C Melody Saxophone Forum

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C Melody Saxophone Forum / Mouthpieces Reeds and Ligatures / Rock'n'Roll on a C Melody

Next 20 Messages Newest 20 Messages

Sister Glitz
User ID: 9056633 Jan 28th 11:55 AM
How can I make my 1920's silver Selmer C-melody do a little growling and rumbling instead of only honking? I play in a hobby rock'n'roll band and the C-melody is perfect on Frankie Ford's "Sea Cruise" (sounds just like a fog horn) but sometimes I'd like a little more early 50's growl to it. Is that possible on this instrument?

WW2
User ID: 0651814 Jan 29th 2:39 PM
One technique is to sing a note that is a different pitch than the one you are playing.

Take a look at the "Sax on the Web" forum at http://boards.eesite.com/board.cgi%3Fboardset=saxweb under the "Tone Producing" section.

Sister Glitz
User ID: 9056633 Jan 30th 11:51 PM
Thanks for the tip. I checked out the site and can't wait to try the technique!

DK
User ID: 0339064 May 26th 4:18 PM
On the subject of rock n roll, can anybody suggest a good MP for this style ?

Alan Tucker (UK)
User ID: 0798784 May 27th 4:12 AM
If you're using a Conn C-Mel with micro-tuner neck, then your options are a little limited because of the long shank on most tenor mouthpieces.

However any other model (I've found) will usually be happy with tenor ebonite or metal Otto Link, Berg Larsen, Lawton, Couf, Runyon etc. There's been a fair bit written on this forum, and saxontheweb, about this - have a delve into the past topics.

Regards, Alan.

WW2
User ID: 1585334 Oct 17th 6:46 PM
Did someone out there have a bad keyboard? I deleted the four posts that were GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out).

Hillary Nov 12th 2:22 AM
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ukebert
User ID: 9112483 Nov 12th 5:21 AM
GIGO? ;-)

Captain Muggles
User ID: 8026483 Nov 12th 3:58 PM
Public Notice: C melody saxophones do not usually adapt well to rock'n'roll no matter what mouthpiece-reed combination you use. Straight neck, tenor neck; it makes no difference (in my humble opinion). I have tried it many times. It seems that the pitch is a bit too high to really Balls it out. You can growl if you want to, but rock'n'roll demands a BIG FAT sound that the C melody doesn't seem to deliver. It's the pitch that seems to be the culprit. I may be wrong. Someone on the forum may have solved the problem. But it sure wasn't me! I play all of the standard saxes on my gigs; (Soprano, Alto, Tenor & Baritone as well as C Melody). It's real simple for me to play my Tenor or Baritone (Both with Berg Larson metal mouthpieces coupled with #4 Rico Plasticover reeds) rather than try and hurt myself in a futile attempt to duplicatr the Classic Tenor or Baritone Rock sound on a C Melody!

Alan (UK)
User ID: 1341734 Nov 17th 9:31 AM
Capn M, it's all in the mind......

But I will say that rock n'roll (the Blue Suede Shoes kind) has really only been associated with tenor or bari saxes. Whereas blues, R&B etc. have had notable alto players. So... I suspect that your straight-neck Conn will feel wrong for R&R. Too genteel.

A Martin or King C-mel, with something like my nuclear bronze Lawton 8*BB does just fine. But you have to blow the !*%* out of the C-Mel. And, as most of the sound comes from the player, you have to feel the sound yourself.

Doesn't help if you always compare it to a tenor, the C-Mel will always come second, because it can't match the sheer tenor gutsyness. But, given plenty of 'welly', a C-Mel will perform, honks and all.

I once had to play a couple of R&R numbers on an alto, when a pad fell out of my tenor during a gig (before I 'found' C-mels). I thought it really sucked, but the guitarist told me afterwards that it was one of the few times that my R&R sound had really risen above his guitar ! I'd just taken my frustration out on the lower register of the alto, and it had obviously shown in the sound. So, don't just rely on your own impressions, ask others.

Steve
User ID: 9774843 Nov 19th 11:14 PM
My Conn C has plastic resonators on and with an Aquilasax mpc seems to deliver the goods, tho I don't often play RnR.

Captain Muggles
User ID: 3020234 Nov 20th 8:38 AM
Fall....What are you trying to say with all of the addresses and giberish on your post?

Alan (UK)
User ID: 8200143 Nov 20th 11:24 AM
Capn M - Fall is just spamming with links to used cars and hotel discounts.

But this forum doesn't support html, so all the code gets printed..........

WW2
User ID: 0847534 Nov 22nd 10:41 AM
Fall is gone.

Alan (UK)
User ID: 8200143 Nov 22nd 12:50 PM
I know, fall is gone, winter is upon us......

Captain Muggles
User ID: 3020234 Nov 22nd 2:22 PM
To All....What does any of this have to do with Rock'n'Roll on the C melody?

