Between the 5300 and 7299 range, most of the saxes were sold in 1927.
With permission, we have printed the results of his research below.
Many saxophonists use it as the authority for determining when an instrument was made.
But there are problems with the existing chart, such as the timing of the introduction of the different models.
It seems unlikely that every new model was introduced exactly at the beginning of a new year.
It also seems unlikely that each years production ended at a conveniently round number.
Was the chart built from specific data or was it just someones estimate; a guess which eventually became assumed to be an absolute truth With these questions in mind, the need for a fresh look became clear, to see if there was a way to measure the accuracy, or inaccuracy, of the existing chart.
It is well known that Selmer Paris possesses some archival records but they are not available to the public.
With a background in statistical analysis and an established record in the study of Selmer history, Douglas was able to secure access to these archives.
Selmer Paris Clarinet S Series Of Very
The archives are comprised of a series of very old and fragile notebooks, written by a variety of people, in a variety of handwriting styles.
Some were neat and detailed and others were nearly illegible and of course, it is all written in French.
But, the fact that all the data still existed was like finding a treasure.
Whether earlier notebooks were lost or were never kept is unfortunately unknown.
Selmer Paris Clarinet S Serial Number Chart
Finally, it was possible to do a detailed study of each years actual sales and compare them the to the information suggested in the existing serial number chart.
By simple subtraction, 2249 saxophones were allegedly built in 1927.
An additional 404 were shipped in 1928 and 27 more were shipped even later than that.
Dividing the actual number (1537) by the alleged number (2249) revealed that the serial number range for 1927 was only 68 correct.
The average accuracy for the entire existing serial number chart was a disappointing 66.
Thats only two out of three So about a third of the people using the list got the wrong year for their saxophone.
It quickly became obvious that an improved chart was needed.
Beginning with a list of all the actual 1927 sales, they were sorted by serial number.
The range from 7300 to 7800 also showed less than half of the sales in 1927, with most of the remainder being sold in 1928.