As I listened to this on some good speakers the Supreme just sticks out as having the most "character". That character being more overtones to the sound, fullness. I liked all three but the Supreme was ear candy to me. Every time you played it I found myself smiling.
Fantastic review Jim! Great explanations of the new Selmer sax lineup. And great that you played the same great phrases and lines on all models, for sound and tonal comparison.
The Supreme speaks a little more lively. It reminds me of my MK VI. They are all great. But most music will be fantastic also on a Yani, or a Yamaha. I resent the high prices, today. I Would enjoy a Taiwan parts based horn including Trevor James, if I needed a sax. Excellent demonstration.
I preferred the Signature, I think. I like the slightly mellower sound. But I play on a Yamaha 875ex with G1 neck and Yamaha's custom 4CM mouthpiece, which I find is quite different to the original 4C, and I find that this combination delivers a resonably powerful sound while not being too bright. I am considering a V1 neck, unsure whether to get the sterling silver or the gold plate. I do want more power, but I don't want to lose too much of the dark, rich tones. Unfortunately, here in New Zealand, there isn't a shop that has all these options in stock to try.
They all sound very good. Fantastic perspective. The one thing I have been concerned with are reports from instrument repair technicians that the Supreme that the tone holes may not be finished well and are going through the pads quickly. Also, there appear to be issues with some of the action binding and not being polished. Basically, they are not holding up to basic use and need real help after a short time. Sure , this is Probably just production issues from pushing through a lot of products to meet demand. But, hard to hear an d allow that for the premium cost. I am curious if the Signature will have those kind of issues. I think as long as the seller would do a final check and setup you wouldn’t go wrong with any. The better bargain maybe to overhaul a SuperAction 80 or a series II or III with a great technician. I have seen quite a few people fall in love with their Mark VIIs as well. The difference in all is having a technician to make the good apple instrument really pop.
I love the reference 36 for tenor. How does the supreme compare to the 36? Also, any word if the baritones are going to get an update? They’re heavily discounting in stock reference tenors, and am thinking of buying one possibly as a backup.
I think they soon realised that this key was just complicating things unnecessarily. The emphasis should be on the player making the octave shifts via technique, not further disruption to the body tube doing it for you. Jim
From your video, I would go for the Series 2 or Supreme, they sound different, but both sound great. I think that the signature sounded less interesting, less texture than the other 2.
Jim, always thankful for the videos you have for all of us your customers. Actually, I still find the Series II alto the best that Selmer has made. I have played all of the models you can imagine... and still that resistance, that sound you had on it, is amazing. If somebody cares to try, a Series III neck (have not tried a Supreme or a Signature neck on them, yet) transforms the Series II into a beast. The combination of a more massive body of the Series II with a neck, Series III Sterling Silver if possible, may have been the very best I have ever tried. If no, just the Series II by itself is what I find as "The Saxophone". My guess is that the Series II will no longer be made in the near future... :( Kindest regards.
The supreme is a lot brighter. Small differences I can hear between series ii and signature. I’m just not sure I’d pay the additional £1700 for the signature model, or even consider to upgrade from my series ii alto
I think exactly the same, quality-price ratio, the series 2 for me is the best in the test, and now I understand why Selmer never discontinued it. The series 2 costs 4,900 Euros, the Signature 6,200 euros and the Supreme 7,400 Euros. In this test, my preference goes to the Serie 2 over the Signature, and honestly, I think that the difference in tones between the Serie 2 and the Supreme does not justify a difference of 2,500 Euros.
Is it that your store dont sell soprano saxes or you don't feel the need to market them. I will be looking out for your reviews of the series ii and series iii selmer soprano and the custons 82z and custom 875 Yamaha soprano.
Great video, the supreme seems exactly that, supreme. The sound has much more resonance, I hope to get a chance to try one soon so I can compare to my Mark Vi.
I can't honestly say - whether it's increased volume, decreased volume, or a taper change; we're not normally privy to the exact secrets; all I can report on is the results!
@@saxworldwide Fair enough ig , but I would much rather try than gamble what to play. I plan on studying in UK for masters soon , so i aint gonna waste that opportunity to come to your saxy store to try ;)
Today, in thoman site, the series 2 costs 4,900 Euros, the Signature 6,200 euros and the Supreme 7,400 Euros. In this test, my preference goes to the Serie 2 over the Signature, and honestly, I think that the difference in tones between the Serie 2 and the Supreme does not justify a difference of 2,500 Euros.
