Is the SELMER SUPREME the New MARK VI?
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- Опубліковано 21 вер 2024
- #bettersax #saxophone #selmer
Jay Metcalf reviews the new Selmer Supreme Tenor Saxophone.
Selmer Supreme Tenor Saxophone geni.us/WjsW8ms
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Sax players: It’s tooo expensive!
Flute players: Hold my beer.
Piccolo players: Hold my lithium
Violin players: that's just cute
As someone who plays sax but whose primary instrument is flute, I approve of this comment. I just moved from a lower pro Yamaha to a Powell Conservatory flute 3 years ago, and it cost more than my 3 saxes combined. It's only about half the cost of the *really* premium flutes, though, which is the really crazy part.
For my ears the Mark VI had a warmer, more dense sound than the Supreme. The Supreme for me had a metallic or thinner sound. That’s just my ears but I must say the distinction was very clear to me. I’ll take the Mark VI even if the Supreme has more advances. Thanks for the presentation! Great as usual.
yes, you took the words right out of my mouth...
Agree.
@Official TCC Channel. ok, that’s a fair analysis. It would be interesting to hear the Supreme with a different neck and mouthpiece. Thanks for your insight!
I agree.
More agreements here !! Supreme sounded very bright with this setup. Mark VI with newer neck quite amazing.
I think that perhaps the Mark VI appeals to everyone more because it’s what we always hear on the old records and even though the sound of a saxophone itself is so subtle in comparison to one’s individual embouchure and mouthpiece and even neck, the mark VI is what we’re all nostalgic for. So for those who are truly more forward modern thinkers, they may not be affected by the Mark VI’s old charm.
It's the Gibson Les Paul of saxophones. LOL.
Since the Mark VI was introduced in 1952, one would assume that there would be major advances in design and manufacturing technology after 70 years. That being said, I found the Mark VI to have a more pleasing sound to my ears. The Mark VI had a very warm and mellow sound, what my sax playing friends and I would call a "fat" sound. The Supreme had, in my opinion, a harsher sound. I think the Mark VI has more pleasing overtones, whereas the Supreme has tightened the overtones, which is possibly one reason why it plays more in tune. My father bought me my Mark VI tenor new in 1967. I have no reason at age 70 to swap it for the Supreme. I wish Selmer tremendous success in their saxophone business. Selmer is the true legacy of Adolph Sax's wonderful creation. Thanks for doing this comparison Jay. You are a strong force in promoting the saxophone. God Bless You.
I bought my mark 6 in high school from my sax Teacher. Bless him for that. It had always made me sound better then I really am. I have no speed - but I can hold a single note on it and it sounds heavenly .
Really interesting, Jay. I too felt that the Supreme edged out the Yani sound wise. I'm not sure why but the Supreme alto never blew me away but this tenor version sounds really nice. It's extremely rich while retaining clarity and has a good balance between a core and spread sound. That's impressive!
I really like the Supreme alto but when I brought my old mark VI alto and played it against a Supreme and Ref 54 I fell in love with the ref 54 it really felt like a modern mark VI.
@@benhostetler268 Interesting. I play alto too...I think it's harder to dial in the right sound on alto. From what I can tell It's comparatively easier to get a tenor to sound good. Thoughts?
@@ChipTheMusicMan it depends on the sound you want I have a naturally brighter big sound on alto kind of like a slightly brighter Cannonball Adderley but on Tenor I am have a darker sound but I am a mainly an alto player.
@@benhostetler268 Ok, that's cool man. I dig.
Subjectively, Supreme may feel a bit more cozy than the Yanni tenor. But objectively, from the orchestral viewpoint, Yanni delivers a more versatile, flexible, open sound ready for many genres. It can do anything, and that openness can be confined - if needed. Supreme tenor, like the Supreme alto, are very good saxes, but of the opposite quality: they are great inside their confines.
I totally agree I am lucky enough to have played a Supreme and I totally agree it is hands down better than 99% of Mark VI tenors on the market that can cost between 10k and 20k+
Loved hearing these comparisons! To my ears, your sound on the Mark VI and the Supreme were roughly the same. Your TWO33 seemed to emphasize the mid-to-low frequencies while the Supreme had more bite in the upper frequencies. None of them was "better" than the other, just different. All of them sound fantastic!
My dad still has his Alto Mark VI he bought new around 1974. Still plays it. I went bassoon but played sax for a while. I should pick it up again so someone in the family is always using the Mark VI.
