Hi,
I've been lurking for a long time. I played clarinet all through school for 10 years, stopped for 32 years, and recently took it up again, though I've been playing Native American flutes, recorders and penny whistles for a while in between.
Anyhow, I finally admitted to myself that I like sax jazz maybe a teeny bit more that clarinet, so pulled the trigger and bought a Conn c melody after doing a ton of research. It should arrive tomorrow, with whatever mouthpiece is on it, i don't know, and the guitar player i bought it from doesn't know a thing about saxes. I am sure it's a C, as i got pictures of the C, LP and serial number, putting it at a 1922 Conn, a full nickel finish. I also had a clarinet friend who's a doubler on saxes and collects pre WWII Bueschers, including a C, look at the pics for me to verify it is a C melody. I've found threads on identifying the sax itself as a C, but not on mouthpieces. I suppose since most people do replace the original mp with a modern one, it's not a big concern.
What i'm wondering is, when i look at vintage mouthpieces at that auction site, i sometimes wonder if it could be a c melody mouthpiece, and not a alto or tenor as the seller states. Is there a measurement that is close to being standard for the C?
I notice most vintage C's have a short shank with a kind of collar at the bottom, I'm sorry, i don't know the term for that. But the vintage C mouthpieces seem to look very much the same, not like alto's and tenor's, with a dizzying variety of styles.
So is there any real dead giveaway that i'm looking at a C, mislabeled as something else? I do understand most people prefer a modern C, or alto or tenor, to the vintage C mouthpiece, which is often described as stuffy. I'd just like to know how to spot a C that isn't actually labeled a C, if there's any other signs to watch for.
Thanks, Lisa
I've been lurking for a long time. I played clarinet all through school for 10 years, stopped for 32 years, and recently took it up again, though I've been playing Native American flutes, recorders and penny whistles for a while in between.
Anyhow, I finally admitted to myself that I like sax jazz maybe a teeny bit more that clarinet, so pulled the trigger and bought a Conn c melody after doing a ton of research. It should arrive tomorrow, with whatever mouthpiece is on it, i don't know, and the guitar player i bought it from doesn't know a thing about saxes. I am sure it's a C, as i got pictures of the C, LP and serial number, putting it at a 1922 Conn, a full nickel finish. I also had a clarinet friend who's a doubler on saxes and collects pre WWII Bueschers, including a C, look at the pics for me to verify it is a C melody. I've found threads on identifying the sax itself as a C, but not on mouthpieces. I suppose since most people do replace the original mp with a modern one, it's not a big concern.
What i'm wondering is, when i look at vintage mouthpieces at that auction site, i sometimes wonder if it could be a c melody mouthpiece, and not a alto or tenor as the seller states. Is there a measurement that is close to being standard for the C?
I notice most vintage C's have a short shank with a kind of collar at the bottom, I'm sorry, i don't know the term for that. But the vintage C mouthpieces seem to look very much the same, not like alto's and tenor's, with a dizzying variety of styles.
So is there any real dead giveaway that i'm looking at a C, mislabeled as something else? I do understand most people prefer a modern C, or alto or tenor, to the vintage C mouthpiece, which is often described as stuffy. I'd just like to know how to spot a C that isn't actually labeled a C, if there's any other signs to watch for.
Thanks, Lisa