[zapatista]

Just for you:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/254382583633

 

[Grumps]

Well, add gold plate and a portrait engraved bell and you can get more cash for these things.

 

[Hornlip]

I used to have a NWI burnished alto with that eagle engraving. Conn’s gold plate from that era was gorgeous.

In general the Conn straight-necks seem to get a premium, for c-melody horns.

I did see a regular silver plate Buescher C-melody go for over $450 recently, but it had front F / Crescent G# and was pretty minty.

 

[hakukani]

I would think that the mouthpieces, if they are original, would be worth more than the horn.

 

[zapatista]

Well, granted C Melodies are generally not very valuable in any condition, even a fully overhauled Conn straight neck example isn't worth the cost of a high-end ($1k-$1.5K) overhaul. However, with decent, fairly rare examples like the one I linked, there are some folks who will pay decent $$ for them (beyond myself).

Another Conn gold plated "portrait" sold for $1.1k shipped from Quinn's recently on eBay. There are new C Melodies available through different vendors ranging from $400 (on alibaba) to $1,200 through eBay/amazon/sax.co.uk et al... I'm not sure these could be readily described as "competition" for vintage Conn, Martin, Buescher, Holton or King C Melodies but there is some market still for these horns.

 

[lostcircuits]

Don't be fooled by the "depreciation" of c-mel horns, 4 years ago you could get them for $!50.- to $300.- everywhere but now, prices have ratcheting up like crazy and $800 is no exception. Some good condition c-mels are commanding way more (at least asking price):

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HISTORIC-B...a=0&pg=2047675&_trksid=p2047675.c100008.m2219

I should have invested more into those horns, and I like the c-melody horns for small venues anyway.

 

[zapatista]

I used to have a NWI burnished alto with that eagle engraving. Conn's gold plate from that era was gorgeous...

I actually have a NWI "Portrait" Alto that now has the lacquer stripped from it and the original gold plate is still ~80% intact--posted a couple pics on a thread in this sub-forum a couple months back. It's some seriously thick plating between the initial flashing, silver plating and then the gold plating on top. The engraving is decent, but the horn was obviously buffed a good bit and looks like it was lacquered twice.

Quick update on the horn linked in the 1st post...should be to me by Friday. :twisted:

 

[Hornlip]

I have noticed that c melody horns seem to be going for more than they used to. I can't figure out exactly why, I don't notice any more people playing them than before. Not that good ones don't deserve attention, I just wonder if there's some sort of C-Mel bubble in play and there are going to be disappointed investors, as it were.

I've also noticed a proliferation of "refurbished" c-melodies listed for way too much money. Maybe sellers are trying to create their own hype. The one you link to - that's just delusional. Nothing really unusual about that horn and it's not even in playing condition.

Don't be fooled by the "depreciation" of c-mel horns, 4 years ago you could get them for $!50.- to $300.- everywhere but now, prices have ratcheting up like crazy and $800 is no exception. Some good condition c-mels are commanding way more (at least asking price):

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HISTORIC-B...a=0&pg=2047675&_trksid=p2047675.c100008.m2219

I should have invested more into those horns, and I like the c-melody horns for small venues anyway.

 

[Grumps]

There are new C Melodies available through different vendors ranging from $400 (on alibaba) to $1,200 through eBay/amazon/sax.co.uk et al... I'm not sure these could be readily described as "competition" for vintage Conn, Martin, Buescher, Holton or King C Melodies but there is some market still for these horns.

What was it... about ten years or more ago there was a member here who tried to revive the manufacturing of C melody saxophones. Those are probably the ones left that were copied by the Chinese factories and shipped out the back door before they realized there was no market for them.

 

[Airflyte]

Don't be fooled by the "depreciation" of c-mel horns, 4 years ago you could get them for $!50.- to $300.- everywhere but now, prices have ratcheting up like crazy and $800 is no exception.

I should have invested more into those horns, and I like the c-melody horns for small venues anyway.

So true. Size wise, they are very nice instruments if they balance well on the neck strap.

 

[JayeLID]

Don't be fooled by the "depreciation" of c-mel horns, 4 years ago you could get them for $!50.- to $300.- everywhere but now, prices have ratcheting up like crazy and $800 is no exception. Some good condition c-mels are commanding way more (at least asking price)

I think you may have undercut your own hypothesis there a bit with your parenthesized comment, tho.....:bluewink:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nk...c=1&_salic=1&_sop=12&_dmd=1&_ipg=200&_fosrp=1

People can 'ask' whatever they like, but the completed listings and sold prices sorta give a better snapshot. By these standards, indeed the original auction price was too high, despite the plated finish....and I don't particularly see any significant 'uptick' in market prices for these...project ones on eFlay still seem to sell for between $100-300...

I love to write, and I can come up with some pretty slick seller verbiage if I care to (I usually don't, tho).....but I doubt greatly I could take the OP auction horn, overhaul it, and get $1000 for it afterward. If I managed to do so, I'd have to leave it listed for months and months....

 

[lostcircuits]

I think you may have undercut your own hypothesis there a bit with your parenthesized comment, tho.....:bluewink:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nk...c=1&_salic=1&_sop=12&_dmd=1&_ipg=200&_fosrp=1

People can 'ask' whatever they like, but the completed listings and sold prices sorta give a better snapshot. By these standards, indeed the original auction price was too high, despite the plated finish....and I don't particularly see any significant 'uptick' in market prices for these...project ones on eFlay still seem to sell for between $100-300...