Playing both classical and jazz professionally, I can say that the supreme when I tried it felt like an amazing allrounder. I tried it against several other horns, with the yanagisawa wo37 as it's main contender, being roughly the main price in my area. I personally preferred the supreme, but some of my musician friends preferred the yanagisawa. It's an amazing instrument that felt like a clear improvement to me over almost all the other modern options out there. Mark VI's are undefeated to me when it comes to being fun to play, but modern Selmers are still my go to for any professional gig.
To me the Supreme sounded better than the Yani played. Smoother!
It sounds Better, hás but more resistance
It’s crazy how much work selmer has brought out in to the saxophone community. Thank you Jay for a great video and review🎷👍.
I'm listening in my studio, which is quite well balanced, and the supreme sounds a way better than the others, better quality sound, better tuned, and a dense and warmer body too, but not in excess. It's like the sound get into the ears much easier and pleasant and the high notes sound beautiful
Great commentary!
I play on the Mark Vii and love being connected with history. Yet Selmer making these upgrades will keep our art continually improving.
Appreciate your honesty.
Thanks for the review! Your content is always enjoyed and appreciated. I'm a Berklee Alum from the 70's and have owned many Mark VI's, from a '57 to a '71. They generally do play and sound great, but can be hit & miss. Not all are great horns. And most are difficult to control the intonation; it's something you have to learn with each of them. I've also had a YAS-875 and YAS-82ZII. They're decent enough but they truly are thinner sounding. I recently purchased the Selmer Supreme. And while many say the Mark VI's are better, I disagree. I expect many players have had a Mark VI for years and balk at the price of the Supreme. This may part of the reason for some of the bias. It's easy to be comfortable with a familiar instrument and be hesitant to try something new. My perception of the Supreme is that it has a very warm, full and round tone. On top of it, the intonation is head & shoulders above the MK VI. Additionally, the action is smoother and faster. It's a joy to play! The use of Teflon inside the octave key system is inspired. The included Concept mouthpiece pairs with the horn extremely well and the sax just performs flawlessly up and down the entire range. Note that Selmer has raised the price on these Supremes, which says something. It's my opinion the Supreme is the new Mark VI and outshines it in most ways. If you're a younger player considering moving up to a Mark VI, I would seriously recommend the Supreme over spinning the wheel and hoping you get a decent Mark VI.
The TW033 is amazing, more focused sound…that would also be my choice! Plus it looks wonderful and it is solid silver!
That Supreme sounds like it will really have a strong projection and ease of playing at all volumes. Loved hearing it vs the Yani, significantly better Selmer sound from listener perspective.
Great review. Supreme sounded great. Both fantastic. I just went back to Selmer after 20 years from them. Loving my MKVIs again.
Henri Selmer Paris has defined the modern saxophone with iconic designs like the Balanced Action, the Mark VI, the Super Action 80 Series II, the Series III, and the Reference horns. But here, they’ve created a brand new saxophone that incorporates all the best qualities of those legendary instruments - but manages to surpass them in every way.
As much as I respect the Mark VI for its role in jazz history, I’ve got to give it to the Supreme horn (which, fun fact, is named after John Coltrane’s mythical album).
Jay, this is one of the best reviews I've seen in the saxophone/music community. Thanks for all the hard work and effort you put into doing this review. I really like the presentation of the history with Selmer and also discussion about all of the other reasons one would buy a saxophone besides than how it plays. When comparing the sound of the three, they all sound great. I could hear the differences but I can't decide which one is necessarily better than the other. I sensed you were most comfortable on the Yani, but the fact that I know you prefer Yani's may have influenced my preception. My take away after watching this is that your sound comes out in all of them, and each player should get the saxophone that makes them personally feel the best. Again, fantastic video.
Thanks Hank!
I preferred the Yani two33 sound. It sounded like it was a little easier and more free to play, compared to the new Selmer. I could be happy with either horn. Thanks for the mention of KB Sax necks!
Thank you so much for playing the same thing side by side. So many comparison videos have the player playing random 128th notes totally different between the 2 things being compared. You did it the way it should be done.
Don't worry about the sax price. Cello bow alone cost 20k eur, and are chalanging to find one that feels and plays well. For example French maker's - Eugène Sartory. A great Master's Cello at least 150+ years old, usually cost more than typical player can affoard, and are again challanging to get. So, be happy with 10k price tag...
