A pad falls out of your saxophone while you are playing it. :bluewink:
Yes, I don't know when the first pre-graded reeds hit the market, but it can't have been too long before 1930. Before then you had to make 'em work. Today you might have a few 3s, a few 3 1/2s and a 2 1/2 in a box of 3s...but imagine a box with a 1 1/2, a few 7s, a 2, a 9 3/4, a 0.6, and a couple 12s...The ability to 'shave' a reed, was an essential part of a sax players skill-set in the old days ! (Yes, I did it too...)
This is my method of "clipping" Fibracells....no propitiatory clipper will touch them.When my father played a Buescher C mel in the late 20s, he would use a coin (US quarter), hold it under the tip of the reed and hold a match to the edge of the coin burning off the damaged area. Actually works pretty good but the taste is not to my fancy.
Whereas if he hauls them in gigbags to the occasional gig, he is not a pure C melodist, but merely a doubler. Pure C melodying implies amateur status, altho it's ok to play in church too.Captain Beeflat said:Possibly therefore, the definition of a C Mel player is that he keeps them in their cases under the bed.
There is probably some European Council Dictate to forbid such sizeist prejudice.Would I spend that much on my tenor? Not a chance...
Nice thought...but I suspect that the adverts were aimed more about pulling the birds rather than size of hands. :bluewink:A lot of the 'C' advertising, at the time, showed young lads as potential players - I wonder if the sax was built with small hands in mind ?
Put simply..the word is "experience".They are the only horns I take to gigs, in an amplified rock band. That means I am a C-Melody player... of amateur status of course.
I disagree that they lack the cojones to play in a rock band.
I would argue that C-Tenors have a different type of cojones... but of course you know I will always argue this point blatantly, endlessly, and in a most Conn-biased fashion :bluewink:
Like in the beggining of Stairway to Heaven?Some day some child genius will pull out a descant recorder at a rock gig and blow everyone's mind.
)
Oh please don't say that... I really don't need another attack of GAS.I still consider the C soprano to be king (not the brand) of the C horns. The most fun to play, no mouthpiece questions and a real delight. I sold one of my Martins and have 2 left that are the best of the brands.