UPDATE: This description was corrected to identify this instrument as a baritone saxophone, not a tenor.
Beautiful stage-used Henri Selmer Mark VI baritone saxophone from the personal collection of Alto Reed, the longtime saxophonist for Bob Seger’s Silver Bullet Band, whose work on classic songs like ‘Turn the Page’ and ‘Old Time Rock & Roll’ helped define the sound of American heartland rock. Reed played this sax nightly when the band opened for KISS during the The Destroyer Tour, also known as The Spirit of '76 Tour. Seger and the Silver Bullet Band served as the tour’s opening act for an approximate total of 18 dates, starting at the Norfolk Scope in Norfolk, Virginia, on July 3, 1976, and ending at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, Ohio, on September 10, 1976. The gorgeous gold-lacquered saxophone was made in France circa 1975 and bears the serial number, “248125.” No mouthpiece included. In fine condition, with some areas of scuffing, and sections of tape to the back. Accompanied by its original hardshell carrying case.
Saxophonist Alto Reed became a defining part of Bob Seger’s sound when he first joined him on the 1973 album Back in ’72. What followed was a 42-year run touring with the Silver Bullet Band, where Reed’s saxophone grew into a second voice within the music. His playing wasn’t ornamental; it carried emotion and meaning, most famously on “Turn the Page,” where his restrained, mournful tone captured a sense of loneliness and resilience. That sound helped shape an era of American rock, quietly bridging Seger’s storytelling lyrics with melodic depth. Beyond his long partnership with Seger, Reed performed with a wide range of artists across rock and blues, including Foghat, Grand Funk Railroad, Little Feat, Otis Rush, George Thorogood, Robin Gibb, and many others.
Following Reed’s death in 2020, Seger said the following about his late friend: ‘I loved him like a brother. I may have been the leader, but he was our rock star. He was the audience favorite, hands down. He was bold and worldly. I learned so much from the guy. And he was a great ambassador to the fans. He took time for everybody, any picture, anywhere. I can’t say enough good things about him.’
From the collection of Alto Reed, accompanied by a letter of provenance from Victoria Reed.