I play Yamaha saxophones now, but having played Selmers for many years, if I were in the market for a new instrument I would be very interested in trying the Signature even at this price point. I’ve always preferred what I felt was a meatier sound from the series II alto but I’ve also longed for some improvements in terms of evenness of timbre and intonation and ergonomics, and it sounds like that’s exactly the approach they’ve taken with the Signature. So while I could be proven completely wrong, in a play test I would expect to prefer the Signature over the Supreme and I’d probably be willing to pay just as much or even more than the Supreme price tag to get the instrument I really like. (Again, if I were actually looking to abandon my Yamahas 😉)
I jusat bought a supreme tenor and im reading the horror stories about the qc issues. is this overexgerated hocus pokus or is a thing? Should i return the sax since i might regret it in the long run if those issues pop up? any advice from personal experience over time? thanks to anyone who replies :)
Well, Jim, great review. I could actually hear the same differencies you described. The Supreme always sounded superior to the other two, but not that much... I was curious about the improvement in the intonation on the higher range, but it looks like you're not the guy who can show it to us. You must have worked enough on it, to be able to sound right on the SA80 II..😊
Sorry, but I think exactly the opposite, quality-price ratio, the series 2 for me is the best in the test, and now I understand why Selmer never discontinued it. The series 2 costs 4,900 Euros, the Signature 6,200 euros and the Supreme 7,400 Euros. In this test, my preference goes to the Serie 2 over the Signature, and honestly, I think that the difference in tones between the Serie 2 and the Supreme does not justify a difference of 2,500 Euros.
As a soprano lover, it kinda frustrates me the Selmer hasn't updated their (frankly imperfect) model since 1993 while the alto and tenor saw the Reference, Axos, Supreme and Signature (plus some limited edition runs like the 1922).
Selmer already had "Signature" range of clarinets. Now we have "Signature" line of saxophones. A coincidence? No. All "Signature" models embody the essentials of the aesthetics, and the tonal values from the house of Selmer. "Signature" Selmers are quintessential Selmers.
In the full range test, it appears you were about 6inches closer to the mic for the Supreme which creates the proximity effect. It made the Supreme sound “larger” in tone.
I kind of wonder whether the top classical saxophone players who bought the Supreme will switch to the signature. I did a video play testing them yesterday. The Signature felt more locked in like the Yamaha 875EX but with a Selmer core. The Supreme felt like a modern day Super Balanced Action. I think the jazzers will want the Supreme and the “legit” players will want the signature.
I really dislike the use of the term “legit” to describe “classical” music. If you think about it, legit was first used as a shortened term for legitimate. Next thing we know it’s used to describe classical music, especially when compared to “jazz” 🫤
@@Peaced900, me too. That is why I put it in parenthesis. I wrote a whole paper about the word in grad school. I have also been told by many sources that the jazz people created the term, not the classical people.
Escutei o teste de som, com uns bons fones, e a conclusão que chego é, gosto mais do timbre do serie 2, mais escuro, relativamente ao do Signature, que tem um timbre mais brilhante, em todos os registos, já o supreme tem um timbre mais equilibrado e diferenciado. Explica-se muito facilmente porque a SELMER nunca descontinuou o Serie 2, até aos dias de hoje. Olhando agora para o preço de cada um deles no site da thoman. O serie 2 custa 4.900 Euros, o Signature 6.200 euros o Supreme 7.400 Euros. Neste teste, a minha preferencia vai para o Serie 2 ao Signature, e sinceramente, acho que a diferença de Timbres entre o Serie 2 e o Supreme não justifica um diferença de 2.500 Euros. Mas esta é apenas a minha opinião pessoal, de quem tem um Mk7 de 1980 melhor que qualquer um dos timbres do teste. I listened to the sound test, with some good headphones, and the conclusion I come to is, I like the timbre of the series 2 better, darker, compared to the Signature, which has a brighter timbre, in all registers, whereas the supreme has a more balanced and differentiated timbre. It is very easy to explain why SELMER has never discontinued the Series 2, until today. Now looking at the price of each of them on the thoman website. The series 2 costs 4,900 Euros, the Signature 6,200 euros and the Supreme 7,400 Euros. In this test, my preference goes to the Serie 2 over the Signature, and honestly, I think that the difference in tones between the Serie 2 and the Supreme does not justify a difference of 2,500 Euros. But this is just my personal opinion, from someone who has a 1980 Mk7 that is better than any of the tones in the test.
You'd make a garbage $100 Amazon horn sound gorgeous, BUT, I think I still like the Supreme a little. It seems to have a little more depth to the sound, but that could be my own biases.
