C Melody Saxophone Forum

Swirve.com Links: Swirve.com Free Email Games Fantasy Sports E-Cards Movies Horoscopes Freebies Web Search

NOTICE: Beginning July 10th, 2008, this message board service will no longer be active or available for use.

C Melody Saxophone Forum / Good Natured Banter / OLDEST C MELODY

Next 20 Messages

DeanoTheSaxman
User ID: 7552673 Oct 19th 4:53 PM
Anyone know what the oldest C Melody anybody has, when did they start making them ?????

Roger Aldridge
User ID: 0930774 Oct 20th 6:16 AM
The earliest c-melody I've heard about is a 1905 Conn. I, too, have been curious about this question but have been unable to find any documentation about it. It appears that the various saxophone companies started making c-melodies at different points in time. It's likely that Conn was the first company and then, probably, Buescher. As far as I can determine, both companies made c-melodies prior to WWI.

Guwapo
User ID: 2289444 Oct 20th 7:18 AM
Before Conn started manufacturing their own c-melodies they imported Besson and Evette & Schaeffer c-melodies and stenciled their own name on them, i've seen stencils that date back to the 1890's.

DeanoTheSaxman
User ID: 9711993 Oct 20th 7:30 AM
I was just wondering, I'm currently working on a 1909 Holton serial number 8533, a very crude piece of engineering but works well and the tone is something else, although you need a good ear to keep it in tune!

Jim B
User ID: 9781133 Oct 20th 11:02 AM
I play on a Holton soprano sax made in 1912 and intonation is excellent thoughout it's range with a standard yamaha soprano sax mouthpiece. The instrument does sound more like an oboe than newly made sop. saxes. My earliest C melody is a Conn dating to 1916.

Guwapo
User ID: 2289444 Oct 22nd 8:25 AM
Well, the grand-daddie of them all is of course the first saxophone ever made in 1848 by Adolphe Sax, which just happens to be a C-Bass (8-})

CP2
User ID: 0136334 Oct 22nd 10:41 AM
Is there any information about Adolph Sax having produced at least one of each type of saxophone from his original designs?
i.e. sopranino,soprano,alto,tenor,baritone,bass and contrabass in both the marching band (Eb&Bb) and orchestral (C&F) groups.

DeanoTheSaxman (UK)
User ID: 9711993 Oct 22nd 11:01 AM
Yes, but the question I was asking was what was the earliest C-Melody made or anybody on the forum has???????

Guwapo
User ID: 2289444 Oct 22nd 1:54 PM
Deano ... The earliest C-Tenors I've heard about are those made by Jerome Thibouville-Lamy and Couesnon & Cie, definately made in the later years of the nineteenth century. They are distinquished by early keywork, a double octave mechanism and only went down to B natural.

CP2 ... As I understand Adolphe Sax patented designs for two families of saxophone in (Eb&Bb) and (C&F) but never got round to producing all of these, some of those he did produce such as the F baritone no longer exist.

Jim B
User ID: 1913054 Oct 24th 8:55 AM
In jest I could say I have a C melody made in 1776. It has 4 strings and a wooden box. It lacks all the keywork and came with no neck nor reeds; probably lost in shipment from the UK. Oh, and it's made of wood not metal.
I guess others are not going to tell what their oldest C melody instrument is. Mine is the tenor type neck Conn made in 1916.

ukebert
User ID: 1446254 Oct 24th 9:15 AM
A four stringed wooden instrument with no neck, interesting....

Ken
User ID: 0171704 Oct 24th 3:51 PM
Brings to mind "A man with a wooden leg called Smith" (in the film Mary Poppins)"What was the name of the other leg?"

alessio
User ID: 9537533 Nov 13th 4:17 AM
for conn c melody 1926 79xxx: have you the correct price?? (i'm italian , sorry for english)

Alan (UK)
User ID: 8200143 Nov 16th 7:23 AM
Ken - Jones ? (or for our US readers, Wesson ?)

alessio - so much depends on condition of the sax - even then the prices vary a lot. Do a search on ebay (worldwide) for c-melody, and refine the search to be 'completed items' only. That will give you an idea.

Captain Muggles
User ID: 9725373 Nov 16th 4:05 PM
To All...I thought that 1914 was the patent date for C melodies. If so, all that went before should be prototypes. Am I correct or not?

Alan (UK)
User ID: 8200143 Nov 16th 6:37 PM
Incorrect, I'm afraid.....

Without researching, that was almost certainly a US patent. C-Melody saxes were produced in Europe for quite a time before that, as detailed above, and exported to the US to be sold - some as stencils (e.g. Buffet) before US manufacturing took off (1914-1915 ?).

The 20's C-mel boom was certainly based in the US, however a small but steady flow of European C-Mels pre-dated that from back in the late 1800's..

Captain Muggles
User ID: 8026483 Nov 17th 8:03 AM
Alan (UK)....Thanks for the info. I'm always happy to learn something new and informative. My question is an echo of the original post. What is the earliest C melody. Specifically, if possible!

Captain Muggles
User ID: 8026483 Nov 17th 8:04 AM
Alan (UK)....Thanks for the info. I'm always happy to learn something new and informative. My question is an echo of the original post. What is the earliest C melody. Specifically, if possible!

Alan (UK)
User ID: 1341734 Nov 17th 9:11 AM
Earliest ? Can't be that specific, I'm afraid, even I'm not that old, although I feel it sometimes. As stated above, has to be back in the 'two octave key' era. Maybe Wade can remember......

By the way, I wanted to reply to your posting about rock n'roll being no good on a C-Mel, but I can't find it - any idea where it posted ?

