era VI is a favorite because of their overall flexibility in their compact sound with a good control for the level of  resistance.

Altos – 105k – Change in the neck bore and neck ring design. Horns have a harsher, brighter tone.  Good Vis can have the qualities of a 90k or 140k VI though the “not-so-good-ones” can be termed as sounding like a “buzz-saw”.  production shortcuts led to sloppier action with heavier spring tensions to compensate.

Altos – 130K

“Mark VII”
1974  220801-233900  M tubes
1975  233901-246800
1976  246801-261100
1977  261101-276100
1978  276101-289700  N tubes
1979  289701-303100
1980  303101-315500
“Mark VII” (sopranos & baritones were still sold as mk VI)1976 Selmer mk VII tenor w/engraving

1979 Selmer mk VII alto

“Super Action 80”
1981  315501-327300
1982  327301-340200
1983  340201-353300
1982 SA80 Tenor
“Super Action 80” (sopranos & baritones apparently were still mk VIs, per say, with modern keywork)
“Super Action 80 Series I”
1984  353301-366400
1985  366401-378800
“Super Action 80/Series II”
1986  378801-391000
1987  391001-406000
1988  406001-422500
1989  422501-439600
1990  439601-457500
1991  457501-473600
1992  473601-490000
1993  486000-497000
1994  497000 507000
Selmer Series II tenor (547xxx)
Selmer introduced the Spring loaded keywork back in 1980ish with the Super Action 80.  This is basically a spring and a piece of rod inserted into the keywork to always keep the keywork tight with no slop that normally exists with wear.  This slug is on both top and bottom of the keywork.  For example on a Series II N392xxx, the slug is in:

LEFT HAND SLUGS
Thumb lever
A key
Bbis
Pinky G#
Pinky A
Pinky low B
Pinky low Bb
RIGHT HAND SLUGS
side high F# pad rod and finger touch rod
side high E
Side F#
side Bb
side C
Pinky Eb
Series 3 introduced
1995  504000-515000
1996  515000-529000
1997  529000-545000
1998  545000-560000
1999  560000-580000Reference 36/54 Introduced
2000  580000-595000

2001  595001- 615000

Super Action 80
1981 315501 – 327300 – 11,799 pieces made
1982 327301 – 340200 – 12,899
1983 340201 – 353300 – 13,099
1984 353301 – 366400 – 13,099
1985 366401 – 378800 – 12,399 Selmer list ends
Super Action 80/Serie II
1986 378,801 – 391,000 – 12,199 pieces made
1987 391,001 – 406,000 – 14,999
1988 406,001 – 422,500 – 16,499
1989 422,501 – 439,600 – 17,099
1990 439,601 – 457,500 – 17,899
1991 457,501 – 473,600 – 16,099
1992 473,601 – 490,000 – 16,399 Selmer list ends

Super Action 80 serie III
1995-1996 – 507,000-514,999 – 7,999 pieces made
1996-1997 – 515,000-528,999 – 13,999
1997-1998 – 529,000-544,999 – 15,999
1998-1999 – 545,000-559,999 – 14,999
1999-2000 – 560,000-579,999 – 19,999
2000-2001 – 580,000-594,999 – 14,999 Selmer list ends

Reference
2000-2001 – 580,000-594,999

1993 – 490,104 – eBay seller – purchased in 1994
____ – 491,871 – eBay seller – purchased in 1993
1994 – 500,**** – SOTW member – DXCamp
1995 – 538,175 – anon reader – purchased 1995
____ – 538,254 – SOTW member BrianTheHornman SA80 II alto
1996
1997 – 549,317 – anon reader – purchased 1997
1998 – 566,734 – eBay seller
____ – 573,690 – CraigsList seller – purchased 1998
1999 –
2000 –
2001 – 589,423 – anon reader – purchased in 2003
2002 – 607,322 – Ebay seller – Serie III
____ – 612,678 – eBay seller – purchased 2002
____ – 612,971 – eBay seller – purchased late 2002
____ – 613,355 – eBay seller
____ – 613,717 – SOTW member – drakesaxprof –
____ – 613,861 – SOTW member – Vitruvius-new/used orig purchase -2004
2003 – 620,952 – SaxQuest seller – Serie III – purchased 2003
2004 – 656,**** – SOTW member – bartonsax – Serie II Bari
____ – 658,254 – eBay seller – purchased 2004
____ – 660,552 – eBay seller – purchased 10/24/04
____ – 660,987 – anon reader – purchased 6/18/04
____ – 661,77x – Ebay seller – new/old stock from 2004
2005
2006 – 696,**** – SOTW member – REF696
2007
2008 – 718,**** – anon reader
2009
Any contributions to this list is appreciated – Thank you…….

1996 – Series III soprano

1997 – Series III tenor

1998 – Signature Series

Vintage Selmer Paris Saxophone Models

Selmer saxophones were introduced as the “Modele 22”, in 1922.
Updated, though still with very small bores, the “Modele 26”, in 1926.
The famous “Cigar Cutter” models were made for only 4 years, 1930-1933.
The “Radio Improved” and “Selmer Super Sax” (SSS) were similar to the Cigar Cutter, with the Cigar Cutter removed. These were made until 1935.
The “Balanced Action” were the first Selmer  saxophones with the offset keywork. Selmer introduced them in 1935 and made about 10,000 of them.
The “Super Balanced Action” followed and was built from 1948 until 1954.  It is said that they play similar to the later Mk. VI’s which were smaller and required less from the player, but still they possessed the “Selmer Sound”.
The World Famous Selmer Mark VI alto and tenor saxes were made from 1954 until 1973, Mark VI sopranos and baritones continued until the “S.A. 80”.
The short lived Mark 7 altos and tenors, were made from 1974 until 1979.
The “Super Action 80” saxes were introduced in 1980 and were upgraded to “Super Action 80, Series II” in 1986.  They are now, well into “Series III”.
Additionally, they now have a “Reference’35” and “Reference’54”, which are the bore tapers of the 1935 Balanced Action and 1954 Mark VI, using the hole    placement (improved intonation) and key work (stronger and more ergonomic) of the latest Series III units currently in production.

Henri Selmer was born in 1858, the 10th child, to Charles-Frederic Selmer.  At a young age he quickly showed a gift for the clarinet.  In 1877 he entered the Paris Conservatory and went to Mr. Leroy’s clarinet class. He quickly became Mr. Rosse’s pupil.

In 1880, at the time he finished the Conservatory, he began his real musical career and was appointed to the French Republican Guard.  Later he was named a solo clarinetist in the Opera Conique Orchestra. He was also playing at the Lamoureux Orchestra and had many concerts with those organizations all over France and Europe.

In 1885 (being married with a family) he decided to start manufacturing clarinet reeds and mouthpieces. He was quickly successful and started reaching the general public.  In the late 1800s he started clarinet manufacturing an gave up his musical career.

His brother Alexandre had a significant impact on importing saxophones to the US and in his Paris production of clarinets.  His son Maurice and two son in laws assisted in developing and opening the company to other instruments and markets.

Henri Selmer passed away in 1941.