Alan (UK)
User ID: 8200143 Nov 23rd 6:16 AM
Who was it first metioned "Fall" - Capn M ?

By the way (to get back to topic) I did a "blind" test of C-mel vs. Tenor yesterday. Using my trusty '31 Martin C-Mel, and a slightly later Martin stencil tenor - Melody Master - but to the same 'era' design/tooling, opposing bell B/Bb etc. I had, conveniently. two identical vintage Couf Jazz mouthpieces, high baffle, raunchy as h*ll, so I could switch instruments really quickly.

I started honking,rasping and screaming on the tenor, with my adult daughter in an adjoining room, out of sight, but with the door open. After a couple of minutes, quick as a flash, I switched to C-mel and carried on blowing seven bells out of the C-Mel (identical reed/mouthpiece/player combination, only the sling had changed.....).

Conclusions - my daughter said "Did you change key somewhere in there ?" - no flies on her ! Same range of finger patterns on a Bb and C instrument would sound like a key change......

Sound ? "Bloody noisy, great -scared the dogs, but a bit crisper and clearer after you changed key". Her 'blind' tests have never failed to sway me, when I'm dithering on which sax to keep and/or sell. Which did she prefer ? The C-Mel............

The other reason for trying out the older Martin stencil tenor is that I have (sadly, after much soul-searching) decided to let my later The Martin (Committee) got to a home where it will be used - so it's soon to be on ebay. I guess a contest between that tenor and the C-mel may have given the tenor a slight edge - it really is a belter - but then that'd not be 'like for like', an unfair comparison.

So, a Martin or King C-mel (for 99.999% of the listening public) with a belter of a mouthpiece, and an old jazz-rocker playing it, is OK for me......... But it'll always be an issue for some, and from my experiences of the smoother sound from straight-neck Conns - they're not rockers !

bruce bailey
User ID: 8576533 Nov 30th 1:03 AM
Am I missing something? I see that last post on this thread to be Nov. 28 in the previous page but Nov. 23 (Alan) is the last one I see.

Jim B
User ID: 1913054 Nov 30th 6:13 AM
What previous page--- I see on my computer only one page.Just got back from a trip to Turkey where there seems to be no saxophones.

Alan(UK)
User ID: 8200143 Nov 30th 9:05 AM
Bruce - I seem to have missed something as well, a few days back there was a fresh posting on this topic (heading shows as a different colour), but when I checked mine was the last posting.........

Jim, they just have those big straight soprano's (in G ?) in Turkey...

