Almost any camera on the market today will give you decent pictures. Allow me to compare the situation with cameras. I'd advise buying second hand though and try a number of horns before you commit to buy.ДЄ couple of people have drawn analogies - cars, etc. One of my current pupils has a gorgeous Ref 36 which sounds great and I think looks much better than the Ref 54 too. I suspect that in the long term a traditional lacquer finish will be more attractive if you want to sell it on. The vintage finish isn't that robust and to my eye started to look a bit tired quite soon. I'd bought a new one by mail order so this shows they don't always come out of the factory perfectly set up.

The chap who bought mine paid for it to be rebuilt from scratch, something which apparently involved cleaning up all the joints in the body, and this improved the slight stuffiness at the top end. The Ref 54 can be good horns though as in all horns they vary one to the next so you need to try several, something that might not be easy to do in most shops. I understand wanting a Selmer but not wanting to buy new: that ВЈ4800 or whatever immediately drops to under ВЈ3000 the minute you walk out of the showroom and may not be that easy to sell even at that price - people with that sort of money to spend will still be looking at vintage Selmers. There's nothing in the Selmer stable that's generated anywhere near the cult status of the MkVI and assuming this'll rub off onto the current ranges values is a long shot. The market's fickle, and may or not repay your investment. So far Selmers have proved to be a good bet, but there's no guarantee that it'll remain that way. People at the time underated the saxes, but now they're recognised for what they are - geat saxes. Abuse it and they will all be wrecked quickly.ДЄs for resale value, you may be surprised to find that 20 year old yanagisawas are selling for a lot more than their new price and are highly sought after. Take care of it, and even a cheapo student sax will play well in 10 years and have years of life in it. They'll all last a long time, treated properly. With few exceptions, all saxes and keys are brass with steel rods. It's unique and you'll either love it or hate it.I agree with Pete. Overall the 54 has an antiqued appearance. Result leaves dark places in corners and less accessible places and creates a faux patina over the entire body. This process is followed with a bronze color matte surfaced lacquer. Then it isД«rushed (not polished), intentionally leaving parts of the horn dark. The entire saxophone is antiqued with a process that darkens the entire body to a dark brown. Body to bell brace made of circular cross-section material.Adjustment is performed by bending the metal tab under the key as has been done for decades. Low B-flat sliding screw adjustment not present.High D and E, left hand palm keys are closer to the body of the instrument.Alternate high F left hand key in mother of pearl versus metal.The small changes that are made to the RГ©fГ©rence horns are mostly for sentimental reasons. The fact that Selmer has decided to stick with modern Serie III keywork tells you somethingДЄbout the reliability of it. The RГ©fГ©rence 54 employs modern Serie III keywork except for certain modified keys that mimic the Mark VI classic horns. Both RГ©fГ©rence horns are very different from the brighter, punchier Serie III tenor. The 54 is identical to the 36 in overall tonal quality. And this specific characteristic is what sets the RГ©fГ©rence saxophones apart fromДЄll other horns, present or past. Power and playing ease typified by both new RГ©fГ©rence horns. It delivers the surprising combination of While not identical to any specific vintage horn, the RГ©fГ©rence 54 speaks with its own wonderful complex voice. Please anyone looking for the sound of a vintage horn. Selmer have acheived the darker, richer tone they were after and it should

Identical to that of the Mark VI and is different form the Serie III which terminates higher. The metal responators on the Serie III are swapped for plastic resonators on the RГ©fГ©rence 54. The RГ©fГ©rence 54 uses a Serie III body and bow, with a larger volume bell. The Mark VI tenor was produced between 19, hence the '54' in the name. The RГ©fГ©rence 54 body geometry was designed to mirror that of the Mark VI, yet Selmer haveДЄctually produced a saxophone which outshines the fabled Mark VI. The RГ©fГ©rence 54 was released in the fall of 2000.

Selmer reference 54 silver