who plays c-melody soprano?

[mosplace]

Hi,

any c-mel soprano players here? I just bought my first c-sop and i´m realy looking forward to it. It will take a while until it gets here. In the meantime you could give me all the infos you have about this instrument.

i´m asking myself how many c-sopranos have ever been manufactured. Any guess? I figuered it could be betwee 30.000 - 50.000, what do you think is that a reasonable figure? Since the production of the most c-soprano started in the beginning of the 20th i think it cannot be much of them.

[bruce bailey]

I doubt that there were that many C sopranos made. It seems that most were built between 1910 and 1930 and were US made. I have seen very few from Europe. Keep us posted as to your mouthpiece findings as I for one have not found anything that is rewarding. I have a Conn from 1920.

[Anonymous]

I have owned several C sopranos - Buescher and Conn. I don't have any numbers of how many were made. You don't see them often these days but I used to snap up every one I saw for sale many years ago.

The ones I've had seem to play pretty well with regular Bb soprano mouthpieces but the C horns seem to be inconsistent and some play well in tune, others do not. They can usually be put into tune with some creative adjustments of key height and mouthpiece chamber size. I've noticed that the same brand of C soprano - even similar serial number range - have had quite a difference in length of the horn. I believe some of them have had the neck shortened or lengthened in attempts to get them into tune - that is just a guess based on the differences in lengths.

They have a great sound to them though - a little brighter than a Bb soprano and less resistance -- they are really fun to play.

[mosplace]

Yes, i know. But there must be somehow a way to figure at least a close number out.

Conn started in 1918 to build C-Melody Sopranos
King started in 1924! to build C-Melody Sopranos
Buescher started in 1913? to build C-Melody Spranos
York started in ?
Holton started in ?

Well i guess the fewest c-mel sopranos exist from King, since they have started realy late with the production. As far as i know c melody production stopped in the mid 20th.


any guess or more infos?

[Stencilman]

My Martin C-soprano was made in early 1926. I've seen one that was made in 1922.

[bruce bailey]

The problem in figuring the number made is that serial numbers for all of the makers include all of the sax line and some include all of the woodwinds (pre-1957 Conns) or all band instruments. If a company made 12,000 instruments in a given year, it would be impossible to determine haw many were C Sopranos. I am in the flute business and can make guesses on some things like the Eb soprano flute (under 1,000) but for something like a sax, wow, too many. Now if you asked for F Mezzo or something that one company made, maybe someone has a record.

[mosplace]

Yes, i know. But there must be somehow a way to figure at least a close number out.

Conn started in 1918 to build C-Melody Sopranos
King started in 1924! to build C-Melody Sopranos
Buescher started in 1913? to build C-Melody Spranos
York started in ?
Holton started in ?

Well i guess the fewest c-mel sopranos exist from King, since they have started realy late with the production. As far as i know c melody production stopped in the mid 30th.


any guess or more infos?

[JMac]

Bruce & Blaine- you might want to contact MojoBari about a c-sop mouthpiece. I believe he picked up some of the old Buescher blanks from e-bay ( http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=16203&item=3745953 535&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW ), c-sops and Bb-sops, and could probably work up a nice piece for you.
Good luck tyring to find mouthpiece bliss!

[soreliprick]

I've got a Mastertone 4 on my Buescher C Soprano, it came with it when I won it. I've got 4 regular vintage sopranos, but this one is the best in tune I have, the lowest notes being the ones I have problems with on the regular ones, and I believe the Mastertone 4 is a regular Soprano piece.

[cmelodysax]

I recently acquired a Conn PanAmerican C-Soprano, and (as well as it's own 'no-name' ebonite C mpc) I've had great results with a vintage ebonite Otto Link Tone Edge Bb Soprano mouthpiece.

It's an old 'slant-sig' one I got for pennies in the 60's, and because it doesn't have a long shank it goes well on, to within a few mm of the top octave pad. Great tone and intonation, like most C-soprano's it has only one sweet spot - luckily that's when it's in tune with the outside world.

I just love it !

Regards, Alan.

[super20dan]

i have a 1916 buescher c sop in bare brass. it didnt come with a mpc and finding one wasnt easy. i never could locate an actual c mpc (bought several"vintage" peices that turned out to be Bb mpcs. i cut shanks off several Bb mpcs and got them to work ok. some one here suggested i try a runyon custom and it works like it was made for my buescher. those looking for a more modern sound try one! i love the c sop and use it all the time . its great no transposing when arranging

[cmelodysax]

I have a Conn PanAmerican C-Soprano, lovely little thing. I'd been put off getting one by current prices and talk of intonation problems. But, if anything, intonation is better than most of the C-Melody saxes I've tried - having finally settled on an early 30's Martin C-Melody. Anyway, back to C-Soprano's - when no-one else was interested (on ebay) I recently picked this up, fully refurbished, with original mouthpiece, for just over $500.

So here's a link, the PanAm C-Soprano is the first sound sample on the page, they're all pretty basic, direct into a PC sound card. You may have to turn the volume up a bit for the first one...

http://www.dorsetdriftwood.btinternet.co.uk/saxophones/sounds.htm

It's a little bit of Earle Hagen's 'Harlem Nocturne' - a.k.a. the 'Mike Hammer Theme', ranging from low C to high Bb.

Recorded with a battered 15 year-old AKG C409 clip-on sax mic, direct into the 'mic' socket on the PC sound card. I think I need a little EQ and reverb....... And I'd quite forgotten how loud soprano sax bell notes come out !

Regards, Alan.

[lehtonale]

Just few days ago I found a C soprano sax. It is quite old I guess and it has on the bell a text: Trade Mark Boosey, Bessons, London NR xxx. It is leaking very much and also there are some problems with the octave key. Does somebody know, what is the pitch of it and it is possible to play together with the modern insruments? It is no sense to put money to renewing, if you can not use it.