Vintage 1948 Martin Committee "The Martin" Tenor Saxophone
***** Extra-clean vintage Martin tenor, looks and plays like a new one!
It's a fine fine example, not been played for several decades. Not quite "mint", but very close to it. There's one re-solder to the Eb guard and some burnisher marks to the end-bow. Otherwise, it's perfect. No "pull down", no other cosmetic issues. Still has original mouthpiece and case with it.
ALL pads and corks are new, from our shop, American lacquer, sharp engraving, the original lacquer worn maybe two percent.
**** Bear with me folks…
Busy day today and I’ve been working on a sales tax return. I hate to file late, always do the calculations a week in advance. If I add up the numbers at the last minute, I tend to make mistakes.
But I wanted to get this superb tenor on Reverb before the day was over. We’ve just completed all the repairs and restoration work and I can report that it’s turned out very well indeed!
I have a bit of a history with Martin saxophones. When was in high school in the late fifties, two of my buddies had tenors exactly like this one. Dan was the tenor player in the concert band and Bob played second tenor in Bill Strout’s Big Band. I played the other tenor part, using a very worn Conn pre-war instrument.
Wichita Band Instrument Company was the repair shop at Paramount Music in the late fifties / early sixties and we were, for a time, the local dealer for their brasses. Martin saxes were among the very first instruments that I padded, more than six decades ago.
So here we have one that’s a dead ringer for the Martins I knew years and years ago.
Just to maker sure we’re straight on models here ( keep in mind I’m doing this all from my memory so there might be an error or more)…
The pro-model saxes from Martin were re-designed after the war and were given the name “Committee Models”. I’ve forgotten who was on the sax-design model, but Renold Schilke told me HE (and he only) was the design committee for the trumpets. The saxes all had hand-soldered tone-holes (like the best Haynes and Powell flutes), the tone-holes not “extruded” or “drawn”.
Clothes-guards were always light-weight and also hand-made. Pad cups were shallow (makes it easier to seat pads correctly) and the spring tension was light and lovely.
Martin also introduced a model that they gave the name “Indiana”. Basically the same sax, but simpler keywork, not as much attention given to details.
Eventually Martin also brought out an “Imperial” model that was a jived-up “Indiana”. We don’t see these very often.
The pro-models that Martin called “Committee” are often confused by sellers who refer to them as “The Martin”, from the bell engraving. The boys at Martin called them “Committees”, so we do the same.
And yes, the “Magnas”. Think it was Paul Richards’ idea (RMC company). The Magnas are the same as the Committees but with jive trim.
The tenor I’ve put on Reverb today is unique in that it’s got 99% of the original dark Martin lacquer. Never any dents, a few minor dings that we’ve carefully burnished out. The body of the sax is stamped 166,744, which means 1948.
Our tenor has an original neck, from the same time-period, but bearing stamp number 171,567. Have a look at my photos and you’ll see the lacquer on the neck is a little brighter than on the body.
Please note also that our tenor has the original decal just below the thumb-rest that gives the several patent numbers that Martin owned.
The case on our tenor is very close to perfect and it also comes with the original mouthpiece (no cap, sorry…)
Yes, all new pads and corks, like all the vintage saxes we sell.
Happy to send “on approval” and if you don’t like this beauty, send ‘er back and we’ll still be friends.
Excellent scale (no too-sharp low notes) and easy easy to play. Lots of pro players used these superb saxes in the late forties and early fifties and not everybody played a Selmer. Do a Google search and you’ll believe me.
Enough said about this one. Write me for more info, ask me questions and I guarantee I’ll write you back with my totally biased opinions!
***GR/ WBIC in Wichita
HG
