Selmer Paris – ClarinetPerfection

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 endsSuper 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.