Well this is definitely a model of saxophone that doesn’t find itself on eBay very often: a Selmer Series II bass saxophone.
Source: eBay.com
Here is what the seller says about his saxophone:
Up for action is my Selmer Bass Saxophone Super Action II Silver Plated.It is in very good condition.It needs only a very good cleaning.No scratches,no marks,no dings.The only think is that we had to re-glue the bar that holds the two pipes in the upper part of the instrument.That was because I’ve made a mistake and I have pressure it a little bit more.. The repair was made from an official Selmer technician in the Selmer store in Athens. The sax is in perfect tune.It is only 5 years old.Made ?n France.The retail price is about $22.600.00 USD.I’m the only owner.If you are looking to this you know what it is,so I don’t have to say more.Please,if you are interested,ask me any question,and I can send you more photos.Comes with all the original parts and accessories,Selmer silver plated neck,Selmer mouthpiece,the original Selmer case,and an extra SKB flight case.I sell it for financial reasons..Free shipping Worldwide with UPS.
I gotta’ tell ya, I really love the idea of a floor peg. That’s been something I’ve considered for my Buescher bass for quite some time.
Source: eBay.com
A front F and a Bis Bb key… Wow! OK, I am starting to think that I really do play a dinosaur. 😉
Source: eBay.com
Source: eBay.com
Source: eBay.com
Source: eBay.com
Here you can see some of the engraving on the bell. I’ve seen a few Selmer basses that had no engraving at all.
Source: eBay.com
Source: eBay.com
Source: eBay.com
Here is a shot that shows the famous Selmer engraving going all the way down to the bow.
Source: eBay.com
This is the lighter weight Selmer case that the bass came in, inside the SKB flight case the owner got for the horn.
Source: eBay.com
Here is the SKB flight case itself.
Source: eBay.com
This is quite a remarkable offering. It is everything a bass saxophone player needs—except a saxophone stand and reeds. I don’t know what a flight case costs, but I’m guessing it isn’t cheap. The mouthpiece is included too, and that isn’t cheap either. Remember, this horn is only 5 years old, and the seller will pay for worldwide shipping through UPS.
The auction for this silver plated Selmer Series II bass runs until April 15. The bids are to start at $11,500.00, and the Buy It Now price is $15,000. At the time of writing there were no bids yet on this bass saxophone.
Update: Well this horn seems to not have sold. Or at least I don’t think it did. It doesn’t appear in the completed items listing for some reason. Strange… Or else I’m too brain dead to see it.
In any event, the link above shows that the auction ended with 0 bids. I guess this silver plated bass did not find a new home through eBay.
Hello there…
This is a small custom silver plated plate that I have mount with two bolts and nuts on my bass-there is a special base with two holes that you can use it usually to mount a music stand-and I use to put there my goosneck mic for lives.you can take it of very easy….
I’m very glad that I see some people being interested for my bass-not specially to buy it,just from pure interest…
The truth is that I can not polish it with a regular clothe,neither with a special silver cloth.i have spoke with my Selmer technician in Athens and he told me that it needs a special liquid that cleans and not damage the silver plating.
I’m a sax player for 22 years,and now I have this Selmer Paris Super Action II Silver plated Bass Sax
and a wonderful,unique Selmer Paris Super Action II WHITE-yes,WHITE-Baritone Sax.I don’t know exactly how this happened,but,when I had the money to buy the baritone-in 2000′-selmer had the WHITE color option,I think for only one year.And,from a research that I had made,I believe that it is possible to be the only one!Selmer had contact with me three times to cancel my order because they couldn’t finish it white.But I had pay already for the bari.After eight months they send it to me and they stop the white color option from their catalog …
Now for the Bass..I have buy it in 2005,brand new,for the price of 12,300 euro,in cash.The baritone was a big surprise for me when i first played it,but the bass was….like my first time with a woman!!!
There is nothing on the planet that can give you this massive power together with delicate emotions.
I had square to God that I had to have it before i die,and I did it!Now I have to sell it…and the only reason is Goldman Shachs!!-sucks…The financial thinks are going from the bad to the worse here in Greece,and this is the only think that can give me a breath of air if i sell it.The only thing that I will not sell in my life is the baritone…we have live a lot together,and I can work and play almost every day with it.
Right now I had spoke with Kessler and Sons and wait for his answer.I have put it again on ebay.com for $15,000USD,because I think it is easier to find someone in the USA to buy this great instrument than in Europe-again for financial reasons…
If anyone is interested to buy my bass please contact to me in stefanlazarin@gmail.com
This is my short story for my two beautiful instruments.
Thank you,and sorry for my bad English.
Regards,
Stefanos
Hello Stefanos. Welcome to my website.
Thank you very much for sharing the stories about your saxophones, and for clearing up some of the questions that people here have asked. I am very sorry that you have to sell your bass. I cannot imagine what that would be like to have to sell something that you have worked so hard to buy.