WW2
User ID: 1585334 Nov 17th 5:20 PM
I know that the C-Melody was part of Sax's original patent. The oldest I have heard of was from 1890. Although I do have a photograph of a Civil War Band from 1863 (see http://mysite.verizon.net/res8o1o8/civilwarsax.jpg for the picture) that looks suspiciously like a C-Melody!

Next 20 Messages

DeanoTheSaxman User ID: 7552673	Oct 19th 4:53 PM Anyone know what the oldest C Melody anybody has, when did they start making them ?????
Roger Aldridge User ID: 0930774	Oct 20th 6:16 AM The earliest c-melody I've heard about is a 1905 Conn. I, too, have been curious about this question but have been unable to find any documentation about it. It appears that the various saxophone companies started making c-melodies at different points in time. It's likely that Conn was the first company and then, probably, Buescher. As far as I can determine, both companies made c-melodies prior to WWI.
Guwapo User ID: 2289444	Oct 20th 7:18 AM Before Conn started manufacturing their own c-melodies they imported Besson and Evette & Schaeffer c-melodies and stenciled their own name on them, i've seen stencils that date back to the 1890's.
DeanoTheSaxman User ID: 9711993	Oct 20th 7:30 AM I was just wondering, I'm currently working on a 1909 Holton serial number 8533, a very crude piece of engineering but works well and the tone is something else, although you need a good ear to keep it in tune!
Jim B User ID: 9781133	Oct 20th 11:02 AM I play on a Holton soprano sax made in 1912 and intonation is excellent thoughout it's range with a standard yamaha soprano sax mouthpiece. The instrument does sound more like an oboe than newly made sop. saxes. My earliest C melody is a Conn dating to 1916.
Guwapo User ID: 2289444	Oct 22nd 8:25 AM Well, the grand-daddie of them all is of course the first saxophone ever made in 1848 by Adolphe Sax, which just happens to be a C-Bass (8-})
CP2 User ID: 0136334	Oct 22nd 10:41 AM Is there any information about Adolph Sax having produced at least one of each type of saxophone from his original designs? i.e. sopranino,soprano,alto,tenor,baritone,bass and contrabass in both the marching band (Eb&Bb) and orchestral (C&F) groups.
DeanoTheSaxman (UK) User ID: 9711993	Oct 22nd 11:01 AM Yes, but the question I was asking was what was the earliest C-Melody made or anybody on the forum has???????
Guwapo User ID: 2289444	Oct 22nd 1:54 PM Deano ... The earliest C-Tenors I've heard about are those made by Jerome Thibouville-Lamy and Couesnon & Cie, definately made in the later years of the nineteenth century. They are distinquished by early keywork, a double octave mechanism and only went down to B natural. CP2 ... As I understand Adolphe Sax patented designs for two families of saxophone in (Eb&Bb) and (C&F) but never got round to producing all of these, some of those he did produce such as the F baritone no longer exist.
Jim B User ID: 1913054	Oct 24th 8:55 AM In jest I could say I have a C melody made in 1776. It has 4 strings and a wooden box. It lacks all the keywork and came with no neck nor reeds; probably lost in shipment from the UK. Oh, and it's made of wood not metal. I guess others are not going to tell what their oldest C melody instrument is. Mine is the tenor type neck Conn made in 1916.
ukebert User ID: 1446254	Oct 24th 9:15 AM A four stringed wooden instrument with no neck, interesting....
Ken User ID: 0171704	Oct 24th 3:51 PM Brings to mind "A man with a wooden leg called Smith" (in the film Mary Poppins)"What was the name of the other leg?"
alessio User ID: 9537533	Nov 13th 4:17 AM for conn c melody 1926 79xxx: have you the correct price?? (i'm italian , sorry for english)
Alan (UK) User ID: 8200143	Nov 16th 7:23 AM Ken - Jones ? (or for our US readers, Wesson ?) alessio - so much depends on condition of the sax - even then the prices vary a lot. Do a search on ebay (worldwide) for c-melody, and refine the search to be 'completed items' only. That will give you an idea.
Captain Muggles User ID: 9725373	Nov 16th 4:05 PM To All...I thought that 1914 was the patent date for C melodies. If so, all that went before should be prototypes. Am I correct or not?
Alan (UK) User ID: 8200143	Nov 16th 6:37 PM Incorrect, I'm afraid..... Without researching, that was almost certainly a US patent. C-Melody saxes were produced in Europe for quite a time before that, as detailed above, and exported to the US to be sold - some as stencils (e.g. Buffet) before US manufacturing took off (1914-1915 ?). The 20's C-mel boom was certainly based in the US, however a small but steady flow of European C-Mels pre-dated that from back in the late 1800's..
Captain Muggles User ID: 8026483	Nov 17th 8:03 AM Alan (UK)....Thanks for the info. I'm always happy to learn something new and informative. My question is an echo of the original post. What is the earliest C melody. Specifically, if possible!
Captain Muggles User ID: 8026483	Nov 17th 8:04 AM Alan (UK)....Thanks for the info. I'm always happy to learn something new and informative. My question is an echo of the original post. What is the earliest C melody. Specifically, if possible!
Alan (UK) User ID: 1341734	Nov 17th 9:11 AM Earliest ? Can't be that specific, I'm afraid, even I'm not that old, although I feel it sometimes. As stated above, has to be back in the 'two octave key' era. Maybe Wade can remember...... By the way, I wanted to reply to your posting about rock n'roll being no good on a C-Mel, but I can't find it - any idea where it posted ?
WW2 User ID: 1585334	Nov 17th 5:20 PM I know that the C-Melody was part of Sax's original patent. The oldest I have heard of was from 1890. Although I do have a photograph of a Civil War Band from 1863 (see http://mysite.verizon.net/res8o1o8/civilwarsax.jpg for the picture) that looks suspiciously like a C-Melody!