I don't like sound Supreme, this saxophone is a mistake. Supreme has lost the most important property that I liked about the Selmer sound, it has stopped being dark. This is a bright instrument, this sound is crushing. Signature is something reasonable, I'm interested in this instrument.
Which one would you have? Let us know in the comments below!
I would have the Supreme if I could afford it, So many great saxophones
You always do a fantastic job on your videos Thanks so much
@@vincentgaglio5106 Thank you! We really appreciate your feedback
Supreme ❤
Always the Series II
The Supreme sounds beautiful! To my ears, it really stands out from the other two.
As I listened to this on some good speakers the Supreme just sticks out as having the most "character". That character being more overtones to the sound, fullness. I liked all three but the Supreme was ear candy to me. Every time you played it I found myself smiling.
Great video! I must say the Supreme sound is beautiful and unique. Supreme is already moving forward the vintage (MK6) legacy. SUPREME!!! 👏👏👏
Fantastic review Jim! Great explanations of the new Selmer sax lineup. And great that you played the same great phrases and lines on all models, for sound and tonal comparison.
Thanks Tony, Glad you liked it!
Playing the same phrases and or song in the same key is the only way to properly compare instruments .Congratulationsir. Keep up the good work.
Jim, you and the Supreme are magically!
Very interesting to hear the Supreme and Signature back to back... I hope to get too try the Signature soon...
Jim, you sounded killer on that Series II
I always enjoy your reviews, including the playing and the tone quality, which are always of the highest caliber.
Always enjoy your videos .. information, comparison etc. Thank you.
Glad you like them, thank you for watching 🙂
The Supreme speaks a little more lively. It reminds me of my MK VI. They are all great. But most music will be fantastic also on a Yani, or a Yamaha. I resent the high prices, today. I Would enjoy a Taiwan parts based horn including Trevor James, if I needed a sax. Excellent demonstration.
I preferred the Signature, I think. I like the slightly mellower sound. But I play on a Yamaha 875ex with G1 neck and Yamaha's custom 4CM mouthpiece, which I find is quite different to the original 4C, and I find that this combination delivers a resonably powerful sound while not being too bright. I am considering a V1 neck, unsure whether to get the sterling silver or the gold plate. I do want more power, but I don't want to lose too much of the dark, rich tones. Unfortunately, here in New Zealand, there isn't a shop that has all these options in stock to try.
Thanks for your comments. If you're ever in the UK, please do drop by our store!
The Supreme. A warm, smooth sound and perfect deep tones.
What is the mouthpiece and its opening for the test video?
This is a stock Meyer 6,
Sounds great together@@saxworldwide
They all sound very good. Fantastic perspective.
The one thing I have been concerned with are reports from instrument repair technicians that the Supreme that the tone holes may not be finished well and are going through the pads quickly. Also, there appear to be issues with some of the action binding and not being polished. Basically, they are not holding up to basic use and need real help after a short time. Sure , this is Probably just production issues from pushing through a lot of products to meet demand. But, hard to hear an d allow that for the premium cost. I am curious if the Signature will have those kind of issues. I think as long as the seller would do a final check and setup you wouldn’t go wrong with any.
The better bargain maybe to overhaul a SuperAction 80 or a series II or III with a great technician. I have seen quite a few people fall in love with their Mark VIIs as well. The difference in all is having a technician to make the good apple instrument really pop.
😮🤦♂️
I wouldn't trade a good, well-revised 1980 MK7 for any of these, but that's just me...🤣😂🤣
I love the reference 36 for tenor. How does the supreme compare to the 36? Also, any word if the baritones are going to get an update? They’re heavily discounting in stock reference tenors, and am thinking of buying one possibly as a backup.
Thanks for the great video!
Thanks!
Really liked the Signature. The supreme is very bright which could be a mouthpiece match but can be an issue on alto.
I was interested in the "harmonic key" they used to offer on the series ii and iii, but that option doesn't seem to be available anymore.
I think they soon realised that this key was just complicating things unnecessarily. The emphasis should be on the player making the octave shifts via technique, not further disruption to the body tube doing it for you. Jim
From your video, I would go for the Series 2 or Supreme, they sound different, but both sound great.
I think that the signature sounded less interesting, less texture than the other 2.
