Accessories New Case for C-Melody Sax!!

[Steve Stockham]

So, here I am looking on ebay for a C-Melody saxophone. I am steering towards a Martin or a King due to the "tenor" quality of their sound as opposed to say... a Conn which has more of an alto quality. Granted, the choice of mouthpiece is a major factor in the type of sound produced and I planned on using a Graphtonite B3 with mine.
Anyway, I found a 1925 King that was in perfect playing condition (it actually was!) and snagged it. I have been using it in our church's orchestra (it's essentially a wind and string ensemble that augments the "regular" band of guitars, bass, trap set, keyboard, etc..) and have been having a blast for the last six months. Therein lay the problem! The case that the King came in was a 1925 case. You know the type, purple felt, no padding, musty "old" smell... something had to be done!
Enter Aquilasax! I did some research and found that they sell new C-Melody tenors and sopranos. They also sell the cases separately! It turns out that the wood case was designed to house a Conn C-Melody (i.e. split bell keys) but that a King should fit, if somewhat snug. I took a chance and ordered one. It showed up yesterday after only a two week wait (excellent!) and my sax fits perfectly! It's exactly what I needed! If you have a C melody and want to get away from an 80+ year old case, I heartily recommend Aquilasax!

 

[jonf]

Me too. I got one of their cases for my Conn C Mel. Same experiences as you. I also got one of their tenor style necks, so I can put a tenor mouthpiece on it. In both cases, excellent service.

 

[Justin Chune]

I bought a Windcraft mouthpiece for my C melody but I don't like it much and use either alto or tenor mouthpieces instead. The case is original and looks brand new inside, but the outside looks its age with broken locks and handle.

Jim.

 

[Nick Wyver]

Case for a C melody? A Tesco bag would do, wouldn't it?

 

[Chris J]

Case for a C melody? A Tesco bag would do, wouldn't it?

C Mels have feelings too, you know!

I have an Aquilasax one for mine too

Chris

 

[Steve Stockham]

Now that's a sweet saxophone and deserves all the love and respect you can give it! I bought my King C-Tenor (which is really what it is) mostly for curiosity but also to help me get back into improving and to introduce my son to it. When Paul Austin, our director, starts jammin on the piano (he's scarily good!) I sometimes just start jammin with him on the C-Tenor and it's much easier to get "the feel" than when I play the Bb Tenor. (Before anybody says anything, note that I said "get me back into improving!") I also play the Bb Tenor but it's gonna take some more "shedd'n" before I'm ready to tackle improv!
Anyway, a saxophone deserves love, care and respect no matter what key it's in! If it's well built (King, Martin, Conn, Selmer, Buescher, etc... all good names!) and has reasonably good intonation (hey, they are mostly from the 20's and 30's!) then it deserves the respect one would give a Bb or Eb cousin! There is a small but growing minority of saxophonists that are re-discovering the unique sound of the C saxophone, both tenor and soprano! The more I play mine, the more in love with it I become! When I mated a Graphtonite B3 to it, that C-Melody saxophone truly became a C-Tenor with full projection to the point that I get the soloist/1st part saxophone which Paul specifically arranges for me (saving me the trouble of doing it!) Is it an "aquired taste?" Ehhh........ ;}