I love to write, and I can come up with some pretty slick seller verbiage if I care to (I usually don't, tho).....but I doubt greatly I could take the OP auction horn, overhaul it, and get $1000 for it afterward. If I managed to do so, I'd have to leave it listed for months and months....

Yes, of course but something like this would have been plain and simply absurd 3-4 years ago. My point was simply that a few years ago nobody gave a dime about a c-mel or c-sop and now they are getting harder and harder to find and prices have gone up way steeper than comparable altos or tenors (compared to the same time / listing price). And, of course, there are those who gamble on finding some idiots to pay what they ask but even that contributes to the overall increase in price.

I got my Martin-Wurlitzer for $240.- and I haven't seen anything like that in the last 2-3 years

 

[JayeLID]

Yes, of course but something like this would have been plain and simply absurd 3-4 years ago. My point was simply that a few years ago nobody gave a dime about a c-mel or c-sop and now they are getting harder and harder to find and prices have gone up way steeper than comparable altos or tenors (compared to the same time / listing price). And, of course, there are those who gamble on finding some idiots to pay what they ask but even that contributes to the overall increase in price.

I got my Martin-Wurlitzer for $240.- and I haven't seen anything like that in the last 2-3 years

Did it need work, though ?

 

[lostcircuits]

The neck was bent but I got that taken care of at MeridianWinds for $100 including shipping, and one dent in the bow. It was playable, though, actually really nice.

 

[JayeLID]

OK, well that's cool and a good deal, but again what you bought there was a c-mel which was 'playable' (which I interpret as not being tip-top, serviced shape - but spoke up and down well enough) and had pulldown (something which still, oddly, makes potential buyers run for the hills, regardless of how really straightforward the fix is) and a bow dent.

So $350ish investment and you got a C-mel (stencil) that played.

I don't see how things are radically different in the market today...I mean, there are still ones needing work available for around $200....one can still pick up one which is 'playing on older pads' for around $400....and I do not see repadded or 'guaranteed good playing shape" C-mels selling more than around $500-550 tops, usually.

Just my observations. Granted I do not bother 'hunting' for them any longer, since I've literally had one request for one in the past 5 years - but I don't see much of an 'upswing' in interest or market value, myself...

 

[lostcircuits]

With the neck fixed, it is in tip-top shape now (minus the dent in the bow, which is cosmetic). I guess I have a little bit a knack for the c-mel and that is partially based on this particular horn but otherwise we are arguing half full or half empty here. And I could remove the dent but since I have the horn for playing and it does play fine as is, there is no reason to muck around

 

[zapatista]

To me, it is almost as easy to find really nice vintage domestic (USA) alto as c melody "specimens" in the same price range-specifically Conns/Martins/Bueschers from 1920-1960. Tenors in general are much more difficult to find in the sub-$700 range, though I've had decent luck as well.

 

[Grumps]

… but I don't see much of an 'upswing' in interest or market value, myself...

The one in question actually sold for kinda cheap considering how portrait models were valued only a few years ago. So yeah, in reality, it's not a good sign for C melody horns.

 

[JayeLID]

To me, it is almost as easy to find really nice vintage domestic (USA) alto as c melody "specimens" in the same price range-specifically Conns/Martins/Bueschers from 1920-1960. Tenors in general are much more difficult to find in the sub-$700 range, though I've had decent luck as well.

Yes, good point. I remember when I first arrived here, the generally accepted 'suggestion' to folks wishing to dabble in DIY repair work was "buy a c-melody project horn' as your first..."

But after a while, the valid argument (not created by me by any stretch) started gaining favor:

"why buy a horn type which, once in decent working order, has very low market desirability and limited uses as a player ? You can do the exact same thing by purchasing a project Alto for exact same price - and in the end you have a more marketable, desirable, and conventionally 'usable' instrument".

Slight digression on this thread, just a bit....but IMHO...a C-mel 'resurrection' can only likely occur if the design of the thing is 'corrected', IMHO.
No more building it in the old weird, skinny proportions, basically a 'stretched Alto'.
Instead give it the proper body proportions that reflect the Alto or Tenor's proportions to their particular voices. I think this would result in an improvement to the sonic issues which have hobbled the horns ever since they fell out of popularity.

Anyways....

 

[zapatista]

Yes, good point. I remember when I first arrived here, the generally accepted 'suggestion' to folks wishing to dabble in DIY repair work was "buy a c-melody project horn' as your first..."

But after a while, the valid argument (not created by me by any stretch) started gaining favor:

"why buy a horn type which, once in decent working order, has very low market desirability and limited uses as a player ? You can do the exact same thing by purchasing a project Alto for exact same price - and in the end you have a more marketable, desirable, and conventionally 'usable' instrument".

Slight digression on this thread, just a bit....but IMHO...a C-mel 'resurrection' can only likely occur if the design of the thing is 'corrected', IMHO.
No more building it in the old weird, skinny proportions, basically a 'stretched Alto'.
Instead give it the proper body proportions that reflect the Alto or Tenor's proportions to their particular voices. I think this would result in an improvement to the sonic issues which have hobbled the horns ever since they fell out of popularity.

Anyways....

I respectfully disagree. I'm not the best player in the world (by far) but have no problems getting a C Melody to sing with it's own very sweet voice, just like an Eb Alto or Bb Tenor each have their own voices. There is nothing sonically bad or inferior about a properly adjusted C Melody compared to an Alto or Tenor. Not one thing.

As far as C Melody horns becoming more popular or experiencing a "revival"...I'm not holding my breath (or circular breathing ) waiting for that to happen.