Jim, always thankful for the videos you have for all of us your customers. Actually, I still find the Series II alto the best that Selmer has made. I have played all of the models you can imagine... and still that resistance, that sound you had on it, is amazing. If somebody cares to try, a Series III neck (have not tried a Supreme or a Signature neck on them, yet) transforms the Series II into a beast. The combination of a more massive body of the Series II with a neck, Series III Sterling Silver if possible, may have been the very best I have ever tried. If no, just the Series II by itself is what I find as "The Saxophone". My guess is that the Series II will no longer be made in the near future... :( Kindest regards.
The supreme is a lot brighter. Small differences I can hear between series ii and signature. I’m just not sure I’d pay the additional £1700 for the signature model, or even consider to upgrade from my series ii alto
The same with you. With the additional 1700, I'd rather get another sax (either an alto or tenor).
I think exactly the same, quality-price ratio, the series 2 for me is the best in the test, and now I understand why Selmer never discontinued it.
The series 2 costs 4,900 Euros, the Signature 6,200 euros and the Supreme 7,400 Euros.
In this test, my preference goes to the Serie 2 over the Signature, and honestly, I think that the difference in tones between the Serie 2 and the Supreme does not justify a difference of 2,500 Euros.
Is it that your store dont sell soprano saxes or you don't feel the need to market them. I will be looking out for your reviews of the series ii and series iii selmer soprano and the custons 82z and custom 875 Yamaha soprano.
Great video, the supreme seems exactly that, supreme. The sound has much more resonance, I hope to get a chance to try one soon so I can compare to my Mark Vi.
Come on over to our store!
hi Jim. How has the neck been changed please?
I can't honestly say - whether it's increased volume, decreased volume, or a taper change; we're not normally privy to the exact secrets; all I can report on is the results!
Is it available in india and what is the price in India ?
Very good test.
Signature sound's near to series III, but supreme have more body in sound, thx for video!
No problem, thanks for watching!
in 1955 i bought the selma mark tenor mark 6 😎😎😎🥸🥸$350 😎😝😝
i mean if signature is better version of serie 2 , then why such a price bump , cuz i feel i could save and go for supreme itself then
I think it's around 15% more than the SII which you could argue justifies the improvements they have made
@@saxworldwide Fair enough ig , but I would much rather try than gamble what to play. I plan on studying in UK for masters soon , so i aint gonna waste that opportunity to come to your saxy store to try ;)
Today, in thoman site, the series 2 costs 4,900 Euros, the Signature 6,200 euros and the Supreme 7,400 Euros.
In this test, my preference goes to the Serie 2 over the Signature, and honestly, I think that the difference in tones between the Serie 2 and the Supreme does not justify a difference of 2,500 Euros.
I play Yamaha saxophones now, but having played Selmers for many years, if I were in the market for a new instrument I would be very interested in trying the Signature even at this price point. I’ve always preferred what I felt was a meatier sound from the series II alto but I’ve also longed for some improvements in terms of evenness of timbre and intonation and ergonomics, and it sounds like that’s exactly the approach they’ve taken with the Signature. So while I could be proven completely wrong, in a play test I would expect to prefer the Signature over the Supreme and I’d probably be willing to pay just as much or even more than the Supreme price tag to get the instrument I really like. (Again, if I were actually looking to abandon my Yamahas 😉)
I jusat bought a supreme tenor and im reading the horror stories about the qc issues. is this overexgerated hocus pokus or is a thing? Should i return the sax since i might regret it in the long run if those issues pop up? any advice from personal experience over time? thanks to anyone who replies :)
How do you like the tenor so far?
You may never know if the shop did the hard work before you got it. But in that end you have a working supreme, we'd all have one if we could.
@@Peaced900 Sorry for the late reply. It's incredible :)
Are they straight from the box or needed like a 500£ to make them playable?😅
The Supreme is perhaps a bit better. But the Signature has by far the most beautiful engraving of all the saxophones on the market. It is awesome.
great!👍thank you very much👍
Well, Jim, great review. I could actually hear the same differencies you described. The Supreme always sounded superior to the other two, but not that much... I was curious about the improvement in the intonation on the higher range, but it looks like you're not the guy who can show it to us. You must have worked enough on it, to be able to sound right on the SA80 II..😊
Sorry, but I think exactly the opposite, quality-price ratio, the series 2 for me is the best in the test, and now I understand why Selmer never discontinued it.
The series 2 costs 4,900 Euros, the Signature 6,200 euros and the Supreme 7,400 Euros.
In this test, my preference goes to the Serie 2 over the Signature, and honestly, I think that the difference in tones between the Serie 2 and the Supreme does not justify a difference of 2,500 Euros.
ove supreme, love supreme, love supreme
I bought a new Series II Jubilee and added a Ref 54 neck. In the end, I saved $2,500 USD compared to a Signature.