I did see it again on eBay. Unfortunately the times are not good anywhere, and big horns are having a hard time selling. I wish you luck. I hope that the attention it gets here, combined with your new eBay listing, might attract the attention of just the right buyer.
Your baritone is a beautiful sax. The photo you sent me in the email is fabulous. It is a shame that Selmer was not able to build more in that colour, but that just makes yours even more special!
Thank you again for stopping by Stefanos. I wish you well on the sale of your bass.
Regards,
Helen
Update: This horn has been back on eBay for a few days. The auction expires on May 1. Bids are to start at $11,500.00. Buy It Now is $15,000.00. Everything’s the same as the last time. Unfortunately I predict so too will be the outcome.
I sincerely hope for this seller the one right buyer will come along, and the auction will end with the horn sold at a fair price.
Update: This bass is back on eBay. However, this time the seller has dropped the price. Bids now start at $11,000. The Buy It Now price is now $12,500.
You have to feel for the seller. He says he’s selling it for financial reasons, and with what’s happening in Greece right now, it’s quite possible that he’s being truthful. Since so few of these horns ever come up for sale, it’s hard to say what a 5 year old Series II bass is worth. Although he quotes a retail price of approximately $22.600.00 US for a new one, it’s hard to say if you would have to really spend that if you were to go to an authorized dealer such as Kessler & Sons. Generally however, these are made to order–especially in anything other than a standard lacquer finish.
In the end the price seems reasonable for what it is, but big, high-end stuff just isn’t selling very fast right now.
The auction for this Series II bass runs until May 12.
Update: Well this is really not a surprise, but this Selmer Series II bass did not sell. When the auction ended there were no bids on this modern European bass saxophone.
@ Mal: I’ve heard similar complaints about the Tubax from other players. However, considering there are so few Contras (of any kind) out there, it’s difficult to compare recordings.
@ Helen: The un-engraved horns are more common in Europe, from what I’ve seen. For some reason, Europeans don’t like all that engraving. I think it’s prettier with than without.
Y’know, if he’s trying to get $15K for that sax, I wonder why he didn’t get it all polished up, first.
Hey, what’s that bar thing in the first photo (“view from the top.jpg”)? I think it’s right under one of the octave vents or altissimo vents.
I was wondering about that bar thing too Pete. I’ve never seen a Series II from this angle, so I assumed it might be stock. I thought that perhaps he was illustrating the piece he mentions with the
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I can’t really tell for sure, but it looks like it might be a whip collar. With the rods being as long as they are, I’m sure the horn needs whip collars in various places. They’re even quite helpful on tenor — the high F# key is a long and very exposed rod that greatly benefits from some protection and stabilization. I’d imagine the bass has LOTS of such vulnerable links.
Did you notice it has a high F# too? On a BASS? God what a drool-worthy horn! If they can’t get $15k for it, something is REALLY wrong with the market. That horn DESERVES Eppelsheim-level money.
Sure it could use a good polishing, but you’re not going to find any more modern design on the planet than this. I doubt the Serie III is coming any time soon, given how long it took to get to the bari.
Oh, I doubt he’ll get 15K for it. The Keilwerth isn’t doing well at it’s new price $7,500. The bass market is really soft at the moment, but you never know. It only takes 1 buyer.
BTW, having tried Gandalfe’s Eppelsheim, I would have to disagree: the Selmer isn’t in the same league as Benedikt’s horns. The Eppelsheim are a superior instrument. He has made so many improvements on the bass saxophone that it should revolutionize the high-end large horn industry… But the big kids on the block are going to be slow to change… If they ever do. 😛 I suspect that they don’t sell enough of the bass saxophones to warrant much R&D into them. Which is why you’re also unlikely to see a Series III any time soon. 😥
The only experience I have with an Eppelsheim horn was five minutes with a Tubax. While that was a lot of fun, and I certainly have to acknowledge the quality was astounding, I was disappointed in the fact that the horn just wasn’t very loud. It behaved normally up to about the mezzo-forte level of effort, then it just topped out. Any attempt to force more sound out of it was pointless. Since the bass and (normal) contrabass are not built on the same small-bore formula, I’m sure this simply does not apply to them.
Paul Woltz (Kennelly Keys) and I bet Sarge too could put a peg on your behemoth. I’m just sayin’…
I know Paul could do it for sure. Can you believe my poor horn has still not been to the shop for its regulation? I’m a horrible bass owner. If my horn had arms and fingers–and wasn’t an inanimate object–it would be calling Paul directly.
I have Paul’s phone number, and his email too somewhere. I just need to make the time and do the right thing this spring. With the dollar at par, I might even be tempted by one or another of Sarge’s horns. I need to go to see him anyway: I’ve got a Hammerschmidt I need to drop off with him sometime. This way I could combine the trips. Drop off a horn, get a horn fixed, maybe buy a horn. Oh, the gas never ends… 😮