Just to chime in...
First off, this alto has been a topic on SOTW for over 8 years, which I didn't even know until I started digging even more and changing the way I googled:
http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?8570-Is-it-a-Martin-or-is-it-a-Selmer
http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showth...el-26-alto-sax-with-complete-Martin-engraving
We did not acquire this sax from this person, just FYI.
No one who has ever seen it in person, or in pictures, has been able to 100% identify it as anything specific.
So, with that being said, rare is used because there is none like it, that we have seen. Experimental, whether done my Selmer, Martin, Pierret, or some person in their garage, this was clearly an experiment.
When we received it a little over a month ago, from another SOTW member, he had done his research and brought it to many people that he knows as well, and everyone was baffled. Us the same thing.
So, there is no evidence in any way that this is a fake, or original, there is proof that for many years, it has been described as a Selmer, a Martin, and now Pierret. Please don't interject anything about us being foolish, deceitful, poor intentions, yada, yada.
For heavens sake, it's just an old, 100% unidentifiable saxophone, and no one will retire from the sale of it, and if no one buys it, it goes back into a closet somewhere and in 10 years someone else will list it and not know what in the world it is, and everyone can come together again at that time to try and figure it out.
We took it at face value after our research, after the research of the person we got it from, and now from one of the past owners, that it somehow has ties to Martin. That's all, folks.
Thank you though to everyone, on eBay and on SOTW, who has helped us along in figuring this out.
As always, if anyone has any questions, you can give me a call. 904-996-9312.
Peace,
Brian S
Christopher Elliott Inc