The Incredibly Popular Selmer Paris Series II Alto Sax
For over a generation, the Selmer Paris Series II has maintained its lofty perch as one of the most popular professional saxophones on the planet. One session with today’s Series II Model 52 Jubilee Edition alto, and you’ll understand why. The Series II alto offers a solid tonal core that’s versatile enough to take you in any direction you want to go. Featuring a fully ribbed body construction with premium yellow brass body tubing for robust, full-range resonance, treated leather pads with metal resonators, blued steel needle springs, excellent intonation, and stunning Selmer Paris Signature engraving, the Model 52 is a perennial favorite of professionals — and those who aspire to be. If you’re in the market for a superb professional alto saxophone, the Selmer Paris Series II Model 52 Jubilee Edition has what it takes to go the distance in your career and nurture your growth as an artist.
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Quality and versatility to go the distance
Versatility is one of the attributes of a great professional saxophone, and the Selmer Paris Series II Model 52 Jubilee Edition alto is a stellar example, providing a primed canvas for forging your signature sound. Saxophonists who play both classical and jazz, for instance, can choose an appropriate mouthpiece and reed — or even a specialized neck — to customize their horn for the music at hand. However you set it up, the Series II alto delivers a fluency of tone with a crisp transition between notes. The solid tonal core delivered by the Model 52 owes much to the instrument’s fully ribbed body construction.
The benefits of ribbed body construction
Integrating the multiple key posts into a single plate, so-called “ribbed” body construction gives the tube higher mass (and hence more rigidity and durability), and requires somewhat more effort from the player. This makes the horn blow with moderate resistance while delivering a solid fundamental with rich tonal color. For experienced intermediate and pro saxophonists with a more developed embouchure and sound concept, it’s a definite advantage. Although ribbed construction typically presents a slightly increased initial resistance, it effectively gives you another level of resonance — an extra “gear,” if you will — to blow through for additional dynamic range and expression. Simply put, you can push your Selmer Paris Model 52 further, and it will go exactly where you want it to go.
Handcrafted in France
Honoring the Henri Selmer Paris tradition of old-world craftsmanship, the Series II Model 52 Jubilee Edition benefits from premium materials and proprietary construction techniques developed over Selmer’s century-plus of wind instrument design expertise. This exceptional professional horn incorporates performance-enhancing details like specially treated leather pads with metal resonators that provide a leak-free, airtight fit while delivering a big, bright, and assertive tone that brings your notes to life. Not surprisingly, considering it comes from the company that perfected the modern saxophone, the Model 52 offers superior ergonomics and playability, crisp intonation, and rich, precise sound that reflects every expressive nuance of your playing. It’s equally at home in jazz, fusion, classical, and pop settings, and it will elevate your technique and unlock new worlds of musical expression.
The Selmer legacy of quality and innovation
As all modern saxophone designs are based on the Selmer platform, it’s instructive to take a look at the company’s history to understand its considerable influence on the instrument as we know it today. Conservatory-trained clarinetist Henri Selmer founded Henri Selmer Paris in 1885. Fashioning reeds and mouthpieces in his small workshop, he soon took on instrument repair and modifications, which eventually let to the design and manufacture of clarinets. In 1900, Selmer opened a retail shop in New York (the beginnings of Selmer USA). In 1922, Selmer introduced its first saxophone: the Model 22. In the ensuing decades, Selmer released industry-leading designs such as the Balanced Action, Super Action, Mark VI, and Reference 54, which have set the standard for what a modern saxophone should be. Listen to any iconic jazz recording by John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Paul Desmond, (late period) Cannonball Adderley, Wayne Shorter, Michael Brecker, Branford Marsalis, or Joshua Redman, and you will hear one of these legendary horns in action. Delivering exceptional value at every level, from student to professional, Selmer USA and Henri Selmer Paris offer a full line of woodwind and brass instruments. Sweetwater is proud to bring you Selmer’s rich legacy of quality and innovation.
Selmer Paris Series II Model 52 Jubilee Edition Professional Alto Saxophone Features:
- Acoustics: Series II body for rich, full sound
- Superior Intonation
- Neck: Series II bore
- Full ribbed construction
- Body material: yellow brass
- Mouthpiece: S-80 C
- Compact, ergonomic key positioning
- Range: high F# key, Front F key: spatula
- Left-hand thumb rest: plastic
- Right-hand thumb rest: plastic, adjustable
- Adjusting screws: high F, G# key, F#/G# lug, F#/G#, adjusting bar, low C#, low B, side C, side Bb
- Tapered pivot screws
- Blued steel needle springs
- Treated leather pads with metal resonators
- Beautifully engraved bell
- Handcrafted in France
