A whole bunch of C-Mel questions [Archive]

BleedingGumsMurphy

07-12-2005, 03:15 AM

I posted this on the other C-Mel forum, and I thought it couldn't hurt to post it here as well.

I'm an alto player of a little over five years, and I consider myself an excellent player (for my experience, of course). Recently, I've become interested in C-Melodies (they could be useful in jazz band and in the pit), and I decided to come here for some help, as I'm clueless.
1) What are some C-Mel models that you recommend, and their characteristics (tuning, timbre, etc.)
2) Straight or curved neck, and why (I'm almost 6'3'', if it helps)? Can i use a curved neck on a sax that was originally a straight-neck horn?
3) Mouthpieces... Can I use alto or tenor pieces on C-Melody, and what do you recommend? Do Otto Link STM (alto or tenor) work on C-Mels? How much do the Ralph Morgan pieces cost, and what do they play like?
4) Reeds... I've read that you can use tenor reeds on an alto mpc for C-Mels. Wouldn't the reed be too long and too wide for the mouthpiece?

Sorry for the absurd amount of questions, but I'd really appreciate your help.

Thanks in advance,
Bleeding Gums Murphy

Roger Aldridge

07-12-2005, 01:21 PM

Bleeding Gums,

I'll see if I can help....

1.) Each c-melody saxophone brand -- Buescher, Conn, Martin, Selmer, King, Holton, etc -- has its fans. Buescher and Martin typically have a darker and "thicker" sound than a Conn. Conn is more on the lighter side. But, a lot depends upon your playing style and set up. I haven't played a Selmer, King, or Holton c-melody so I can't comment on them. As a general rule of thumb, I suggest that you get a c-melody with as late of a serial number as possible. Earlier models can be okay. But, you'll be on safer ground with respect to intonation and mechanics if you can get a late 20's or early 30's (might be hard) horn. It seems that a high percentage of c-melody players have a Conn "straight" neck c-melody. These can be very good horns. Personally I prefer Buescher. For me, it has a stronger and more interesting sound.

2.) While one can find strange c-melodies on ebay, GENERALLY SPEAKING only Conn made straight (alto style) c-melody necks. Conn started the straight neck model, with a micro-tuner, around 1920. Conn c-melodies before 1920 had a curved (tenor style) neck. All of the other saxophone companies made their c-melodies with a curved neck. As I mentioned above, some guys have reported seeing odd c-melodies on ebay -- such as a Buescher c-melody with a straight neck -- but these are an exception and not what were normally produced. I, personally, don't have any significant problem playing my curved neck Buescher. Before, I had a 1919 curved neck Conn and I wasn't comfortable with the angle of the neck. So, I had my repair tech do some careful neckwork and he was able to raise the angle of the neck just enough to help without having a negative impact on the horn. It's my opinion that the placement of the neck strap ring on most c-melodies is more of a hassle then the angle of the neck. One guy on the forum talked about having ring on his horn repositioned. The best advice is to try a selection of c-melodies, if possible, and see which one is the best fit for you.

3.) Mouthpieces on the c-melody is a can of worms. I'd describe it as every man for himself. Some guys use alto mouthpieces, some tenor mouthpieces, some vintage c-melody mouthpieces, and some modern c-melody mouthpieces. Personally, I've never understood this. I mean, NORMALLY one uses an alto sax mouthpiece on an alto, a tenor mouthpiece on a tenor, etc..... (of course there are exceptions) With that in mind, I'd think from an accoustic standpoint that one would use a mouthpiece on a c-melody that's along the physical lines -- mouthpiece length and chamber volume -- of an original c-melody mouthpiece. That seems logical to me. But, there are a number of c-melody players who report having good results with all kinds of mouthpieces. So, a simple answer is to try a selection of mouthpieces on your c-melody and see how they work. Importantly, check your intonation against a tuner when you're trying out mouthpieces. It's my personal feeling that intonation is the most important thing in selecting a c-melody mouthpiece. Once you have a mouthpiece that has good intonation on your c-mel then you can work on fine-tuning your sound. I'm a big fan of Ralph Morgan's mouthpieces. His c-melody mouthpieces are designed to have the same length and amount of chamber volume as an original c-melody mouthpiece. But, it doesn't sound like a vintage piece. A Morgan c-melody mouthpiece typically has a big, rich sound, and a good amount of projection. Cost for one at Junkdude is around $180. Morgan c-melody mouthpieces are more labor intensive than his other mouthpieces. That's why the price is higher than a comparable Morgan tenor mouthpiece. I've heard some good things about the Zinner c-melody mouthpiece but I haven't had an oppurtunity to try one. They need to be ordered from Germany.

4.) Most modern c-melody mouthpieces are faced for tenor sax reeds. Whereas, vintage c-melody mouthpieces are faced for c-melody reeds which are kind of in-between an alto and tenor reed. So, if you settle on a modern c-melody mouthpiece -- such as a Morgan, Runyon, or Zinner (as 3 examples) -- you can simply use any brand of tenor reed you want. I have no idea why someone would want to use tenor reeds on an alto mouthpiece for a c-melody. But, like I mentioned above some players have all kinds of different approaches to their set up on c-mel. It all comes down to what works for you.

Hope this helps.

Roger