As a soprano lover, it kinda frustrates me the Selmer hasn't updated their (frankly imperfect) model since 1993 while the alto and tenor saw the Reference, Axos, Supreme and Signature (plus some limited edition runs like the 1922).
My 2 series without tudel from 2005 is excellent, I don't need anything else...
Play them next to 1600 quid Conn 6m
Conn = memorable.
1:29 OMG that forearm! He must be eating spinach for dinner 😯
🤣🤣🤣
3:42 Key height? Seems excessive!
Forgot to mention the c# on the supreme.
Selmer already had "Signature" range of clarinets. Now we have "Signature" line of saxophones. A coincidence? No.
All "Signature" models embody the essentials of the aesthetics, and the tonal values from the house of Selmer. "Signature" Selmers are quintessential Selmers.
I never liked the Series II alto palm keys. So I’m not going to like the Signature’s palm keys?
In the full range test, it appears you were about 6inches closer to the mic for the Supreme which creates the proximity effect. It made the Supreme sound “larger” in tone.
Ah, that's frustrating - I was honestly trying to maintain the position as closely as possible. I agree it makes a difference.
The Series 2 has the best tone, more overtones. In my honest opinion.
it feel more old fasion， but the quality of sound actually a bit decent
I kind of wonder whether the top classical saxophone players who bought the Supreme will switch to the signature. I did a video play testing them yesterday. The Signature felt more locked in like the Yamaha 875EX but with a Selmer core. The Supreme felt like a modern day Super Balanced Action. I think the jazzers will want the Supreme and the “legit” players will want the signature.
Interesting!
I really dislike the use of the term “legit” to describe “classical” music. If you think about it, legit was first used as a shortened term for legitimate. Next thing we know it’s used to describe classical music, especially when compared to “jazz” 🫤
@@Peaced900, me too. That is why I put it in parenthesis. I wrote a whole paper about the word in grad school. I have also been told by many sources that the jazz people created the term, not the classical people.
Escutei o teste de som, com uns bons fones, e a conclusão que chego é, gosto mais do timbre do serie 2, mais escuro, relativamente ao do Signature, que tem um timbre mais brilhante, em todos os registos, já o supreme tem um timbre mais equilibrado e diferenciado.
Explica-se muito facilmente porque a SELMER nunca descontinuou o Serie 2, até aos dias de hoje.
Olhando agora para o preço de cada um deles no site da thoman.
O serie 2 custa 4.900 Euros, o Signature 6.200 euros o Supreme 7.400 Euros.
Neste teste, a minha preferencia vai para o Serie 2 ao Signature, e sinceramente, acho que a diferença de Timbres entre o Serie 2 e o Supreme não justifica um diferença de 2.500 Euros.
Mas esta é apenas a minha opinião pessoal, de quem tem um Mk7 de 1980 melhor que qualquer um dos timbres do teste.
I listened to the sound test, with some good headphones, and the conclusion I come to is, I like the timbre of the series 2 better, darker, compared to the Signature, which has a brighter timbre, in all registers, whereas the supreme has a more balanced and differentiated timbre.
It is very easy to explain why SELMER has never discontinued the Series 2, until today.
Now looking at the price of each of them on the thoman website.
The series 2 costs 4,900 Euros, the Signature 6,200 euros and the Supreme 7,400 Euros.
In this test, my preference goes to the Serie 2 over the Signature, and honestly, I think that the difference in tones between the Serie 2 and the Supreme does not justify a difference of 2,500 Euros.
But this is just my personal opinion, from someone who has a 1980 Mk7 that is better than any of the tones in the test.
You'd make a garbage $100 Amazon horn sound gorgeous, BUT, I think I still like the Supreme a little. It seems to have a little more depth to the sound, but that could be my own biases.
Hello sax
Hi!
I like the signature better
Series 2 brighter but less stuffy than the Sig and especially the Supreme.
New soprano …when?
We honestly don't know. It could still be years away.
I can’t pick one over the other.
I don't like sound Supreme, this saxophone is a mistake.
Supreme has lost the most important property that I liked about the Selmer sound, it has stopped being dark. This is a bright instrument, this sound is crushing.
Signature is something reasonable, I'm interested in this instrument.
i’m disappointed with the sitting on the fence verdict!
I’m so disappointed with Selmer supreme 😭 I couldn’t believe I only play for 1 minutes and I’m putting back on the shelf straight away 😭