Selmer Signature Saxophone

Selmer Signature Saxophone

I predicted this saxophone. Seriously. I predicted what the horn would be and even predicted that they would call it the Selmer Signature Saxophone. More on that in a moment… first, let me tell you what the Selmer Signature saxophone line is and what it isn’t.

First, a little lesson on the events that lead up to the Selmer Signature saxes.

Back in 2021, Selmer announced their newest model with the most audacious branding, the Selmer Supreme. This was a radical move for Selmer as it represented a horn that was far easier to play in tune than traditional Selmer models and arguably, the best sax they had ever made. So even though I was not in love with the “Supreme” branding, I did think that Selmer delivered in producing a horn to at least live up to it. So then if the Supreme is as good as I say, why on earth is Selmer coming out with another new model?

To understand that, you have to understand the original intent of the Supreme. The following section is based on what I was told when the Supreme came out by my Selmer rep at the time.

Selmer intended the Supreme Series to become the ONLY model made 100% in France. They had come out with the Axos (French/Asian hybrid) to serve as their entry pro model. After that, they simply had too many top end pro models between Series II, Series III and Reference series. So in order to try and streamline production to better meet production demands, the Supreme was designed in an attempt to go back to a one model factory like they had done for the first 7 decades of sax production.

As good as the Supreme is, it was discovered that this goal was not going to be the best solution for the Selmer brand. The Supreme was great for the modern musician as it was more adaptable to any player experience level and playing style than ever before. However, as with most design changes, when you improve one area you naturally have to take away from another.

So to gain this adaptability in a Selmer horn, the Supreme had to take away some from the playing resistance that was inherent from the Mark VI through the Reference series. While decreasing resistance sounds like a good thing, this will change the compression to the air column in the horn, which then impacts what players refer to as the “core sound” that Selmer is very much known for. While the Supreme still has a “core” to its tone that is very much Selmer’s trademark sound, it is not quite as present in the Supreme as some players were used to. As a result, after the Supreme alto came out, Selmer hung on to one of the traditional models, the Series II, in order to keep filling that role.

Then earlier this year in April 2023, Selmer came out with the Supreme tenor. The launch kit literature for the Supreme tenor (which is also a phenomenal sax worthy of the name) showed the Series II & both Reference models being discontinued but the Series III was going to stay part of the lineup. This launch kit literature was put together before the Supreme tenor actually launched which is important because when the Supreme tenor launched, I heard very quickly that the Series III was also being discontinued, which was contradictory to the official launch kit I had previewed. It was at this point that I knew something new was coming… though I didn’t know how perfectly I had predicted this before all this transpired.

So what is the Selmer Signature Series?

The Selmer Signature is being launched simultaneously with alto and tenor models on September 14, 2023. These models will be the next evolution of the Series II alto and the Series III tenor. The new models will incorporate the traditional acoustic and ergonomic design of their predecessor models but will blend them together with intonation and mechanical improvements from the Supreme and a new neck. This way, the traditional Selmer tonal core and playing resistance from these models can be modernized with several of the enhancements from the Supreme.

This is effectively a modern Selmer for the more traditional Selmer player. Here are the details on each model:

• Signature Alto
• Signature Tenor

Click the Photo to go to the Signature Alto Sax Product Page

Selmer Signature Alto Sax Design
The Selmer Signature alto embodies the renewal of the Super Action 80 Series II model, which has marked the history of the saxophone since its launch in 1986. While retaining the sound characteristics of the Series II, it offers improved intonation, especially in the upper register, and favors emission in the lower register.

• • Series II Successor
  • New neck design & manufacturing process to increase consistency & performance
  • Neck tenon design from Supreme with 3 point contact and nickel-silver ring for better response
  • Series II Ergonomics
  • Richer tone of the Series II with improved pitch accuracy and response through all registers
  • Traditional Selmer “feel” to the player
  • Great projection capacity
  • A refined aesthetic

Click Here for our Video Review!

