Review: Selmer Paris Signature Alto Saxophone

Today I am thrilled to share the latest alto saxophone model by Selmer Paris, the brand new Signature. The Selmer Paris Signature alto sax is a spiritual successor to the venerable Super Action 80 Series II (SA80II) model.

Contents
00:00 - Introduction
00:20 - Acknowledgements
01:03 - Selmer Signature introduction
02:02 - Selmer Signature features
05:34 - Why the Selmer Signature exists
06:27 - Testing info, comparison to Series II
07:12 - Signature vs. Series II Play Testing
10:47 - General observations
11:15 - Timbre, resistance, response
12:09 - Intonation introduction
12:33 - Series II Intonation quirks
14:57 - Signature intonation improvements
16:33 - Conclusions
17:59 - Other details

Learn more about the Signature alto: https://www.selmer.fr/en/products/saxophone-alto-signature
Saied Music: https://saiedmusic.com
Conn-Selmer: https://www.connselmer.com

Why is Selmer Paris releasing the Signature model?
Some additional info that is not in the video: the Signature makes a lot of sense from a purely business perspective. In Selmer’s mind, they don’t want to be losing effectively $3k every time someone opts for an older Series II alto over the Supreme due to being priced out or preferring the older traditional model. So, the Signature is made fit for purpose and threads the needle pretty perfectly. You can be frustrated by this, but remember two things:

• Selmer Paris was acquired by a private equity firm in 2018. This allowed an influx of cash to invest in manufacturing, research, marketing, and people. Now, they must increase profits to pay for that investment.

• Measures like this are necessary for the company to continue selling saxophones made in France. I have been told many times over the years that Selmer saxes are incredibly low-margin products; the lions share of Selmer’s profits is apparently in mouthpiece sales.

I hope this helps to better contextualize the Supreme’s place in Selmer’s lineup and why it was a necessary addition!

D'Addario Venn Generation 2.0 Synthetic Saxophone Reed Review

D'Addario Woodwinds are back at at it again with the latest iteration of the Venn Generation 2.0 Advanced Synthetic Reed for alto saxophone! The latest version of the Venn has amazing improvements and offers the most cane-like experience of a synthetic reed I have experienced so far. Improvements are largely due to removing the 1st generation’s protective film on the table, selecting a new stronger fiber material, and refinements to the resin. I also noticed changes to the cut of the reeds themselves, although this was not noted in the official white paper that I received from D’Addario Woodwinds. Finally, the latest generation of Venn’s are designed to run more true to strength, as opposed to the 1st gen which tended to run very stuff.

The Venn Generation 2.0 to be the most cane-like synthetic reed that I have ever tried. Compared to Légère Signature reeds, I found the Venn had more projection, body, and ring to the sound. On the other hand, the Légère’s are capable of more quiet playing, particularly in the lower register. I also found Légères to be a little more consistent from one reed to the next, although I am sure Venn will continue to improve in this regard. Thankfully, unlike Légères, D’Addario says that the Venn reed can safely be worked on with sandpaper and other reed working methods.

Be sure to check out my video with playing samples, below, and tell me what you hear!

The Easiest Way to Learn Saxophone Embouchure

Hello world, it’s been a minute! Apologies for my general absence and spotty posting. Last semester I spent much of my time grinding for DMA comprehensive examinations and finishing most of my remaining cognate coursework. This is in addition to my part-time teaching at Heidelberg University and assistantship duties at BGSU. Anybody who has completed a terminal degree can back me up when I say that this put me through wringer, to say the least. At any rate, it’s good to be back and (hopefully) posting more regularly; onward!

Today, I am sharing a video that talks about the easiest way to explain and learn proper saxophone embouchure. It is all too easy to get lost in anatomical terminology and nitty gritty when explaining embouchure to beginners. Rather than falling into this pedagogical trap, teachers instead must find familiar experiences or sensations that students can refer when learning a new skill. In the case of the saxophone embouchure, we should all suck our thumb!