Next 20 Messages Newest 20 Messages

Sister Glitz User ID: 9056633	Jan 28th 11:55 AM How can I make my 1920's silver Selmer C-melody do a little growling and rumbling instead of only honking? I play in a hobby rock'n'roll band and the C-melody is perfect on Frankie Ford's "Sea Cruise" (sounds just like a fog horn) but sometimes I'd like a little more early 50's growl to it. Is that possible on this instrument?
WW2 User ID: 0651814	Jan 29th 2:39 PM One technique is to sing a note that is a different pitch than the one you are playing. Take a look at the "Sax on the Web" forum at http://boards.eesite.com/board.cgi%3Fboardset=saxweb under the "Tone Producing" section.
Sister Glitz User ID: 9056633	Jan 30th 11:51 PM Thanks for the tip. I checked out the site and can't wait to try the technique!
DK User ID: 0339064	May 26th 4:18 PM On the subject of rock n roll, can anybody suggest a good MP for this style ?
Alan Tucker (UK) User ID: 0798784	May 27th 4:12 AM If you're using a Conn C-Mel with micro-tuner neck, then your options are a little limited because of the long shank on most tenor mouthpieces. However any other model (I've found) will usually be happy with tenor ebonite or metal Otto Link, Berg Larsen, Lawton, Couf, Runyon etc. There's been a fair bit written on this forum, and saxontheweb, about this - have a delve into the past topics. Regards, Alan.
WW2 User ID: 1585334	Oct 17th 6:46 PM Did someone out there have a bad keyboard? I deleted the four posts that were GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out).
Hillary	Nov 12th 2:22 AM http://buy-cheap-soma.navseh.com <a href="http://buy-cheap-soma.navseh.com">buy cheap soma</a>
ukebert User ID: 9112483	Nov 12th 5:21 AM GIGO? ;-)
Captain Muggles User ID: 8026483	Nov 12th 3:58 PM Public Notice: C melody saxophones do not usually adapt well to rock'n'roll no matter what mouthpiece-reed combination you use. Straight neck, tenor neck; it makes no difference (in my humble opinion). I have tried it many times. It seems that the pitch is a bit too high to really Balls it out. You can growl if you want to, but rock'n'roll demands a BIG FAT sound that the C melody doesn't seem to deliver. It's the pitch that seems to be the culprit. I may be wrong. Someone on the forum may have solved the problem. But it sure wasn't me! I play all of the standard saxes on my gigs; (Soprano, Alto, Tenor & Baritone as well as C Melody). It's real simple for me to play my Tenor or Baritone (Both with Berg Larson metal mouthpieces coupled with #4 Rico Plasticover reeds) rather than try and hurt myself in a futile attempt to duplicatr the Classic Tenor or Baritone Rock sound on a C Melody!
Alan (UK) User ID: 1341734	Nov 17th 9:31 AM Capn M, it's all in the mind...... But I will say that rock n'roll (the Blue Suede Shoes kind) has really only been associated with tenor or bari saxes. Whereas blues, R&B etc. have had notable alto players. So... I suspect that your straight-neck Conn will feel wrong for R&R. Too genteel. A Martin or King C-mel, with something like my nuclear bronze Lawton 8BB does just fine. But you have to blow the !%* out of the C-Mel. And, as most of the sound comes from the player, you have to feel the sound yourself. Doesn't help if you always compare it to a tenor, the C-Mel will always come second, because it can't match the sheer tenor gutsyness. But, given plenty of 'welly', a C-Mel will perform, honks and all. I once had to play a couple of R&R numbers on an alto, when a pad fell out of my tenor during a gig (before I 'found' C-mels). I thought it really sucked, but the guitarist told me afterwards that it was one of the few times that my R&R sound had really risen above his guitar ! I'd just taken my frustration out on the lower register of the alto, and it had obviously shown in the sound. So, don't just rely on your own impressions, ask others.
Steve User ID: 9774843	Nov 19th 11:14 PM My Conn C has plastic resonators on and with an Aquilasax mpc seems to deliver the goods, tho I don't often play RnR.
Captain Muggles User ID: 3020234	Nov 20th 8:38 AM Fall....What are you trying to say with all of the addresses and giberish on your post?
Alan (UK) User ID: 8200143	Nov 20th 11:24 AM Capn M - Fall is just spamming with links to used cars and hotel discounts. But this forum doesn't support html, so all the code gets printed..........
WW2 User ID: 0847534	Nov 22nd 10:41 AM Fall is gone.
Alan (UK) User ID: 8200143	Nov 22nd 12:50 PM I know, fall is gone, winter is upon us......
Captain Muggles User ID: 3020234	Nov 22nd 2:22 PM To All....What does any of this have to do with Rock'n'Roll on the C melody?
Alan (UK) User ID: 8200143	Nov 23rd 6:16 AM Who was it first metioned "Fall" - Capn M ? By the way (to get back to topic) I did a "blind" test of C-mel vs. Tenor yesterday. Using my trusty '31 Martin C-Mel, and a slightly later Martin stencil tenor - Melody Master - but to the same 'era' design/tooling, opposing bell B/Bb etc. I had, conveniently. two identical vintage Couf Jazz mouthpieces, high baffle, raunchy as h*ll, so I could switch instruments really quickly. I started honking,rasping and screaming on the tenor, with my adult daughter in an adjoining room, out of sight, but with the door open. After a couple of minutes, quick as a flash, I switched to C-mel and carried on blowing seven bells out of the C-Mel (identical reed/mouthpiece/player combination, only the sling had changed.....). Conclusions - my daughter said "Did you change key somewhere in there ?" - no flies on her ! Same range of finger patterns on a Bb and C instrument would sound like a key change...... Sound ? "Bloody noisy, great -scared the dogs, but a bit crisper and clearer after you changed key". Her 'blind' tests have never failed to sway me, when I'm dithering on which sax to keep and/or sell. Which did she prefer ? The C-Mel............ The other reason for trying out the older Martin stencil tenor is that I have (sadly, after much soul-searching) decided to let my later The Martin (Committee) got to a home where it will be used - so it's soon to be on ebay. I guess a contest between that tenor and the C-mel may have given the tenor a slight edge - it really is a belter - but then that'd not be 'like for like', an unfair comparison. So, a Martin or King C-mel (for 99.999% of the listening public) with a belter of a mouthpiece, and an old jazz-rocker playing it, is OK for me......... But it'll always be an issue for some, and from my experiences of the smoother sound from straight-neck Conns - they're not rockers !
bruce bailey User ID: 8576533	Nov 30th 1:03 AM Am I missing something? I see that last post on this thread to be Nov. 28 in the previous page but Nov. 23 (Alan) is the last one I see.
Jim B User ID: 1913054	Nov 30th 6:13 AM What previous page--- I see on my computer only one page.Just got back from a trip to Turkey where there seems to be no saxophones.
Alan(UK) User ID: 8200143	Nov 30th 9:05 AM Bruce - I seem to have missed something as well, a few days back there was a fresh posting on this topic (heading shows as a different colour), but when I checked mine was the last posting......... Jim, they just have those big straight soprano's (in G ?) in Turkey...