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Need some help choosing a Tenor?

2K views 7 replies 7 participants last post by  Dr G 
#1 ·
I have been enjoying my 54 alto a lot and I have some gas for a tenor as I have been playing the alto for a while. Problem is there are no stores in oakalosa country or the surrounding store that have selmers to test.

I wanted something that's flexible for all venues including jazz,classical,ska in order of importance, I also like a dark horn like the 54 alto. The main horn I was looking at was either a series ii or reference 36.

I know the ii tenor has been a standard as the go to horn and I have not heard a lot about the 36 and would like to know what most people thought about the two.

I wanted to to also know which shop is closest to me that sells some selmer horns. I know selmer isn't the only brand out there but my 54 alto hasn't let me down yet and I am giving them a chance to do the same for my soon to be new tenor.
 
#3 ·
If you get a good example of either horn (and consistency is not a Selmer strength), you probably will be pretty happy, as most people who find a good example of any of the Selmer models usually are. But buying sight unseen always has its risks. For me the Series II seemed too closed and subdued, but I was probably not playing one that was well set up (plus, some folks suggest that using a Series III neck gives you the best of both worlds--never tried that).

I of course don't know exactly what your concept of 'dark' is, but the great classical tenor player James Houlik has a very rich sound and plays on a Series III tenor, which has a reputation for being brighter than a II (and it is), but that can be tamed well in my opinion, and so the Series III may be worth thinking about. I have both a Series III and a Keilwerth and admire them both (Houlik used to play a Couf Superba 1) for classical playing, and of course they both can blow the doors down if you want to play some other genre.

Just because they are very recent and not very well known, I'm putting a link here to 'Arcadian Tone Poems', a nice series of vignettes written by Lynn Purse for Houlik, who premiered them last fall. My favorite is the third movement (2:33). They all give a pretty good idea of a classical sound on a Series III. The Houlik mouthpiece (or a similarly faced Morgan) helps quite a bit in getting this sort of tone:



I've never tried a 36--I'm only commenting to suggest that a Series III might fit the bill as well. Opinions on Ref 36s vary quite a bit, perhaps as much as the horns do (inconsistency is a common theme). The folks who like them praise them for a big, lush sound and rich low end. These are things I associate with Houlik, but he plays a III:mrgreen:

Anyway, good luck with your search!
 
#4 ·
Here's a fairly recent thread on the topic, in case you haven't seen it:

http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?207851-Selmer-Series-II-vs-Reference-Tenors/page2

Lots to ponder there--as my post above indicates, I am one of those who thinks the III is great and perhaps preferable to the II, and I think it has the sort of versatility you are looking for plus excellent characteristics for classical playing (so much depends on the mouthpiece). The intonation is superb. But in the end, that's just me. There's just no substitute for trying them. I wish I could comment on the Ref 36. Modern Selmer shopping is notoriously frustrating. My typical experience for a few years: I finally find a store that carries one--and not necessarily the model I'm really curious about--only to find that it leaks and has a bad setup. Only a few places have a deep enough stock to do a fairly accurate comparison, but on a given day, even the legendary stores might not have what you are looking for.
 
#5 ·
A well setup S80 Series II is a killer horn that is completely versatile. You can buy a "New Old Stock" Pre-Jubilee Model for a song, and spend the savings on a top notch setup and a great mouthpiece. I play a Reference 36 and absolutely love it. It has a booming bottom end and a lot of warmth to the core. I wouldn't get rid of it, but I'd have no problem gigging on a well setup S80 II. At least those are my .02 cents.
 
#6 ·
Try them ! I've never come across a killing SA-II tenor, so I tend to prefer the S-III and Ref36, specially because they have a nice low end. The 36 is among the best tenors around, with a lot of that Selmer flavor and sparkle, plus an amazing power reserve when pushed.
 
#8 ·
I was a long time Selmer player - 15 years or so on a Balanced Action, before buying a Serie III, then the Ref 36 when it came out. I played a LOT of Selmer tenors during the span between 1998 and 2005, or so. I found the III to be bright and responsive - great horn if you like the bright side of tenors. The Ref 36 is just as responsive but has a darker core - it was my only tenor for quite a while. I used it for classical quartet, jazz quartet, dance big bands, and contemporary big band. The Ref 54 tenors are just another modern horn - I found absolutely nothing about it that was a nod to the classic Mk VI sound. Don't mistake the Ref 36 for a new Balanced Action/Super Balanced Action either, but it's got much more character (to me, IMNSHO) if you like classic Big Tenor Tone.

I don't know where the OP got the idea that the Serie II is a classic go-to tenor. I really like the Serie II alto, but not so much in the tenor department.
 
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