I played modern Selmers for years (Sa80, SII, SIII…), and for a long time I didn’t understand that MkVI fan thing, because every time I tried one it wasn’t as good as my modern horns. Until the day I tried one, built in 1963, that seduced me in 3 notes! (18 years ago). I’m still playing it today and got the chance to compare it to the Suprême a couple of weeks ago. I agree with you, the Suprême is better in every possible way! Can’t wait to get mine! 🎷🎶🎵😊 Btw great revue 👏👏👏
Hey Jay. This was really well done… the Mark VI vs the Supreme were eerily identical. Very thorough. Happy you exist, my friend!
Thanks Mikey
Many thanks Jay for such a well considered and presented review. There’s a great deal of price hysteria surrounding the instrument, in a ‘how dare they’ kind of way. The Supremes imo (both alto - I’m a very fortunate and proud owner- and tenor) have a glowing, golden resonance around the core sound that I think is a truly new element in saxophone tone evolution. It’s hard to hear it on recordings but in person it’s really noticeable. It gives the horn an amazingly special presence. Sometimes I find it almost too intoxicating!
Selmer suprime is more in tune, but mark vi sounds better. with all certainty supreme is the closest to the mkvi that I've seen until today.
The VI with the KB neck sounds incredible.
Great review. In your video, I preferred the sound and character of the Supreme. In early Jan 2023, I played a $6K Mark VI at the International Saxophone Symposium and was rather amazed. I had played a Mark VI almost a decade ago that was nothing to write home about. When I played the VI at the Symposium, the feel and tone made me think, "OK, THIS is the magic." I played a Supreme at Chuck Levin's (Wheaton, MD) about a week ago, and the Supreme had that same VI magic: feel, tone, projection, ease of play. Ten years ago, I was in the market for a new tenor. The BEST tenor I played was a Selmer SA80 Series III Jubilee edition - remarkable horn. At $6K, way out of my price range. The horn I bought and have been playing ever since with great joy was a Cannonball Vintage Reborn tenor (likely Cannonball's version of a VI), at less than half the price of the Selmer Jubilee.
Regardless of any thoughts I spewed in my comment below, I neglected to thank you for your excellent presentation(s). And…
I would gladly enjoy an evening listening to you on WHICHEVER horn you decided to bring to the gig!❤🎶
I always appreciate the comparisons you do. You've always given a very honest and less biased take than I have seen with many others. I do think you favor the Yani (all good natured), but I can tell you always try to give a clear assessment. Thank you very much, this was really well done!
"I've gone way beyond the number where anyone in the house won't notice another one" 😅😅😅😅🤣. So true...So true...
Excellent video. On behalf of the wood wind community, thank you for this in-depth review of the Supreme.
This video will be referenced for many years to come.
Thank you!
This is an amazing review. Everything you say, make sense! Totally agree! Finally a review that is 100% accurate. Selmer is the only company that can go forward with the saxophone evolution...just like George Lucas and Star Wars movies. Well done Sir! Love all your videos and reviews! 👏👏👍🏼👍🏼
Thanks!
@@bettersax Jay, Mr. Wally talked about how Selmer saxophones fresh from the factory aren't ready to be played. How can that be? For that amount of money? It is so unacceptable as to be criminal. I'm not sure that it wouldn't hold up in small claims court. Now imagine EVERY customer taking them to court!!
I did not watch the video you are referring to, so did not hear him say that. I've played 3 Supreme tenors now that were setup at the factory and they all played great. That's not to say one could not dial in the setup for personal preferences further.
@@bettersax That's encouraging because they SHOULD be, just as mouthpieces ought to be perfect, too.
Actually, Selmer copied Yanagisawa with the F to F# stabilizer bar and they copied SML with their "New" neck tenon.
Between the Supreme and the TWO33, the Supreme sounds slightly more like a 1950s-60s jazz tenor, which means sounding more like a Mark VI, which means sounding more like ... a Selmer. The Yany is designed and built to sound great, but not to attempt to replicate the old Selmer sound with such precision. Selmer always tends to have an edge in comparisons like this -- especially when playing jazz, and especially on a tenor -- because consciously or not, a key part of the test for many players is , "Which sax sounds more like a Selmer?"
I love Supreme🎷
A Love Supreme
Some would argue, it is those imperfections that make the Mk6 perfect, particularly one from the 50's - 1955 - 58', for example.
Nice demonstration, hearing the horn play music makes it real. I enjoy the sound of the Supreme, but still have a preference for my 50K SBA. Congratulations to Selmer for creating something I like though, it's been a while.