Click the Photo to go to the Signature Tenor Sax Product Page

Selmer Signature Tenor Sax Design
The Selmer Signature tenor is a reinvention of the Series III model, which has been a favorite of numerous saxophonists for its acoustic qualities and its ergonomic comfort since its launch in 1995. With an increase in the inner diameter of the neck receiver, this new model offers rare precision and a full sound. Strongly inspired by the Series III, its ergonomics is suitable for all musicians, regardless of their ability level and musical genre. Equipped with a new neck receiver system with three-point tightening developed for the Supreme model, the tenor Signature ensures perfect homogeneity of sound.

• • Series III Successor
  • New neck design & manufacturing process to increase consistency & performance
  • Neck tenon design from Supreme with 3 point contact and nickel-silver ring for better response
  • Series III Based Ergonomics
  • Traditional Selmer “feel” to the player
  • Great projection capacity.
  • A refined aesthetic.

Click Here for our Video Review!

Signature vs Supreme

So which new top end Selmer should you be interested in? Obviously, this depends on what you priorities are in your new Selmer’s performance. It also depends on where you are coming from as a player. If you are coming from a Japanese horn like a Yamaha or Yanagisawa, then you are likely used to less resistance as a player. However, if you are coming from a Mark VI, then you are used to more resistance as a player. All of these things impact which new Selmer is right for you. So here is my way of looking at them:

Neither is truly a “better” sax than the other, just different. it also depends on what facet of the instrument’s performance you want to evaluate on:

• • Resistance – For most High School / College players or players who are coming from a Japanese sax, I would lean towards the Supreme as my top recommendation. For players who are used to vintage horns or all other Selmer Paris models, I would lean towards the Signature.
  • Intonation – The Supreme is the best Selmer for native intonation stability and balance in all the models they have made. The Signature is the second best in their history. So if intonation is of the utmost importance to you on a new Selmer, the Supreme has a leg up, but not by a lot.
  • Tone – The Signature is a bit darker/richer with more focus/core to the tone, especially in the bell notes of the horn. The Supreme has more brilliance (don’t read that as “bright”) throughout and has a more broad tone overall. The Supreme also achieves max volume with less effort.
  • Symphonic Players – The Supreme is easier to control for most players across the entire acoustic spectrum. Especially for the Symphonic focused players, this balance at all volume dynamics is unmatched. However, this will be influenced by your preference on the Resistance / Intonation / Tone comments above.
  • Jazz / Rock / Funk etc… Players – This is a draw as this will be more based on your preference on the Resistance / Intonation / Tone comments above. Both horns are equally suited.

So I said I predicted this…

As I have made it evidently known, I think the Supreme is an amazing saxophone and truly the best sax that Selmer has made overall. However, as I have discussed with many players since it’s launch, the only drawback to the horn is that the lower end of the horn is not quite as centered of a sound / resistance as we are accustomed to from a Selmer. While I still argue that the benefits of the superior response, intonation and sheer acoustic balance from note to note on the Supreme is 100% worth this trade off, I can also understand that for some players, this simply is something that they still want out of their Selmer.

So back in 2021, I constantly would recommend for players who wanted some of the Supreme performance inside of a more traditional Selmer to consider getting the Series II alto with either a Series III or Supreme model neck. I even put out a video with one of our teachers, Charles McNeal, where we tested the Supreme neck on the Series II and Reference models. We also tried the Series III neck on the Series II in that video (which you can view here).

I also started to predict that Selmer would themselves look to come out with a model that would combine elements of the Series II (since these conversations were more based on the alto models) and the Supreme in to a new model.

Most of these conversations were over the phone, but back in February of 2023, I had an e-mail exchange with a customer who had bought several horns from me, including a Selmer Supreme Alto. He was curious how other players had responded to the Supreme and stated the following in his email:

My reply was lengthy (since I like to talk & type!) but here was the pertinent portion:

So there ya have it – the new Selmer Signature saxophone line. 100% predicted by yours truly. Video Reviews below:

David Kessler