The Selmer "Cigar Cutter" is the

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...

that was produced by the

Selmer Company Conn-Selmer, Inc. is an American manufacturer of musical instruments for concert bands, marching bands and orchestras. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Steinway Musical Instruments and was formed in 2003 by combining the Steinway properties, Th ...

between 1930 and 1933. A cigar cutter saxophone will have a serial number ranging from 11951 to 18700 stamped on the side of the bell. They were officially part of the Selmer Super Sax (SSS) line, but were named for a uniquely designed octave mechanism that resembled a cigar cutter. The Super series was a departure from Selmer's previous lighter sounding, more classically oriented concept that produced the Model 22, Model 26, and Model 28 saxophones, in response to the bolder, richer, and more dynamic American saxophones that gained popularity in the 1920s. The "Cigar Cutter" was preceded in the Super series by the New Largebore model and superseded by the Super, Radio Improved, and Jimmy Dorsey models. The latter were virtually identical except for the engraving. The bore design and tonal qualities of the Balanced Action, introduced in late 1935, were based on those of the Super series.

Notable players

Zoot Sims John Haley "Zoot" Sims (October 29, 1925 – March 23, 1985) was an American jazz saxophonist, playing mainly tenor but also alto (and, later, soprano) saxophone. He first gained attention in the "Four Brothers" sax section of Woody Herman's big ...

(Radio Improved) *

Herschel Evans Herschel "Tex" Evans (9 March 1909 – 9 February 1939) was an American tenor saxophonist who was a member of the Count Basie Orchestra. He also worked with Lionel Hampton and Buck Clayton. He is also known for starting his cousin Joe McQueen's ...

* Coleman Hawkins (Radio Improved, including 1939 Body and Soul recording). *

Gregory Tardy Gregory Tardy is an American jazz saxophonist, who has released albums for the record labels SteepleChase Records, J Curve Records, and Impulse! Records.Allmusic discography/ref> As of May 2015 he is teaching at the University of Tennessee, Knoxv ...

(Cigar Cutter,Radio Improved). * Jerry Bergonzi (Cigar Cutter,Radio Improved).

References

Saxophones {{SingleReed-instrument-stub