The pads make no difference to the sound of the C melody.
In my experience the characteristic duck-like sound is eliminated by the use of a Bb tenor mouthpiece....clearly not so in your case.
The C Mel is an extended alto which can sound tenor-like with a hairy Bb mouthpiece.
It is the vintage mouthpiece that makes it stuffy or are you using the Yana Metal?. I use a modern Morgan for C but a bit expensive. You can try the various brand name C mouthpieces (not those ebay ones) OR the aforementioned tenor. I had the best luck using my normal Selmer alto mouthpiece.
As I've said before the neck bore is smaller than a 140 alto which can't help create an open tone.
I played my Buescher C Melody for a few years at gigs with a Morgan C mpc or various tenor pieces and finally decided that it was to much work for little results.
Adding my experience, for what it's worth. The best results I've had on Buescher and Martin C-mels has been with a Buescher C-melody mouthpiece that was opened up to 0.085" with a significant rollover baffle to get some projection out of them. My tenor mouthpieces didn't work since they all have large chambers and made the C-mel flat in the palm keys.
I tried all sorts of mouthpieces and concluded that my two C-melody saxes would not give me the dynamic range I wanted. I've used my Martin C-melody on "acoustic dinner" gigs in a duo with guitar or piano, but outside of that I haven't found much use for it.
My experience is that Bueschers do well with Tenor mouthpieces, like metal links or Bert Larsen's.
Conns and Holtons like alto pieces better.
I tried a few modern C Mel mps, but never liked the sound.
Try different mouthpieces and you might find one that gives you a sound that you like with OK intonation.
Too often we get a C Melody thinking it will be an edgy tenor in concert pitch. I think of it as an extended alto but never expect it to NOT play like a vintage 20s horn.
I agree with the postings above. I like my C melody to play Bossa Nova, Choro, jazz standards, balada etc.
I don't think it would be the best horn to play in a rock band without amplification and electronic aids.
Hey, I grew up in duck country and I could call them in with this C-mel using tenor pieces (metal or rubber) or a shorty that came with a Martin C-mel. Now with the metal Meyer alto piece, it peels paint!
Pieces I tried, ALTO: Selmer C*, Goldentone, un-named clone, Rico Metalite and Meyer metal. Tenor: Hite Premier, black plastic clone, gold metal clone (looks like cross of a Dukoff and Lawton) and Yana 7 metal.
Duck call solved. I used a Babbit made alto piece, a Meyer metal 7 and the Buescher is sounding really nice.
The end of the neck is a bit large but the piece fits almost an inch up the cork. It is in tune mostly and blows pretty free. Top end is off the charts.
I heard that the mouthpiece originally came from Wolfe Tange but they couldn't sell it so the Meyer name went on it.
Whatever, it plays well, Meyer might want to add a C-Mel tag to their advertisements.
I had Bill Street make me a hard rubber C melody piece. It's an 8, but not too open, and works very well. I never had much luck with
tenor or alto pieces. In my case, the main issue with the C melody is that it doesn't have a sound that I'm really conditioned to hearing, so I find myself trying to make it do what it can't.
In my case, the main issue with the C melody is that it doesn't have a sound that I'm really conditioned to hearing, so I find myself trying to make it do what it can't.
I feel certain that most of us who either play or have played C Melodys would secretly agree with your statement.
Delightful little horns that, however much we try, cannot quite cut it in the world of either the tenor or alto.
I have had an old Conn C mouthpiece opened up and it really didn't make it that much better. Best to either get a dedicated modern C mouthpiece or experiment with the alto/tenor combo. I had a Lelandais tenor streamline that was great on a C Melody so you never know. A Woodwind Co. Alto was good too.
I'll second the faxx. has good intonation and is free blowing like other modern mouthpieces.
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