SOLD
This is an exceptionally fine original condition Martin Committee III aka “The Martin” tenor saxophone made in 1946, which currently wears its original pads and is in line for a full overhaul with flat metal resonators. The original lacquer is about as perfect as you see on these older Martins (which have notoriously delicate lacquer) and there is even some lacquer overspray remaining on the pearls, indicating that this horn was barely played. You can look for a long while for a more physically clean Martin tenor from the golden era, but I’m not sure you’d find one. This is a beautiful survivor of a bygone era, ready to make music again after a long sleep. Think of owning a saxophone like this one this way: someone like you will be playing this horn in 100 years, and someone like me will be overhauling it.
This saxophone will be undergoing a full overhaul prior to sale, and this 40+ hours of labor is included in the price. This Martin will arrive at your door in playing condition as good or better than the day it was built, ready to gig the night you get it and giving years of reliable service down the road.
The photos above are *before* the overhaul, but the physical appearance of the horn will change very little as it already so clean. I will still update the photos post-overhaul, but most everything but the pads will look about the same- which is good, because this is a beautiful horn.
This saxophone will come in a non-original case. Not sure exactly what case yet, but I am hoping to find an original Martin case in good shape.
Update: The overhaul is complete, and this horn is just sublime even if I do say so myself. What fantastic saxophones these are. So light in the hand and so light under the fingers, with a tone that makes me think of time-worn velvet on an antique chair. Soft but hard underneath. Here are a couple photos of it post-overhaul.
SOLD