As mentioned, there isn't an official serial number list, although there are some ranges cobbled together, below. It seems, however, that the serial number ranges incorporate the full production of ALL instruments produced by Dolnet, not just saxophones. I'd think that production of saxophones was no more than 500 horns per year.
I might agree but I have two main inquires: why the serial number is so close to the belair era ( till 80000) whereas universal models where launched in 80s? and secondly, it has very few or no differences from a bel air model as seen in numerous pics, fewer from other universals that feature modern key mechanism in c# b , Bb keys ?
Dolnet Sax Serial Numbers
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I might agree but I have two main inquires: why the serial number is so close to the belair era ( till 80000) whereas universal models where launched in 80s? and secondly, it has very few or no differences from a bel air model as seen in numerous pics, fewer from other universals that feature modern key mechanism in c# b , Bb keys ?Additionally, in the pics attached you will easily see that the bell is an offset one ( way to the left in comparison to the main core)
The main thing you learn from serial numbers is the age of the instrument of course. Although the dates in these charts are reasonably accurate, there may be some discrepancies for various reasons. Here are a few things to bear in mind:
When advertising an instrument for sale, you will often see the serial number referred to as 36xxxx. It is rumoured that there is a scam, by which somebody who acquires your serial number can then claim the instrument is theirs. This may just be paranoia as I have never heard of this happening, nor can I understand how it could happen.
A serial number can of course be used to identify a stolen instrument. If a seller does hide part of the number you may wonder if they are trying to hide the fact that it is stolen. In most cases the reason is for the one stated above, but it is always worth checking when buying an instrument. Ask the seller privately for the number and do a search for that instrument. If it has been stolen recently, the legal owner may have registered it with an online database of stolen saxophones.
An excellent condition Dolnet, "Bel Air" Tenor saxophone, which is a commission sale for Clarinets Direct. This is a fine French made professional model, which was last overhauled in 2018. It has tan leather pads throughout in excellent condition, as, since its last full overhaul in 2018, it has not been played. The lacquer is original, in very good condition, and there are only a couple of minor dings to the body. The sax has been very well cared for. The serial numbers are 63823C which probably dates to the late 1950s or early 1960s. There are 3 supplied m'pieces, the original Dolnet, a Yamaha and a Berg Larsen, all 3 are in fine condition. The case is a modern hard shell replacement in fine condition. In the event that the purchaser does not wish to buy any, or all, of the supplied m'pieces, the price can be reduced by negotiation.
The Selmer Mark VI is a saxophone produced from 1954 to 1981. Production shifted to the Mark VII for the tenor and alto in the mid-1970s (see discussion of serial numbers below), and to the Super Action 80 for the soprano and baritone saxophones in 1981. The sopranino saw limited production until about 1985.
The design of the Mark VI evolved over time. Switching over from its predecessor, officially named the Super Action but commonly called the Super Balanced Action, Selmer's earliest Mark VI models were transitional, incorporating design elements from the preceding model. Tonally, early examples are considered to have a "dark" tone, while later examples are thought of as having a "bright" sound. The bore taper, bow, neck designs, and some mechanical features changed throughout the history of the Mark VI.[1] The changes were not documented by Selmer. The length of the bow was increased on altos during the 85K serial number range to address certain intonation issues. In subsequent years the short bow was reintroduced. Some altos had baffles soldered into the bow to correct intonation issues. At least three changes to neck design were made on the tenor during the 1950s and 1960s, and once again in the 1970s. Some contend that the neck design changes account for the different tonal and playing qualities between earlier and later Mark VIs. Others contend that Mark VIs produced after about SN 180,000 had harder metal as a result of a change in the metalworking process, however, that SN corresponds to a known change in neck design so differing characteristics before and after can not definitely be ascribed to metallurgy.
Latter-year Mark VIs gained a reputation of being lower quality than early versions (possibly due to Selmer's higher annual production output of the popular saxophone), leading to a greater demand of early-year Mark VIs with a five-digit serial number. An employee's description of the assembly and quality control process at Selmer USA during the 1960s indicated that different quality Mark VIs were sold through different channels; the top tier was offered to musicians under contract to Selmer ("Selmer Artists"), the second tier went to pro dealers in major markets, and the third tier went to the general market. Hence, the best assurance of the quality of a Mark VI may be its sale history, as more variability could be expected in the quality of horns initially sold in the general market.[citation needed]
The "Official" Serial number guide issued by Selmer was not exact and Selmer never meant for it to be so. There can be as much as an 18-month (+/-) variation in actual production dates. This has been verified by original owners with receipts of their instruments showing purchase dates earlier than they would have been produced according to this chart. An example exists of an 89,000 series instrument sold in 1959. The actual timing of the transition from Mark VI to Mark VII altos and tenors is unclear--Mark VIs exist in the 236,000 (1975) serial number range, contrary to the purported 231,000 Mark VII change-over. One hypothesis is that the announcement of the transition in Selmer's 1974 literature was premature. Another is that Selmer produced both the Mark VI design and early Mark VII horns concurrently, or possibly until the existing parts for the Mark VI were used up. Reported early Mark VII examples have Mark VII keywork on Mark VI type body tubes.
The Mark VI Soprano, Baritone, and Bass models were produced from 1954-1981. It is possible to find confirmed examples of these instruments in the serial range of # 55201-365000. The Mark VI Sopranino model was produced from 1954-1985 and can be found within the serial number range of # 55201-378000.The Mark VI was succeeded by the Mark VII, which was produced as alto and tenor saxophones only. 2ff7e9595c
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