New to C-Mel

[rs1sensen]

I recently purchased my very first C-Mel, a Buescher Lyon and Healy Stencil, for $50 including mouthpiece (which alto reeds fit on perfectly, by the way). The horn had previously been repadded, and I only needed to replace the High F pad to make it playable (no leaks at all). I do have a few questions though...

1. Mouthpieces. The current one plays pretty well, and I love the tone. What else is out there? What would you recommend as a budget replacement piece? I don't want to spend too much money on this horn.

2. Safety. Is there anything I should do to make sure this horn is safe to play? I've sprayed it with a desantizer, and took a light polishing cloth to the body.

3. Spray on plating. With antiques, I've seen several products that offer a sort of spray on silver, which you put on and wipe off, each time leaving a deposit of silver. Do these products work, and do they hold up over time?

4. Is there any way to determine the age of a c-mel stencil, other than "made in the 1920s?"

5. Anything else I should know?

[saxymanzach]

1. Runyon makes C-mel mouthpieces. You can order them from Charlie A's (crudpatch.com)
2. I think you have done enough
3. No.
4. Check out saxpics.com and try to match it up to something there. If it is silver and made in the 20's, there's a good chance it's a Conn.
5. I don't think so.

[pease-pudding]

Hi
I've replied to some of your queries on the breakfast room, but to give a bit more detail-

1 - www.aquilasax.com have a hard rubber piece at $35 including postage. I haven't tried it but the write ups seem reasonable, I think there might be a thread here that mentions them.

2 - As above.

3 - I use the wipe on formula and it does work but is very thin. With repeated applications it will build up and is good for low wear areas particularly.

4 - There's a thread either here or on saxquest which claims that Bueschers are the only stencils which conform to the main lists, whether or not this is correct I don't know.

5 - Welcome to the world of C's.

Feel free to pm me at the breakfast room if I can help in anyway.

Paul

[bruce bailey]

I have on of the aguilasax mouthpieces and it is good for the money but I think it is plastic rather than HR. Better than the old vintage ones. What is the serial number of the Lyon & Healy as I hav ea few of them and maybe can help. They were made by numerous companies.

[Dave Dolson]

I have a couple of real C-mel mouthpieces, neither of which plays as well on my Buescher C-Mel than the Kessler Custom TENOR piece that came with my Kessler tenor. Intonation is fine, tone is strong and sweet. DAVE

[cmelodysax]

Bruce, if you give your Aquilasax mouthpiece a good rub, or warm it up, it has that 'sulphury' smell about it - not a heavy as the old 'uns I'll admit - so it has hard rubber in there somewhere. And when you tap it - too dense for plastic ?

[candiceartisan]

I bought a Martin Handcraft C mel about a month ago and can't get it to play. I don't know what the problem is. I have four other saxes (tenor and alto) and have no problem playing them. The C mel arrived full of dust and the low E flat key spring is kaput.
Candy

[Gandalfe]

I bought a Martin Handcraft C mel about a month ago and can't get it to play. I don't know what the problem is. I have four other saxes (tenor and alto) and have no problem playing them. The C mel arrived full of dust and the low E flat key spring is kaput. My guess, without pics, the instrument needs repair or even a full overhaul. I have a C melody tenor and anyone who can play a sax can play this instrument just as easily.