We are super-excited about this one! A 1951 Martin Comm III Tenor, in silverplate. Very, very rarely do you find a Committee III in this finish. The explanation is likely revealed in the engraving, which besides reading the typical “The Martin Tenor”, has below it, near the bell ferrule… Which would suggest this was a military horn, which are oftentimes seen in Silverplate. Back to the horn… Really very good shape, this one. Original body silver plating is 90%, original nickel key plating around 80%+, just a few bits of wear on some keytouches and a tad of pitting here and there, not much at all. The sax has received a full Overhaul: disassembled, chem bathed, hand-polished, some dents and significant dings removed (although she had no bad body damage to begin with), holes leveled, keys swedged, rods trued, new pads (Music Medic domed metal reso), corks, and felts installed. Two keyposts which hold the side keys, and one post at the bottom of the Low C# key, had all been resoldered before we received her. This was structurally well-done, but a tad sloppy aesthetically. We cleaned up those areas a bit. Also, she was missing 3 posts: the top post of the Pinky Table B/Bb key, the lower stack post for the E key, and the body tube post for the bell keyguard. Fortunately, we have a parts Comm III here, and we used those posts, which are brass. The posts have been chemically spot-plated silver to match the horn; however chem-plating still leaves a slight golden-brassy hue to the plating, so if one looks closely, the 3 replacement posts are a tad yellower than the rest. Sorta nitpicking, really, all in all the horn shows well. A few very miniscule pencil-point dings are present at the bow, one on the bell, and a couple on the body tube; again hardly worth mention but we do so for full representation. Lastly, the neck tightening screw is unoriginal, although the threading is correct and it works great. The sound and response is Classic Martin. Arguably one of the BEST vintage models ever made… The Comm III sounds as big as a house. Dark, wide, with a very nice, edgy cut which is signature of the brand. Good intonation, keys and rollers are free and snappy. A true pleasure to play! Comes with an unoriginal case in good structural condition, although aesthetically showing some wear. But certainly solid for everyday use. Grab her while you can…. This is a rare bird. The item “Vintage’51 Martin Committee 3 Tenor saxophone, RARE Silverplate, Overhauled” is in sale since Wednesday, March 02, 2016. This item is in the category “Musical Instruments & Gear\Vintage Musical Instruments\Vintage Woodwind\Band & Orchestral\Saxophones”. The seller is “allinwrist” and is located in Portland, Oregon. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- Skill Level: Professional
