I had to send Selmer a check (I think I had sorta kinda led them to believe I was a bona fide repair shop) because, of course, there was no MasterCard in those days.
I took my horn apart and did some measuring, called Selmer back and ordered a set that pretty much came out to the edges of the toneholes.
Yes, they had Tonex resonators still, and yes, they would sell me the sizes I wanted. I called Selmer USA in Elkhart and got the parts department on the phone. I didn’t want a standard set, which I suspected would be the same sizes I had only in a more reflective material. I knew that the earlier versions of the Mk VI had been equipped with nickel plated seamless brass resonators which Selmer sold under the brand name “Tonex”. During the late 1960’s, resonators were not available in the many diverse shapes and sizes that we have today.
The sizing of the resonators on the pads was conservative to say the least, and I instinctively knew that all of that exposed pad leather was acting like a sponge and soaking up my sound. Mk VI’s of that era came factory equipped with nylon (not plastic) seamless domed resonators. I was never the least bit hesitant to try something new, and since I had done almost all of my own repairs since high school, I was familiar with the basic techniques which enabled me to experiment with my saxophone. As soon as the horn needed maintenance (it was played a lot!), I began making modifications. I’ve always taken candy from strangers, and I could never leave well enough alone. This horn and I have been to every continent except Antarctica together, and have shared many, many adventures. My parents bought this horn for me as a reward for making first chair in the All State band (at age 14!) and as a result, this instrument became the tool that enabled me to put myself through college (and live quite well while attending college!) and support myself all of my life. Selmer (Paris) tenor, which I have owned since new. All of the saxophones and necks designed by me have a direct linage to my 104,000 silver plated H.
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