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by karebear1012
(395 posts)
19 years ago

Question about a Bari sax

For wind ensemble next year, my band director decided to put me on the bari sax. Thing is, the horn he gave me is in really bad condition, so we took it into the shop to get an estimate. There has been an arguement throughout the store about what type of sax it actually is. My teacher and someone else thought it was a Mark VI, but there isn't the stamp that says 'VI' or something anywhere (at least that we can see). All we really know is that it was made by selmer and it's old...and it looks old. The serial number on this sax is M287403. Does anyone know anything about this horn? If you email me at [email protected], i'd also be able to give you pictures. I'd love any input! Thanks!

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  2. by jamterry
    (573 posts)
    19 years ago

    Re: Question about a Bari sax

    Karebear i think the alto looks great, but please get an estimate first. Karebear if you don't mind , will you tell what atate you are in? Also i am very proud of you that you are lead. Karebear there are leather pads, springs, felt pads. corks, and lots of tiny screws in a saxophone. Please get an estimate on the silver alto. take care, terry

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    1. by karebear1012
      (395 posts)
      19 years ago

      Re: Question about a Bari sax

      what state i'm in? massachusetts

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      1. by jamterry
        (573 posts)
        19 years ago

        Re: Question about a Bari sax

        i am in LA. it was nice to meet you karebear take care, terry

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    2. by BariSaxplyr
      (35 posts)
      19 years ago

      Re: Question about a Bari sax

      Hey! My bari is in the SAME situation. It IS a Mark VI bari. My horn is a 287,xxx also. Basically, the selmer company switched the design for altos and tenors, but not sopranos and baris, so all horns in that range for alto or tenor are Mark VII's, not the popular mark VI. But that bari you have, IS a mark VI, as selmer never OFFICIALLY made a Mark VII bari. They are EXTREMELY nice horns.

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      1. by connsaxman_jim
        (2336 posts)
        19 years ago

        Re: Question about a Bari sax

        Hey Kara! BariSaxplyr is absolutely right. It's a later Mark VI baritone, and Selmer had already switched over to the Mark VII tenor and Alto, but they never changed the bari or soprano. It's a pretty good bari actually. It's definately worth getting repaired. If the school won't pay to get it fixed, I'd offer to buy it for the cost of the repair bill. If you decided to sell it later, I'm sure you could get your money out of it and then some. It's probably worth $4000 or more.

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      2. by karebear1012
        (395 posts)
        19 years ago

        Re: Question about a Bari sax

        ohh thanks! i just never thought a school would take the time to buy a mark VI bari.....but it's in really bad condition... so the baris don't have that stamp thing? because this bari never says 'Mark VI' or anything anywhere...it just says selmer.

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        1. by jamterry
          (573 posts)
          19 years ago

          Re: Question about a Bari sax

          Can you buy the horn from the school? That horn could be your baby. I hope you get the baby up to operating temp. take care, terry

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          1. by karebear1012
            (395 posts)
            19 years ago

            Re: Question about a Bari sax

            well right now we're trying to get it repaired and have it billed to the school....about $600 in repairs (repadding, dents, etc.). my parents just got me a selmer reference alto....so i doubt they'd buy me a mark VI bari lol. our school has pretty good saxes in general... selmer / yamaha baris selmer series III altos yamaha tenors

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          2. by karebear1012
            (395 posts)
            19 years ago

            Re: Question about a Bari sax

            community.webshots.com/album/314526514HRtLCj if anyone wants to see pictures....

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          3. by jamterry
            (573 posts)
            19 years ago

            Re: Question about a Bari sax

            I played the reference alto and i loved it. When i was your age i had a conn shooting star and later i got my Marl VI's. I actually put $60 on a bari, but i was soon drafted for vietnam. i still have my alto and tenor Mark VI's and i bought a soprano last month. i think you have a bright future ahead of you :)

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          4. by karebear1012
            (395 posts)
            19 years ago

            Re: Question about a Bari sax

            wow, that's impressive :) yah, i love playing the sax but i'm sorta behind because i played trumpet for about 7 years and i started sax 3 yrs ago. a lot of people hate me for getting lead in jazz. hopefully that bari will come out nicely :) oh yah, and if you go to my pictures...would you mind taking a look at the silver alto and telling me if you think it'd be worth repairing? thanks!

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          5. by BariSaxplyr
            (35 posts)
            19 years ago

            Re: Question about a Bari sax

            Don't rule out trying to buy that bari fom your school. If it needs work... they will probably want to get rid of it. It is not stamped MARK VI on it, becaues it was made later, and selmer was desperate to sav emoney on anything they could to compete wiht japanese horns. I got my Mark VI for only $2,000! Give it a shot, who knows what they'll say. Keep up the sax playing. ESPECIALLY the bari.

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          6. by karebear1012
            (395 posts)
            19 years ago

            Re: Question about a Bari sax

            i'll try. my parents are pretty burnt out on instruments lol. in our family we currently own: grand piano, alto sax, soprano sax, trumpet, 2 violins, 3 guitars, keyboard, clarinet, flute, piccolo, drumset, and various percussion instruments. any idea how much the bari would be work after getting it repaired?

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          7. by mega band geek
            (60 posts)
            19 years ago

            Re: Question about a Bari sax

            Depending on who you find, you could probably make antwhere from 4k-6k for it, ive gotten offers as high as 7.5k for my MK VI Bari. Don't give up on buying the gorn from the school, cause you never know what might happen. I bought mine off a school for $500 then spent around $1200 on a overhaul, case, and setup, so thats what, $1700 for a horn that I've got a line of interested buyers that goes around the block with offers as high as 7.5k? Good deal if you ask me... oh and BTW, mine doesn't have a MK VI stamp either, and its a '55 MK VI, so maybe the engravers just got lazy every now and then..

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          8. by mega band geek
            (60 posts)
            19 years ago

            Re: Question about a Bari sax

            Depending on who you find, you could probably make antwhere from 4k-6k for it, ive gotten offers as high as 7.5k for my MK VI Bari. Don't give up on buying the gorn from the school, cause you never know what might happen. I bought mine off a school for $500 then spent around $1200 on a overhaul, case, and setup, so thats what, $1700 for a horn that I've got a line of interested buyers that goes around the block with offers as high as 7.5k? Good deal if you ask me... oh and BTW, mine doesn't have a MK VI stamp either, and its a '55 MK VI, so maybe the engravers just got lazy every now and then..

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          9. by EL Seano
            (255 posts)
            19 years ago

            Re: Question about a Bari sax

            I play a Yamaha Student bari that has been dropped at least 3 times from past users. consider yourself lucky to have a mark VI! *laughs*

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