C Melody Saxophone Forum

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C Melody Saxophone Forum / C-Tenor (C-Melody) Saxophones / "Wolverine" c melody

lacurandera
User ID: 1516194 Jun 29th 10:05 PM
I bought an old c melody on ebay a few years ago for pretty cheap. It says "Wolverine" in script on the bell, and underneath says "made in Elkhart, Ind. specially for the Grinnell Bros." Above the serial no. it says "paid sept. 14, 1915." Anyone know anything about this sax? It's in pretty good shape for being 90 years old, just needed some new pads.

Sam ie
User ID: 0331974 Jun 30th 1:11 PM
A quick google search for Grinnel Bros Saxophone will show that it is probably a York stencil, as discussed at

http://www.saxquest.com/forumThreadView.asp?ForumUID=7&ThreadUID=3274

What do you plan to do with it?

lacurandera
User ID: 1516194 Jun 30th 11:48 PM
I'm keeping it, cleaning it up and repadding it. I haven't played in about 5 years, but have played alto, tenor and bari in the past. I actually was looking to buy a tenor when i found this c mel and couldn't pass it up.

lacurandera
User ID: 1516194 Jun 30th 11:49 PM
I'm keeping it, cleaning it up and repadding it. I haven't played in about 5 years, but have played alto, tenor and bari in the past. I actually was looking to buy a tenor when i found this c mel and couldn't pass it up.

Eric
User ID: 0791694 Jul 1st 4:38 PM
I have a Wolverine, mine is definitely a Conn stencil.

Alan (uk)
User ID: 0651814 Jul 1st 6:47 PM
Could be either, it's down to the "does it have a Mercedes C-Guard (Conn) or bevelled toneholes (Martin)...etc.

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

lacurandera
User ID: 1516194 Jul 1st 11:32 PM
i think this is a conn, too. thanks for the link, alan

Alan (uk)
User ID: 0651814 Jul 2nd 8:27 AM
lacurandera, in case you hadn't 'sussed'. cmelodysax.co.uk is me. I may even get a proper stencil identification page of my own done one day (and not rely on those three external links..) if I live to 110.

If it has the 'Mercedes C' guard then it can only be Conn - but (why is there always a 'but' ?) I have seen some saxes with both that type of guard AND Martin-style bevelled toneholes.

Lyon & Healy used to make those, but I've also seen the same features on one Harwood Pro. So you can never say 100% certain, maybe just 99.9%.......

bruce bailey
User ID: 9670323 Jul 3rd 12:13 AM
I think the Harwood may hae been buescher. The L&H horns were usually made by Courturier in Indiana and have Martin type holes and the Conn type Low C cage. One easy way to tell is that most have an L shaped G# key that is also the low C# lever. Wolverine is a mean animal and the nickname for Michigan is the Wolverine State. Also the name of a football team. I assume they used that name since it was a Michigan Company. If the horn says Elkhart, it would not be a York.

Alan (uk)
User ID: 0651814 Jul 3rd 7:28 AM
Bruce - I always thought that York had stencils made for them by (e.g. Buescher, Conn etc.), never known York to 'stencil' for others.

I'd always assumed that the 'pure, York' York's were the ones with (e.g.) the lower stack toneholes on a separate plate attached to the body ?

That "strange" Harwood (on ebay a while back, maybe I have the pic still ?) looked exactly like a L&H Indiana Couturier that I coincidentally had for sale at the same time. I sold a Buescher Harwood recently, quite different.. I'll look for the pics, on my to-do list at about #74..... ;-)

Do you know, if ever I could go back in time, I'd love to go to Elkhart in the late 20's - see what went on, get a job in the Martin factory. And then (of course..) maybe bring a few 'new' C-Sops back to the 21st century with me, at $100 each !

lacurandera User ID: 1516194	Jun 29th 10:05 PM I bought an old c melody on ebay a few years ago for pretty cheap. It says "Wolverine" in script on the bell, and underneath says "made in Elkhart, Ind. specially for the Grinnell Bros." Above the serial no. it says "paid sept. 14, 1915." Anyone know anything about this sax? It's in pretty good shape for being 90 years old, just needed some new pads.
Sam ie User ID: 0331974	Jun 30th 1:11 PM A quick google search for Grinnel Bros Saxophone will show that it is probably a York stencil, as discussed at http://www.saxquest.com/forumThreadView.asp?ForumUID=7&ThreadUID=3274 What do you plan to do with it?
lacurandera User ID: 1516194	Jun 30th 11:48 PM I'm keeping it, cleaning it up and repadding it. I haven't played in about 5 years, but have played alto, tenor and bari in the past. I actually was looking to buy a tenor when i found this c mel and couldn't pass it up.
lacurandera User ID: 1516194	Jun 30th 11:49 PM I'm keeping it, cleaning it up and repadding it. I haven't played in about 5 years, but have played alto, tenor and bari in the past. I actually was looking to buy a tenor when i found this c mel and couldn't pass it up.
Eric User ID: 0791694	Jul 1st 4:38 PM I have a Wolverine, mine is definitely a Conn stencil.
Alan (uk) User ID: 0651814	Jul 1st 6:47 PM Could be either, it's down to the "does it have a Mercedes C-Guard (Conn) or bevelled toneholes (Martin)...etc. http://www.cmelodysax.co.uk/saxophones/question-answer.htm#stencil
lacurandera User ID: 1516194	Jul 1st 11:32 PM i think this is a conn, too. thanks for the link, alan
Alan (uk) User ID: 0651814	Jul 2nd 8:27 AM lacurandera, in case you hadn't 'sussed'. cmelodysax.co.uk is me. I may even get a proper stencil identification page of my own done one day (and not rely on those three external links..) if I live to 110. If it has the 'Mercedes C' guard then it can only be Conn - but (why is there always a 'but' ?) I have seen some saxes with both that type of guard AND Martin-style bevelled toneholes. Lyon & Healy used to make those, but I've also seen the same features on one Harwood Pro. So you can never say 100% certain, maybe just 99.9%.......
bruce bailey User ID: 9670323	Jul 3rd 12:13 AM I think the Harwood may hae been buescher. The L&H horns were usually made by Courturier in Indiana and have Martin type holes and the Conn type Low C cage. One easy way to tell is that most have an L shaped G# key that is also the low C# lever. Wolverine is a mean animal and the nickname for Michigan is the Wolverine State. Also the name of a football team. I assume they used that name since it was a Michigan Company. If the horn says Elkhart, it would not be a York.
Alan (uk) User ID: 0651814	Jul 3rd 7:28 AM Bruce - I always thought that York had stencils made for them by (e.g. Buescher, Conn etc.), never known York to 'stencil' for others. I'd always assumed that the 'pure, York' York's were the ones with (e.g.) the lower stack toneholes on a separate plate attached to the body ? That "strange" Harwood (on ebay a while back, maybe I have the pic still ?) looked exactly like a L&H Indiana Couturier that I coincidentally had for sale at the same time. I sold a Buescher Harwood recently, quite different.. I'll look for the pics, on my to-do list at about #74..... ;-) Do you know, if ever I could go back in time, I'd love to go to Elkhart in the late 20's - see what went on, get a job in the Martin factory. And then (of course..) maybe bring a few 'new' C-Sops back to the 21st century with me, at $100 each !