Bland?

[jaysne]

I heard that the reason why C-Melody (tenor) saxes never were popular is that the tone is kind of bland. They don't have the wail of the alto and the gutsiness of a Bb tenor.

What do you think?

[saxymanzach]

Bland? Really?? Go tell that to Joe Lovano. :D

[MJ]

I wouldn't call the C-melody tone bland. I have an old Conn that has character, really honks or roars when I want it to. Whomever wrote that the C-mel sound is somewhere between alto and tenor was right. That "somewhere" is the C-mel's nitch, a unique place.

Mary Jo

[Dave dix]

I find the sound is more like a toppy tenor.
Dave

[mpsax]

bland..? i think its spelt "birdland" :D

[Gandalfe]

A C Melody sounds only as good as it's player. 8-)

[paulwl]

When whoever-it-was said "bland", what they probably meant was too mellow, too lacking in edge and cut, not enough "like a saxophone."

This supposedly comes from the relatively thin, alto-like bore of the C melody – altho my Buescher is actually narrower-bored than my Conns, yet sounds more gutsy.

[Bootman]

Bland, that sounds like generic......think Selmer or Yamaha or Yani but not C melody. C's can sound great, it is how you play them. I just pulled my old Conn out, the sound is anything but bland. Finding a good mpc is one of the hardest things to do with a C melody.

[saxmong]

I think the mistake was not the "bland " word but the "never popular" part.
In the 20s production trpled each year. The Conn factory began making 50 per year and ended making thousands each year.

The reason for their demise was not sound!
It was a combination of circumstances.

Mine sounds so cool that I no longer play my flats!

[The A Train]

I heard that the reason why C-Melody (tenor) saxes never were popular is that the tone is kind of bland. They don't have the wail of the alto and the gutsiness of a Bb tenor.

What do you think?

I just finished a rebuild of a 1922 Buescher silverplate C and had only been playing it for a day when I recorded this: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=542552

Bare in mind there are no effects, it's a plastic mouthpiece and I'm no pro player but I really wanted to push it to test your theory.

..also added on 7/4 a sample of:Lazy River (http://www.yourfilelink.com/get.php?fid=130239) with/reverb

[Dave dix]

Sounds fine especially with a plastic mpc
Dave

[The A Train]

Thanks Dave, it is a Kessler OL7, I had read somewhere here that someone was using a pro version of that piece on their C-melody and I had the original plastic one so I tried it and it sounded pretty good. My playing is not the best but I certainly don't think the C sounds bland.

[Bootman]

Meyer make a modern C melody mpc and with a little tweaking these play exceptionally on a C Melody. Another good option is an older Berg HR. I am using a tweaked Meyer with great results on tenor reeds.

[Captain Beeflat]

Full marks Alan...who said that C Mels are wimpy? Good solid raspy sound & imaginative improvisation.

[The A Train]

You're much too kind Captain.,but thanks.

[chitownjazz]

Bland? Really?? Go tell that to Joe Lovano. :D
That's the second time someone brought that up lately. I have a number of his things, not everything, but don't recall any C-mel. Has he recorded on it?

[cmelodysax]

Nice one Medusa ! Maybe later on this week I'll quietly slip the Lawton 8*BB on and just see how many 'extreme' sounds I can squeeze out of my bland little Martin C-Mel...... I may even capture it for posterity. It'd be an interesting exercise. Free-form C-mel ;)

Just don't like scaring all the old folks and animals, especially in the current heatwave ! Bland, huh ?? Honestly never been called that on anything... 8-)

[The A Train]

Thank you CMel, I hope you do go extreme and record it, I've been to your site(It's great!)and heard you play on the sample takes of horns your selling -I can only hope someday to sound as good as that.

[David Spiegelthal]

C-Melody saxes sound "bland"? Nonsense.