Your thorough reviews, knowledge and playing abilities, not to mention your approachable persona, are a gift to today’s sax player (old or younger, student, amateur or pro)! It’s a tough and wonderful topic. I recently parted with a gorgeous silver SBA that I thought would be the forever horn, and for less than 1/2 the price picked up one of Randy’s TM Custom with the mark 6 style neck…best playing horn ever…for me, at least. Thanks again!
Thanks! Good luck with the new horn.
Love it. The beauty is that 30 years from now the newest saxes will continue to refine, and these Supremes will join the flawed.. quirky, and historical sax voices of the vintage 2020s ☺️
Really great and fair review. Credit to you for mentioning that you prefer the Supreme vs Yani on the listen back! One thing worth metnioning is resale value when chosing between a Mark VI and a new Supreme. New horns has lots of plusses but depreciation isn't one of them!
wow. That was a great honest review.
Just from A / B comparisons heard online, whatever that is worth, I have not been so impressed on the solid silver Yanis. I'm not a big believer that metals of horns make a big difference to the sound, but the solid silver horns just have not been impressive online.
I think in this comparison, the palm key notes on the Supreme were obviously warmer and fuller. I wonder how a regular brass Yani would fare... Shrug.
Thanks for the great review and all your other great videos! I like the sound of the Selmer Supreme the best. It has more projection, character and liveliness than the MK6 and Yanagisava TW 033. But I would be happy with any of them as well since they are all great saxophones.
Geez, Jay. One of the best reviews I've ever seen of saxophones. Of damn near any gear, actually. Thanks so much! My opinion? The Supreme is probably the best. The VI has kind of a subtle "husky" thing that is lacking in both the newer horns-I miss that. The Supreme sounds more like the VI than the Yani-the Yani is very smooth. Very beautiful, almost too smooth. The Supreme has a bit of that Selmer "rat" or ring in the note. An aside here -Yanagisawas play great; in '07 I was on tour in Japan and music store where we were doing a clinic had darn near every Yani model there (no sopraninos), SATB, in brass, bronze, and most of the silver configurations including solid silver. And they were all "pink gold" plated. Damn near needed sunglasses to walk in the room! They all played very well, but independently my buddy Jay & I both liked a solid silver one piece soprano-the 9030, I think. I play a very early Yamaha 62; Jay plays a Yani Elimona. Tenor, I play either a 50k or a 54k SBA, or one of two Super 20's (a 346k, silver neck, a 298k Silver Sonic(!!!). Usually an SBA. Alto, either a 78k or a 189k VI-very similar, actually, both "mid bow" horns, or one of three Super 20 Altos. All that said, I'm itchin' to try the Supreme. Oh-I know EXACTLY what you mean about spring tension. Yikes! Why? I play a lot of flute-I like light action and no pad noise flappin at me. That's just my two bucks worth, two cents corrected for inflation. Oh-my folks bought me my first VI alto in 1967 for my 12th b-day, brand new, for $425. Oh, how things have changed. Jay, you're beautiful, baybee. Keep up the fine work-no one will go wrong if they just take your advice on "all things saxophone" and in fact, will be very well served. -jg
Thank you Jon! Much appreciate.
Thanks for this review! I have played the supreme tenor (and a few altos) against other tenors modern and vintage. Here’s my take:
I think if development of the saxophone as an “S” curve. Back 100 years ago there were definite improvements to be made. Deleting stuff like trill Eb, the G# trill and adding stuff like low C# lock and high f#. It makes me wonder what Eddie Trumbauer, Charlie Parker, Lester Young and Illinois Jacquet would have thought of the Yamaha 23! In other words, devepment has come so far, that most student level horns trump the nicest horn you could get 100 years ago (maybe even 50 to 60 years ago). Much if this development was done throughout the manufacturers through the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. This means nowadays, there just isn’t the progress to be made. The key layout is nearly the same (although not I interchangeable) between almost all horns, body taper is pretty consistent, and there is little variation between tone hole sizes (although there is some). To me, this means there is little mechanical difference between a Yamaha Custom, Yanagisawa, TM Custom, Lake City, Cannonball or P.Mauriat, and yes, Even a Selmer, even if it is a Supreme. So in my opinion , the value difference in these horns is in how they feel/sound. Form that point a $4000 might be a better fit than a $10,000 horn. The Supreme would have to be at least two times better, to even begin competing at that price point. But for that 10 grand price, you get a tenor, made of brass, lacquer finish, pivot screws, hinge screws, standard taper, no deviation in key layout/engineering-just like a $2500 Jupiter. So is the sound $7500 better? I think my old Mark 6, and the TM tenors, (and others) go toe to toe with the supreme, at literally half the price. There just doesn’t seem to be that much innovation and dramatic improvement left (say since the series 3, and other competitors) yo ask for this price. Great horn? Yes! Worth the price? I have a hard time seeing why.
