SERIES III
The 'Series III' range offers a different aesthetic of sound. It integrates the latest advances in Selmer Paris' techniques of manufacturing and musical design.
Created in the same spirit of versatility of use, it holds equal appeal for musicians from different terrains. It is an instrument of exceptional homogeneity of accuracy, timbre and emission.
To date the soprano, alto, tenor and baritone models are available in this series.
REFERENCE
The 'Reference' range has emerged out of the accumulated experience gathered over the course of one century of instrumental making and from a ceaseless exchange with the musicians of legend who played the 'Mark VI' and 'Balanced Action'.
The 'Reference' design integrates acoustic and mechanical characteristics from the most celebrated Selmer Paris models, in instruments which benefit from today's manufacturing techniques.
The tenor 'Reference' saxophones exist in two versions: 36 and 54.
'Reference 36' develops a rich tone, open, in the spirit of the 'Balanced Action' series launched in 1936.
'Reference 54', more centered, readopts the design of the celebrated 'Mark VI' dating back to 1954.
The alto Reference only exists in version 54.
Personalizing your instrument
Are you looking for a specific sound pallet, adapted to your style and the multiplicity of the repertories which you play? Selmer Paris offers the solutions to your needs, with a range of personalized options :
- a wide range of base FINISHES, each of which confers on the instrument a specific sound color.
- a range of complementary NECKS offering different types of emission, richnesses of timbre and varied ergonomics.
- a new 'BOOSTER' design integrated into the neck, for a centered sound rich in harmonics (does not exist for all the range).
FINISHES
Brass, the material from which the saxophone is manufactured, is a fundamental acoustic element for the instrument. The various treatments carried out are crucial; encountered either in the course of manufacture or applied as a finish, they make possible a wide spectrum of sonic responses.
Selmer Paris offers a collection of finishes, which move beyond the simple visual aspect and open up a whole world of possible sound colors.
All Selmer Paris saxophones are available with the following treatments :
GG : Gold Lacquer engraved
AG : Silver Plated engraved
NG GO : Black Lacquer engraved, gold lacquered keys
BGG GO : Brushed Gold Lacquer engraved, gold lacquered keys
AUG : Gold Plated engraved, gold plated keys
AMG VO : Sterling Silver engraved, lacquered keys
DGG : Dark Gold Lacquer engraved
PAO : Lacquer 'Antiqued'
THE NECKS
Selmer Paris has created a range of necks for saxophones, making it possible to personalize your instrument by meeting specific needs in the search for sound and playing comfort.
See for example Alto necks
everal finishes are currently available: lacquer(VO), silver plated (AO), matt brushed (BVG/VO), matt lacquer(VMO), black (N) and gold plated (AUO).
The range of necks offered by Selmer Paris also extends to those manufactured in rarer alloys, offering real alternatives in richness of timbre or character of sound: pink brass (CR), solid sterling silver.
Given that the parameters can differ from one model to another, it is difficult to lay down a general rule; however, we can observe that particular materials or finishes have certain affects:
- the gold plated finish acts directly on the centeredness, precision and richness of the sound,
- solid silver affects the dynamics and general homogeneity,
- pink brass tends to round out the timbre... Even so, only an actual test will allow you to fully appreciate the intrinsic quality of each of these necks.
THE BOOSTER
Developed by the R&D department, the 'Booster' offers an altered neck configuration (through precise placement of a spiral furrow on the internal surface of the neck tenon). By being channelled differently, the turbulence created by the airstream is directly influenced by this difference in surface state, providing :
- a centered sound, more developed on the left hand and in the overtones
- a rich and broad timbre.
Included as part of the Series III soprano saxophones (on straight and curved necks), the Booster is offered as an option (in varnished finish) on the models Alto 'SA 80 Series II', Alto 'Series III', Tenor 'SA 80 Series II', Tenor 'Series III ' and Baritone 'SA 80 Series II'.
THE HARMONIC KEY SYSTEM
The harmonic key system facilitates the emission and provides greater velocity in the high register.
The harmonic key can also be homogeneous in the sound color, a result all the more perceptible in low dynamics.
The harmonic key kit, developed in collaboration with Christophe Bois (Diastema), can transform a standard saxophone, Super Action 80 Series II or Series III into a saxophone with harmonic key.
The kit, composed of three elements, only fits onto a saxophone equipped with a harmonic key neck.
