[Steve Stockham]

Okay, after reading some of the threads here, I am now intrigued. As I understand it, Selmer Paris actually manufactured saxophones keyed in C! I am also of the impression that these models are somewhat rare and command a premium price when they show up on ebay and the like. Other than that, what can you tell me about these elusive saxes? How do they compare to the Conns, Bueschers, Martins, Kings, etc... Do they sound more like an alto or a tenor? Did they have intonation problems or were they up to the "Selmer quality" of the rest of the line? Are they worthy of the premium pricing that they are fetching or is it all hype? Was there anything unique or innovative about these C Saxes? As I said, I'm intrigued!

 

[Little Sax]

Here's an old thread, but it discusses some of what you're looking for.

The latest model C Melody I'm aware of that Selmer Paris ever produced was the Balanced Action.

 

[Little Sax]

If you check out Saxquest's gallery, you can look at a Selmer Paris "cigar cutter" CMel.

There's also a Model 22 in the same gallery.

 

[Steve Stockham]

Ahhh....fascinating! Thanks for the pics and the link to the archived thread! Now, how do Selmer C's sound? How's their intonation? Considering that Selmer's vintage saxes are so well regarded, are the C's in the same category? I guess what I'm trying to get at is whether it's worth the effort and $$$ to pursue one of these saxes.
I have a perfectly good King C Tenor that I have become exceedingly fond of! I like it's tenor-like core sound. I understand that Martins are even more so (and thus, the most desirable to me.) I'm also a Selmer man and have been since 1971! I would love to hear from someone that could give me some insight as to how it plays and how it sounds.

 

[dvdberg]

I drool over this picture occasionally...

 

[Little Sax]

Ahhh....fascinating! Thanks for the pics and the link to the archived thread! Now, how do Selmer C's sound? How's their intonation? Considering that Selmer's vintage saxes are so well regarded, are the C's in the same category? I guess what I'm trying to get at is whether it's worth the effort and $$$ to pursue one of these saxes. [...]

This is what was written about that cigar cutter:
This particular horn has very interesting sonic characteristics and most certainly has a unique voice. While most C-melodies get a fairly tubby and spread sound, this sax has a surprisingly centered or focused core sound. The most fun part of this sax is that it just rips into the altissimo. It's extremely free blowing as you would expect from any early Selmer and the intonation is quite respectable. I played this horn on several gigs and was always very pleased.

 

[cvsimson]

Steve,
I don't want to read about this anymore...
After testing many american brands and mouthpieces adn finding a combination I am really happy with, I thought I would be free of GAS for a good while, and now this?
I guess I should be happy that even if I could find one of these horns it would be so expensive that I wouldn't be able to get it anyway.

 

[Little Sax]

Steve,
I don't want to read about this anymore...
After testing many american brands and mouthpieces adn finding a combination I am really happy with, I thought I would be free of GAS for a good while, and now this?
I guess I should be happy that even if I could find one of these horns it would be so expensive that I wouldn't be able to get it anyway.

Very likely.
I've wanted a later model Selmer C for a long time.
Mark Overton (Saxquest.com) offered me one of his lacquered Model 22's back in 2007 for $3k.
It needed an overhaul. (I passed.)

Some time before that, Bear from cybersax.com tried to get a hold of a BA, but I believe he stopped trying after $5k or so.

The market is down, but I imagine these will still command top dollar due to their apparent scarcity.

 

[Steve Stockham]

Hmmm........ I think I'll put it right next to the F Mezzo on my "If I win the lottery" to-get list! Seriously, I'm surprised that there aren't more of these saxes poping up on ebay! Even needing a complete overhaul, it sounds as if they'd be worth it! Oh, by the way, thanks for that picture Derrick! That has to be one of the sweetest saxes I've seen in a while! (Aw man! Now I'm starting to drool!)