Omg, I played the Supreme on my local music store. It felt amazing, what a sound and easy to play. It felt so solid so cool. I'd definitely buy one.
As a sax player myself (for almost 30 years now) the new selmer is extremely close to the original in terms of sound. at least from what I can hear (I have studio monitor headphones if that makes a difference). The Supreme does sound a bit brighter in the mid range but that may be the mouthpiece and the reed you're using. I can't afford the Supreme being developmentally disabled heh. Edit: but oooooooo that Yani/Supreme demo.
The introduction of the Supreme was a surprise to me several months ago when I was at my local music store. There, they told me about it and I recalled hearing about it from another college teaching colleague. Wow. The alto I tried was clearly a GREAT instrument and dare I say, better than the Mark VI tenor and SBA I own as well my VI alto. Thinking about the Larry Teal book and the "tendencies of tuning" table included in this resource, it reminds me that I have learned to adjust for the discrepancies of of the VI and similar instruments. This would result in me having to relearn my intonation on all my saxophones soprano to baritone. That said, I was not willing to pony up the $$ to upgrade. In the end, I'll sound like me. For younger players who have not already learned the tendencies of the Mark VI intonation, the Supreme would surely make their job of playing easier!
It's fun how different the perception is between players and non-players.
I'm a guitarist, give me an A to B between two different guitars and I can immediately hear major differences. Not being a sax player and having no experience of playing any brass instrument at all, I could only just barely tell the difference... and honestly would say they sound different, but I couldn't point to one that was 'better'.
Fair enough, I'm listening to it youtube with a pair of halfway decent headphones, so maybe I'd have a different opinion in the room.... but I do think that as musicians, we tend to obsess over nuances of our instruments that the average listener would never notice, especially when listening to that instrument in a full mix.
As a not professional saxophonist, i tried many MVI and Conn. The 10M Naked Lady gives you the power, it's almost alive. The MVI is good for mechanic and sound, but the new Supreme is like a mix beetwen power and perfection. 🎷
but you should be asked are you a classical saxophonist?10m isn't going to work for classcial music.
@@ongtengkee9225 you’re right, but I was talking for jazz, pop etc…. Classical music is played on Yamahas usually, new selmers or yanagisawa
Great review, Jay. They are all out of my snack bracket, but it was interesting to hear the side by side sound clips. I liked the Supreme sound slightly better in your samples, for the reasons you highlighted.
Thanks
I am glad you talked about how it sounded to you on the recording. That is an aspect which continues to amaze me-- the difference between what we hear when we're playing the horn and how the horn sounds on playback. I preferred the Selmer to the Yani, but I was happy to hear your glowing comments about its design. In this case the price is still high. And I think they'll hold their value which means you have to save up.
Very, very close though.
@@derekakien7379 The first time I heard my saxophone played by a technician really surprised me. Sure at the time, I wasn't much of a player (and I'm still not), but I realized that it's a different experience. More recently, a recording of my horn with a lucky positioning of the microphone allowed me to hear even more than I imagined was there when I played it. So, my impression is that it can be a significant difference. However, I probably have to concede that another factor is that when we play, we are focusing on more than just listening. My listening ability is diminished.
Finally, the review I wanted to hear! Thank you.
Selmer will always have that sparkle for all sax players.
That said, seems to me the most important element to a saxophone is whether or not the mechanisms function well and that there are no obvious flaws (leaks, joints, key placements, etc.)
Since the things closest to being inside the player’s mouth matter the most, it stands to reason that (outside of the player’s biology and technique), the mouthpiece and reed have much more effect on sound.
What that means to me is, “does the saxophone itself facilitate ease of operation such that the player feels free to create without fighting against the horn?”
The sound of a silver horn, for me, will always edge out that of a brass or bronze horn. The Silver Yani is just an amazing horn.
I’m certain the new Selmer is amazing if they’ve actually worked to eliminate the obstacles which a MKVI presents (intonation and unevenness being the biggest).
