C Melody Saxophone Forum

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C Melody Saxophone Forum / C-Tenor (C-Melody) Saxophones / Buffet Crampon C-Mel

Eric
User ID: 0958254 May 3rd 8:43 PM
I have a Buffet Crampon Evette & Schaeffer C-mel. #24191 low pitch, Carl Fischer import. Has anyone had any experience with this make, and would it be worth a rebuild? It's in nice shape except a low pad guard needs reattaching, has the original wood mouthpiece. I like the looks, but is beauty only skin deep?

alan (uk)
User ID: 8200143 May 4th 5:42 AM
Eric - I have one as well, #27882, no m-o-p on the keys, but with a spatula aux-front-F. It's waiting for a a partial repad. With a missing low C guard...... I've seen them both with and without the 'Fischer' engraving - somewhere I read that was to reduce US import charges ? I was able to get some sounds out of mine, much more genteel than my Martin, mabe even than a Buescher, so I think it'll (eventually) be worth a rebuild, as I'm interested to hear the real sound.

http://www.cmelodysax.co.uk/saxophones/buffetcrampon-cmel.htm

Must be a trait with Buffets from that period, a similar-age alto also has the low B guard missing...... As for the rebuild, doubt you would ever recoup all your costs if you sold it. But then, saxes are for playing. That question is always being asked, so I put some arguments (pro/con) in my Q&A, here's a good starting point -

http://www.cmelodysax.co.uk/saxophones/question-answer.htm#overhaul

(now if this was on Wade's Bravenet forum, they couls be real links....)

alan (uk)
User ID: 8200143 May 4th 5:43 AM
....and I could have reviewed/corrected it before posting....:-(( ( couls = could )

JJ!@#$%^*()_+
User ID: 8332933 May 4th 7:37 AM
Man, I bet Muggles would like one of those. He's a Buffet freak.

Captain Muggles
User ID: 8945823 May 4th 9:52 PM
JJ....You bet I would. I do love those Buffets. My first alto sax was a hand made Buffet - Powell made in the 1890's. It had all of the key rods coming down the left hand side and two octave keys on the neck. It was the best alto I have ever played up to this day. It was like magic. Nothing even comes close to it. I traded it to a fellow by the name of Rodney Marsh, who owns Marsh's Woodwind's in Raleigh, North Carolina. He informs me that it hangs on the wall of his shop to this day. I traded it to him in 1987. By the way, I paid $50.00 for it at a pawnshop in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1959. I played it every day professionally for 28 years. I traded it to Rodney for a new Selmer Mark VI Soprano. (The worst saxophone I ever played, bar none). Isn't it funny how life deals you the cards you play with? Oh well, That was my first and last Selmer! Sorry for rambling on. But I couldn't resist.

alan (uk)
User ID: 8200143 May 5th 8:34 AM
It's true - if you think back to how little any of us have sold (or part-exed) a classic sax for, by comparison to todays values, it would have made far better sense to have 'mothballed' them.

But that's hindsight, pays not to dwell on it. In the sixties I saw loads of silver plated MkVI tenors going very very cheaply - silver plating was out of fashion then and associated with military bands. Now it often seems the finish of choice........ Sigh.

Captain Muggles
User ID: 8945823 May 5th 2:03 PM
alan (uk)....Ain't it the truth. It's a strange world we live in!

jazzbug1
User ID: 3111364 May 5th 11:09 PM
I owned an early Buffet tenor with the double octave key system and a clever set of keys over the top of the regular right hand keys that made it easy to play the bell keys quickly. It was complex, but worked well. The finish was a beuatiful high gloss silver. One didn't need to use the upper octave key for high A or above. You could just overblow it. I liked the horn, but alas it was High Pitch, so I traded it for a Holton C soprano, which I have played for 30 years.

Eric User ID: 0958254	May 3rd 8:43 PM I have a Buffet Crampon Evette & Schaeffer C-mel. #24191 low pitch, Carl Fischer import. Has anyone had any experience with this make, and would it be worth a rebuild? It's in nice shape except a low pad guard needs reattaching, has the original wood mouthpiece. I like the looks, but is beauty only skin deep?
alan (uk) User ID: 8200143	May 4th 5:42 AM Eric - I have one as well, #27882, no m-o-p on the keys, but with a spatula aux-front-F. It's waiting for a a partial repad. With a missing low C guard...... I've seen them both with and without the 'Fischer' engraving - somewhere I read that was to reduce US import charges ? I was able to get some sounds out of mine, much more genteel than my Martin, mabe even than a Buescher, so I think it'll (eventually) be worth a rebuild, as I'm interested to hear the real sound. http://www.cmelodysax.co.uk/saxophones/buffetcrampon-cmel.htm Must be a trait with Buffets from that period, a similar-age alto also has the low B guard missing...... As for the rebuild, doubt you would ever recoup all your costs if you sold it. But then, saxes are for playing. That question is always being asked, so I put some arguments (pro/con) in my Q&A, here's a good starting point - http://www.cmelodysax.co.uk/saxophones/question-answer.htm#overhaul (now if this was on Wade's Bravenet forum, they couls be real links....)
alan (uk) User ID: 8200143	May 4th 5:43 AM ....and I could have reviewed/corrected it before posting....:-(( ( couls = could )
JJ!@#$%^()_+ User ID: 8332933*	May 4th 7:37 AM Man, I bet Muggles would like one of those. He's a Buffet freak.
Captain Muggles User ID: 8945823	May 4th 9:52 PM JJ....You bet I would. I do love those Buffets. My first alto sax was a hand made Buffet - Powell made in the 1890's. It had all of the key rods coming down the left hand side and two octave keys on the neck. It was the best alto I have ever played up to this day. It was like magic. Nothing even comes close to it. I traded it to a fellow by the name of Rodney Marsh, who owns Marsh's Woodwind's in Raleigh, North Carolina. He informs me that it hangs on the wall of his shop to this day. I traded it to him in 1987. By the way, I paid $50.00 for it at a pawnshop in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1959. I played it every day professionally for 28 years. I traded it to Rodney for a new Selmer Mark VI Soprano. (The worst saxophone I ever played, bar none). Isn't it funny how life deals you the cards you play with? Oh well, That was my first and last Selmer! Sorry for rambling on. But I couldn't resist.
alan (uk) User ID: 8200143	May 5th 8:34 AM It's true - if you think back to how little any of us have sold (or part-exed) a classic sax for, by comparison to todays values, it would have made far better sense to have 'mothballed' them. But that's hindsight, pays not to dwell on it. In the sixties I saw loads of silver plated MkVI tenors going very very cheaply - silver plating was out of fashion then and associated with military bands. Now it often seems the finish of choice........ Sigh.
Captain Muggles User ID: 8945823	May 5th 2:03 PM alan (uk)....Ain't it the truth. It's a strange world we live in!
jazzbug1 User ID: 3111364	May 5th 11:09 PM I owned an early Buffet tenor with the double octave key system and a clever set of keys over the top of the regular right hand keys that made it easy to play the bell keys quickly. It was complex, but worked well. The finish was a beuatiful high gloss silver. One didn't need to use the upper octave key for high A or above. You could just overblow it. I liked the horn, but alas it was High Pitch, so I traded it for a Holton C soprano, which I have played for 30 years.