Selmer Paris Solid Silver Series III Alto Sax
Serie III
The Serie III saxophones were released in the late 90’s to offer a Selmer that was more focused, responsive and brilliant than previous Selmer models. The Solid Silver Series III Alto is a sax that is articulate and precise with impeccable intonation & tonal clarity.
Selmer employs a lighter weight “mini-rib” construction that decreases the overall mass along the length of the body tube thus decreasing vibrational resistance. This means that the horn responds the quickest of the Selmer sax series. This is partnered with a tighter bore through the neck. This gives the Solid Silver Series III Alto Sax more tonal brilliance and an impressive altissimo.
Play a Properly Setup Series III and be amazed!
Sadly, many people have never had a chance to play a completely properly regulated Solid Silver Series III Alto before. This is due to a myriad of reasons, primarily of which is due to the fact that most music shops no longer or are no longer capable of performing a proper setup! That’s one of the biggest areas where we are different than the rest of the shops out there… as an Official Selmer Paris Pro Shop, we have been recognized by Selmer as the upper echelon of shops! We take the time to completely go through and regulate the horn before we deliver it to a customer to guarantee that your new horn is absolutely perfect! We do this because we know first hand how much difference a proper setup to an instrument can make. Why not get the best setup on your new Solid Silver Series III Alto?!
Additional Information
Kessler & Sons Music
Official Selmer Paris Pro Shop
Kessler & Sons Music is proud to be a Selmer Paris Pro Shop. Selmer Paris Pro Shops are carefully selected in order to offer the professional setup, experience and knowledge that Selmer Paris owners need. They are not chosen based on sales numbers but rather by expertise of the shop. Selmer Paris honors us with this designation and we work very hard to provide this expertise to every customer.
Every Selmer Paris Solid Silver Series III Alto goes through a complete and thorough Professional Setup in our ProShop prior to shipping to make sure that you receive only the best!
Why would you want to risk a purchase as important as a Solid Silver Series III Alto with a dealer who isn’t a ProShop?? We know how to get the best out of you new Solid Silver Series III Alto!
Solid Silver Series III Alto
The 62JA is a Solid Silver Series III Alto sax and uses Solid Sterling Silver (92.5% pure silver, 7.5% copper) in lieu of traditional brass. Solid Silver is a heavy alloy but also vibrates & responds exceptionally well. The use of solid silver in a sax will produce a more resonant instrument that will have more tonal presence and versatility. This effectively amplifies whatever is put in to the horn by the player and mouthpiece. So mouthpieces that are dark by nature will be darker, richer & bigger on a solid silver horn. Mouthpieces that are brighter will be edgier, more brilliant and more powerful when combined with solid silver in the horn. The basic math is simple, the more Solid Silver used in the horn, the bigger the performance enhancement.
The 62JA series uses a Solid Sterling Silver for all of the body tubing – Neck, Body, Bow & Bell. This is one of the absolutely most impressive playing instruments on the planet. The keys are left standard brass with a clear coat of lacquer on them for a beautiful combination look.
Will It Tarnish?
Selmer applies a clear coat of lacquer over the top of the Solid Silver Series III Alto to protect the silver from traditional exposure based tarnish. So your fingerprints or any traditional source for tarnish should not be an issue. However, prolonged direct exposure to direct sunlight will cause tarnish to the silver (in a purple color) and this will occur underneath the lacquer meaning that it cannot be cleaned.
Are the Jubilee models better than the pervious models?
Yes and no… it depends on how old the previous model is that you are comparing. Currently, Selmer is physically manufacturing their horns to a higher level than they ever have in the past. The tone holes are manufactured better (and more level), firmer pads (Pisoni Pro) are now being used, the keywork has been modified to improve response, non-essential excess weight on the horn (which can hinder response and vibration) have been greatly diminished… all of which make the Jubilee models the best Selmer’s yet!
Some of these changes went in to place shortly before the Jubilee switch in 2011 but when all of them are combined on to the Jubilee & the horn is properly setup and regulated like we do in our shop, the Series II becomes one of the absolutely most impressive saxophones on the face of the planet!!!
Why did Selmer change the octave key on the Jubilee models?
The Jubilee models will be the first to feature the new redesigned neck octave key. The key has been redesigned to be lighter in weight thus improving vibration and responsiveness throughout the horn, but specifically in the altissimo of the sax. They also changed the mounting mechanism design on the Jubilee models that results in a much more stable and secure fitting octave key. The neck logo of the Selmer “S” has been modernized with a deeper blue background.
Series II vs. Serie III… what’s the difference & one should I get?
Obviously, this is a personal preference issue and opinions on this will vary with everyone you talk to. So this section is the opinion of Dave Kessler on this topic:
Both the Series II and Serie III saxes are great horns. Especially with the level of manufacturing that Selmer has brought them up to today, either horn will impress players once properly setup. However, these two horns are very unique saxes. What I find between the two models is very simple:
- Series II – Darker, richer & mellower. A little more resistance that you can lean in to for a thicker core. Can be brightened up with either mouthpiece or by placing a Serie III neck on to the horn. Overall, more versatile for most players.
- Serie III – Brighter & much more focused in tone. Resistance is lighter though still present. Responds extremely easily with any style of player or mouthpiece. The horn has more potential for edge and brightness, especially for players that want to achieve power & projection with less effort. Downside is that this horn is harder to “darken down” than the II which can be an issue for players who play inherently bright.
Please note that Selmer Paris only makes Solid Silver Series III Alto and does not offer Solid Silver on the Series II.
Professional Setup
Every Solid Silver Series III Alto we send out to a customer is not released from us unless it has been completely setup in our shop first. This is because the setup on the horn is of the utmost importance! Sometimes, a saxophone (regardless of who the manufacturer or the price point is) comes in needing 20 minutes of adjustments and then the very next one can require 2 hours! So if you were to get 5 of the same model right out of the box, they will all play different which leads people to believe that they are “good” or “bad” saxes… but the reality is that the one that was the best out of the 5 was likely the one that needed the least amount of work and on the flip side, the “bad” sax was the one that needed 2 hours worth of adjustments!
Once the same 5 saxophones are properly regulated and adjusted to perfection, they become near identical saxophones that even the pickiest of players would be challenged to pick a true “favorite” horn. However, since most stores do not or even can not perform this setup, the player never knows this and is simply relying on the luck of the draw. This is why we perform our setup (in our www.SaxophoneRepairs.com ProShop) on them before delivering your new sax to you. You trust us with your purchase and we want to make sure that you are rewarded by giving you your ideal saxophone setup flawlessly!
Country of Manufacture | 100% Made in France |
Finish | Clear Lacquer |
Pearls | Mother of Pearl |
Pads | Pisoni Pro pads with Metal Resonators |
Range | Low Bb – High F# |
Body Material | Solid Sterling Silver |
Body Construction | Mini-Rib |
Mouthpiece | Selmer Paris S80 C* |
Case | Selmer Paris Pro Series Case |
Financing Available

12 Month, 0% Interest Financing!
Purchase through Kessler & Sons Music using First Mutual Finance and receive special 12 Month, 0% Interest Financing!
Click Here for more information on financing program details and to apply!
12 Month, 0% Financing Option Available on New Instrument at Advertised New Price Only. Full details on financing page.
Does not apply towards Store Used Demos or Used Instruments. Demos and Used models can still be financed under standard terms.
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