I’m actually very very happy that Selmer seems to have finally stepped into the modern age and worked hard to update their product! Kudos to Selmer!!
However, I have my Ishimori silver plated alto and I simply can’t imagine ever parting with it. Clearly the horn is “better” than I will ever be. For me, that’s the best thing to be said of a horn. Does it get out of my way? Does it inspire me to create or play in a new way, mostly because it is in no way an obstacle to be overcome?
I agree 100%! I’d be willing to bet if all these people saying the Mark VI sounds better were blindfolded and had to identify which horn from this video they hear playing, they wouldn’t be able to distinguish one from the other.
@@Saxrasta that’s precisely what would happen!
In the Yani versus Supreme test, I liked the Supreme’s sound better. Jay agreed that the listener’s ear might prefer the Supreme. How it feels to the player is a completely different matter. Tenor players will discuss this forever. Great video.
Wow - another great video, Jay!
My hearing isn’t as good as it used to be. It’s seems to me that when comparing the Mark VI with the Supteme; the Supreme was “brighter”
And then when comparing the Yany with the Supreme; the Yany was brighter!
Thank goodness I can’t afford to make the choice!
As usual, thanks for your directness and honesty!!! 😃Rocket🚀
I love them both, the mark vi has a slight difference in tone, the supreme is slightly clearer and brighter. Both sound amazing and I’d gladly have a Supreme as I’ll probably never own a Mark VI
Excellent, informative and well done! Gotta correct a bit though The reference 36 is a recreation of the Balanced Action (year 1936) not the super action aka SBA. Really close on the Yany and Supreme, slight preference for the Supreme as a listener. And much preferred the supreme over the Mk VI
Listening from my computer speakers, the differences are subtle, but I prefer the Supreme versus the other 2. Thank you so much for your honest test and opinions!
I have played and owned just about every high-end alto and tenor saxophone, including MK VI alto and tenor. ( Selmer, Yanagisawa, Cannonball, Yamaha, Keilwerth ). I have a Selmer Supreme Alto in the dark lacquer and this saxophone is the absolute best alto I have ever played. And its superiority is so far above the others that, for me, there is no contest or discussion.
Wow super interesting!! The VI sounded more like the supreme with the improved neck! Both horns sound great but a clear difference in focus and color - Supreme for the win in my opinion 🚀🚀🚀
The tenon ring clamp was an SML innovation. Plenty of legends played those horns too. Adjustment to the neck of the mark VI is common for intonation in the second register and higher. There are plenty of horns with more copper content for a broader dynamic range for much le$$ but they will be ignored due to politics
“I’ve gone way beyond the number in the house where anyone would notice another one.” That’s my solution for my wife… i need so many saxophone she can’t tell when i get a new one.
Thanks for the review Jay! Very exciting new sax
Both the Yani and the Supreme sounded fantastic. I thought the sound of the supreme sounded ever so slightly more focused. It sounded like you could push the yani a little harder. In other words, I heard that little bit more resistance in the Supreme sound. I'd love to have either horn. Both my Alto and Tenor are Mark VI's. If I do go for a modern horn someday, I will definitely look at the Yani and the Supreme.
Okay, well, I listened again today to this excellent review. Some folks commented on my earlier review, universally liking the VI the best. I'd have to agree-I fast forwarded and rewound to hear the VI with both the Yani and the Supreme. The VI seems to have the most flexibility in the sound. They all sound fine-Jay, you sound very good. again, nice work.
Wow, all three horns sound amazing. The biggest difference I could hear was when you put the new neck on your MVI. I think the Supreme would have to be played to be appreciated. But what a gorgeous horn
I like the Supreme. It had the sweet tone of the 6, but a nice high end tweak (to my ear).
Wonderful analysis, Jay. Best I've seen. Thank you so much.
I playing Selmer too, and ear no differents beetwen the Mark VI and the Supreme they were identical sup
er, thank you Jay for this compaire
Epic review. Nice demo, Jay. Though I did prefer the sound of the Yani better. The upper register sounded smoother with greater articulated finesse. The cult of the Selmer Mark VI continues. But the apparent stability of the new Supreme should extend the Selmer legacy for decades to come. Meanwhile, those of us outliners who chose an alternative brand know that following the herd does not always deliver the best results. I play Yamaha Custom EX soprano, alto and tenor saxophones now after years of playing Selmer Mk VI alto, tenor and baritone. So I'm looking forward, and probably quite a ways forward, to playing the Supreme in any horn.