 

[Little Sax]

Hmmm........ I think I'll put it right next to the F Mezzo on my "If I win the lottery" to-get list! Seriously, I'm surprised that there aren't more of these saxes poping up on ebay! Even needing a complete overhaul, it sounds as if they'd be worth it! Oh, by the way, thanks for that picture Derrick! That has to be one of the sweetest saxes I've seen in a while! (Aw man! Now I'm starting to drool!)

....my FMez is being overhauled. It should be coming home soon...

 

[bruce bailey]

Leblanc also made some C Melodies. For me the biggest problem with a C Melody is finding the right mouthpiece. I wish Selmer or Vandoren had one! I have several Conns, a Martin and a non-playing Holton. Sold the Bueschers. Never had a King but hear they are nice.

 

[Koen88]

dammit, my wishlist keeps on growing..

 

[milandro]

Leblanc also made some C Melodies. For me the biggest problem with a C Melody is finding the right mouthpiece. I wish Selmer or Vandoren had one! I have several Conns, a Martin and a non-playing Holton. Sold the Bueschers. Never had a King but hear they are nice.

I think that the fact that these saxophones represented a marginal market never helped developing a specific and modern well thought mouthpiece.

We have a member here, STAN, who has been at the forefront of developing together with HSM mouthpieces, some mouthpieces for less than conventional horns (such as the soprillo and the tubax, bass and contrabass ) maybe he could be interested in developing a modern C.melody design mouthpiece.......

 

[Koen88]

I think that the fact that these saxophones represented a marginal market never helped developing a specific and modern well thought mouthpiece.

We have a member here, STAN, who has been at the forefront of developing together with HSM mouthpieces, some mouthpieces for less than conventional horns (such as the soprillo and the tubax, bass and contrabass ) maybe he could be interested in developing a modern C.melody design mouthpiece.......

Runyon and Jody Jazz make C-mel mpc`s

http://www.runyonproducts.com/c.mel.html
http://www.sax.co.uk/acatalog/Jody_Jazz.html

 

[Captain Beeflat]

Runyon and Jody Jazz make C-mel mpc`s

http://www.runyonproducts.com/c.mel.html
http://www.sax.co.uk/acatalog/Jody_Jazz.html

And Morgan.

 

[milandro]

oh yes........I knew that.......but I was suggesting a bit more radical approach to developing something new

 

[cvsimson]

I've tried the Runyon and the Morgan. The Morgan was the better one.

I am currently playing a Tenor Link STM on my Buescher and a Tenor Metalite on my Conn.

 

[jazzbug1]

Rudy Wiedoeft switched from a Conn C melody to a Selmer around 1923 (Model 22). He preferred the concert sound vs, the sound of American horns. I've never heard a Selmer C, other than Wiedoeft's recordings, which have a very proper sound, probably as Adolph Sax intended.

 

[Little Sax]

I've tried the Runyon and the Morgan. The Morgan was the better one.

I am currently playing a Tenor Link STM on my Buescher and a Tenor Metalite on my Conn.

I've tried the Beechler, Babbit, Runyon, Meyer, and Morgan Cmel mpcs.

The Morgan was the best of the lot and what I continue to use.

 

[dvdberg]

I just received a Conn Eagle c-melody mouthpiece today. I compared it to my Morgan 6 which I play with Rico Reserve 3s or Rigotti Gold 3s. The Conn mouthpiece is much more closed, so it plays much quieter. The interior of both mouthpieces are very similar with the Conn having just a slightly larger chamber. The Morgan chamber comes away from the neck at the same size as the neck hole and has a very plain, round chamber. The Conn chamber is also round.

I'm questioning the seller whether this mouthpiece is indeed a c-melody mouthpiece. As I recall when I had a c-mel mouthpiece a few years back, the tenor reed was too wide for the mouthpiece. This one fits exactly. So, it might be a tenor mouthpiece but plays very similarly intonation wise and tonally to the Morgan. I'm keeping it as a back up and may have it opened up some one day.