Selmer Cigar Cutter Alto 1933

Condition:

Selmer 18588 is a UK-market SSS Cigar-Cutter Alto which shipped from Selmer Paris in Dec 1933. It shipped from France with a Permgold finish. It was set up in London. Roughly 300 Altos were shipped to Selmer London in 1933, to be sold throughout the British Commonwealth. (with the exception of Canada, which was sold through Selmer US)
Douglas Pipher
douglas@selmerhistory.com

This is a commission sale of a lovely Selmer Cigar Cutter Alto, once previously owned by saxophone repairer and arranging legend, Don Ashton from Woodwind & Co. Most Sax players in the UK have at some time have played Don’s wonderful arrangements or had their sax checked, tweaked or repaired by him. Now is your opportunity to own a Sax that he once played and cared for! 

Don himself completely overhauled this saxophone and totally re-padded the instrument about eight years ago and it has hardly been played since, but been stored in a warm dry house by a very good friend of Don’s. 

As you would expect this horn is in extremely good condition for its age. It has the sweet focused sound of the Selmer but as with all cigar cutters has a slight Conn-like spread to the sound. The Sax is the best combination of a Selmer sound and a Conn sound and packs a punch when pushed.  You get the warm focus of the Selmer with a room filling spread of broad complexity like a conn. It simply plays huge!! Intonation and projection are both excellent. 

The keyword is excellent for the period and really rather advanced for a sax of this era, you’ll have no problem with the ergonomics. It’s easy blowing too – you can whizz around it no problem and it suits all styles of music in both solo and ensemble settings.