The Supreme has a nice cutting sound while the Mark VI and Yany warmly filled the room. I would change mouthpieces on my Mark VI to switch from cutting to warm depending on the room, type of music, and the group. I know the Mark VI can do both. I wonder if the Supreme can get the warm, just fill the room sound.
I bought my son a Trevor James signature custom (alto) and came to the conclusion that it is the best value for money. Myself I have a Selmer Paris SA-80 II series Tenor which I bought 2nd hand several years ago as they are still very expensive, however, was I to buy my instrument today, that would definitely be a new Trevor James signature custom, which for the same amount of money would have given me a brand new instrument with perfect quality.
Thanks Jay, what a great review. I thought both sounded fantastic but for me I actually preferred the sound of your Yani. I’d still like to try one of these Supremes though!
Thanks Nigel!
Your TWO33 Yani is a beautiful sounding instrument, fantastic focus and just a touch bright to my ear. It's a truly outstanding horn.The Supreme sounded excellent as well but to me it had more of a soulful touch to it, soft and a velvet/creamy tone. For me it would be almost impossible to choose between those two. I'm glad you played them side by side.
yeah that would be a tough choice indeed!
Wow, the Mark VI was a bit more laid back / stuffier. The Supreme is slightly brighter. I loved the sound of both.
See my comment - I think brand new instruments sound brighter to start with.
That nailed it!
Great review! Between the Mark VI and the Supreme, I felt that they were pretty much equal. They did sound almost identical. I couldn't find any difference. Between the Yani and the Supreme, to me, the Supreme sounded so smooth and buttery in the lower end, better than the Yani. However, the Yani just popped out to me on the mid and higher ranges. The Supreme, to my novice ears, sounded a bit stuffy in the higher range compared to the Yani. If someone gave me the budget to purchase only one, I would probably go for the Yani. BUUUTTT.... I would still try to get the Selmer Supreme just because it is such a gorgeous horn. And yes, I agree with you that buying the Supreme over a Mark VI makes more sense.
I've never tried a modern Selmer, but I would like to compare it with my Yanigasawa. BetterSax Jazz Cut, reeds?! I'm looking forward to trying those out. Great Video, Jay.
Kirk, your wallet will thank you if you don’t try it.
Great video, Jay! It looks like Selmer borrowed a page out of Peter Ponzol's ProOne tenor neck to open the players' throat up and free the air column.
Great review, Jay! Awesome comparisons and thoughts on this new horn. I’m excited to try one when I get the chance 🎷
I’ve been a huge proponent for the reference of four models. I believe that’s one of the best. I love that horn and I would buy that for my child.
If you have the means to buy these sax's then you already know what you want. You either want a vintage or you want consistency for paying jobs. But let's be honest you already have 2 or 3 sax's anyway so this is just another one in the quiver so it is a great addition to the line.
For a new horn closing my eyes with a phones speakers it was hard to tell any major difference between mark 6 and the supreme.
Pretty good reveiw. For me, there is no comparison. The Mk6 has a COMPLEX tone, which is slightly unstable in itself, meaning, the waveform is going though a cylce of slightly different waveforms that takes 3 or 4 waveform cycles to complete. Then it repeats. The result is sort of like, the sound of 3 saxophones at once. This is especially noticeable on articulations and inflections - richer, more variable transients. The Supreme is like the other "improved" saxophones - a more stable, but simpler tone. One waveform throughout. that makes the sound a little clearer, louder, and easy to listen to. But it is a simple tone - one dimensional. Nice for the unsophisticated ear to listen to, but shallow, if you like the MK 6 complexity, which I do. That goes for the "improved" Mk6 necks too. They change the sound from complex to simple. No thanks. Intonation: Which notes are out of tune on a Mk6? I think what you describe is the result of a common mouthpiece mismatch - not the quality of the horn at all. I've found Mk6's to have flawless intonation, musically speaking. That means, all pitch correction is done by the subconscious - you don't have to think about it - once you match the mouthpiece to the horn. Saxophone 101. Vintage horns for me.
Great review Jay, as a listener I too liked the Supreme better ... but only marginally. I probably would buy the Yani TWO33 as well. I love the tonal quality silver brings to the sound.
I own and play regularly Selmer alto, tenor, and bari. When I purchased my soprano, I only considered Yani's. If I replace any of my other horns, they'll be Yani's. Imo, the Japanese have long since surpassed Selmer Paris in value, playability, and quality. Terrific video, Jay!
Thanks Jay. Very interesting. I play a Selmer SA80 tenor. It sings and takes off when the foot goes down. I've played Yanis and Yamis and found they were in tune, easier to play but didn't take off when the foot went down. Selmers seem to stretch out when extra effort is applied. (In my opinion).
Got any info on the SA80. (Not SA80II) I'd be interested to hear your review.
To be honest they both sounded superb, well, it was Jay playing them. I still love my Buescher Aristocrat (1961) which, well, just feels and sounds right.
I preferred the Supreme over both Yani and the Mark IV. The difference between the Mark IV and supreme was less than the Mark IV and the Mark IV with the replacement neck. It makes me wish you had compared those two. I suspect I may have preferred the latter to the Supreme in a head to head. I felt the Yani sounded a little grating with too many high overtones in spots.
To my ears, I slightly prefer the sound of the Mark IV over the Supreme in your comparison, and no question I prefer the Yany over the Supreme; it sounds warmer, smoother and more "even". The Supreme has a more modern sound to me; a little brighter and perhaps more cut, but I personally don't like that sound as much, which is further removed from the best sounds of the past.
I love the richness and smooth tone quality of the Mark IV
Agreed to me it sounded best of all 3. It is all about the mids and the sizzle... there is something magical in the Mar VI.
Gawd, we are all splittimg hairs here. I can see why you love the Yani, but the Supreme sounds amazing. You sound amazing. .ime Smith, played one back in 94 or 95 for us. The thing I see is that the silver bell and neck really change the sound. They sound different, but they all sound amazing. I definitely would be hard pressed to choose one over the other. Your voice is your voice. This has a bigger sound difference, and that said, all three horns definitely sound amazing. I love my horn and will never replace either of them. Once you have your voice, if you say the supreme feels better, then I must try one soon. Thanks for sharing. None of the three horns are anything but amazing.
Great review that is very useful.... but i am missing a sound example in high energy music like rock, pop or funk.
For my ears the Mark VI has a bit brighter and tighter core sound that could be usefull in such situations.
So my preference would be the Mark VI. But it is only my opinion.
Thanks for this - really enjoyed it. To me as a listener, the Mk VI has some kind of 'human' character that just isn't there in the other saxes. The Supreme and Yani are without doubt great instruments, but they didn't speak to me in the same way. Perhaps it is the imperfect nature of the MK VI that makes it almost perfect :)
..”way beyond the number, where anyone in the house will notice another one.” 😝😜😉🤩
They both sound amazing but something about the mark VI is so pleasing to listen to
Excellent review Jay, many thanks!
It's very hard to decide between this 3 top magnific horns.. so hard that i go to hear it again on the headphones😊
I think all 3 has his own pros. The price is worth for such a top quality (flutes can be more expensive!)
VERY NICE REVIEW. I really like the mid to upper sound of the Supreme. It seems to speak well with controlled punch.
As a listener, I prefer the sound of the Mark VI, warmer, dense, full bodied and authentic. The Supreme didn’t quite hit the same spot in my emotional center, although I did like it better than the Yani. As a player, I haven’t played any of them. I replaced my ancient Beuscher with a Cannonball and am very pleased with both sound and playability.
i was going to coment ..but you have said it for me lol
Cannonball??😮😮😊😢
Very informative video.... Thanks, Jay! btw, you sound great on all the saxophones! I still believe that a great player is going to sound great on any saxophone.
tenor saxophones
I played my Mark VI since 1995. Before 2 years I buyed a Reference 32, because I like to have a brand new saxophone no one has played before.
The resistance of the Reference key action is, for me, so high I could not use the reference 32 properly, therefore i still using my Mark VI exclusive.
Hint in 1994 Mark VI was a litle cheaper than brand new Selmer Super Action II (?) tenor series.
on sound i can nothing say, its you, on both horns. Differences are, for me, if i think i can hear them, very small. Used Apple Max Pro earphones via bluetooth...
Yanagisawa sound the best to me with having a very balanced tone and a nice reaction sound from the keys. I love my Mark VI and have had it for many years and have also tried many horns that I have agreed that I can’t tell the difference between either the tone or performance or the key work but my Mark VI is personal to me and has a story to it. I also personally love the weight of it and how heavy the springs are, for me it just feels more reactive and powerful with the weight and not cheap feeling but I never recommend to students or friends to just go buy a Mark VI without either playing one and trying out other options especially when there are better options out there.
I think the mark six had more softer and warmer sound then the supreme had