The functionality here is way less than all the stuff I coded into the old blog – I’ve already found that ’Recent Comments’ doesn’t show the date and the first part of the comment, it’s not so easy to send things elsewhere (except by RSS), and the ‘Custom’ bits here are a bit restrictive in what can be achieved (I do miss the little mp3 player…).

Plus I also miss the old colour scheme.  So, if even a couple of you want to go back, I’m willing to make the transition before too much is committed here – speak now and we can be back home by the weekend.  Even the ongoing Aquilasax C review can come with us….   On the subject of which, incidentally, it is turning out to be a very playable sax – especially considering the price and it’s uniqueness !   Well done Steve.

Let me know your thoughts !

Alan.

Just a quick ‘heads up’ that I’m doing a review of my recently arrived Aquilasax C Tenor, over the next few weeks. Looks (and plays) very promising !

Here’s the link – or you can click on the “AQUILASAX C – 2008” tab near the top of the front page.

Worth checking back often, it’ll be building slowly but surely… I’ll probably add a comment any time I make any major changes, so it will update the rss comments feed.
( e.g. http://cmelodysaxuk.wordpress.com/comments/feed/ )

Thanks for all your support ! It’s well worth a visit… You’re welcome to have a look around here - remember that most of the topics here are  forwarded from the old blog (complete with comments ). Easy Peasy – I hope I havent missed anything…

Why not leave a comment here or even email me if you like it (or not) or spot any obvious goofs !

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And the other style of sideshow available, this time from slide.com

My 1931 Martin C-Melody Sax – click on any of the pictures to go to a more formal (conventional…) slideshow !

If the slideshow changes to an ‘advert’ screen – click the ‘x’ in the top right corner (of the slideshow) to get back to the pictures…

A week back, I think prompted by a comment on a forum about his C-Mel playing, I seem to have found what I suspect is the only current commercial C-Soprano player – have a listen to the “Shadow of Lo” clip on this Amazon page

He’s called Chip Shelton, certainly looks like C-Sop and C-Mel in the picture – makes sense, as he normally plays ‘C’ flute – check out the website – I’ve heard him playing flute before (great player) but I suspect that C-Melody and C-Soprano are a new’ish venture ?

I’m having problems contacting him to confirm details, but from the picture (click on it for a bigger one) it certainly looks like C-Mel and C-Sop, and the short Amazon sound samples seem to confirm it – maybe I’ll just have to buy the tracks…  Anyone know anything ?

Interestingly, notice the angled flute head – he’s a ‘vertical’ flute player as well !

This does seem to confirm it, a review of the Imbued With Memories album.

Ok, so the mouthpiece is upside down, it’s a Buescher but with a straight neck…  Hmmm, a Conn neck ?  Possibly, but it’s a bit out of proportion, looks a bit too short for a C neck – so probably a Conn ALTO microtuner neck ?

Why not, it’s got a Holton case as well – I’ll just go and see what I can make out of mix-n-match bits.  Should make for some interesting combinations !

Pity this one sold for just over $200, when real Bueschers, with a real Buescher neck, and real Buescher case, often sell for less…

Seems like ‘buyer beware’ is still a valid comment.

Question)- Do you do repair or an overhaul ?

Answer)- The priceless hands of our craftsmen are waiting to give a new life to your priceless instrument. It doesn’t matter which instrument it is, how old it is, how bad it is or what make it is, you can get it overhauled for US $50 only. (Note: You are responsible for shipping charges to and from Hakam Din. We recommend that you insure your package as well.)

$50 ? Even at third-world labour rates, that’s amazing… If it wasn’t for the potentially prohibitive cost of sending a package to/from Pakistan, I’d be quite tempted to send them a battered, pad-less, C-Mel to see exactly what they’d do for $50…

P.S. Wonderful address… 21/176 Hakam Din Street – Sialkot 51310 – PAKISTAN – I’d just love to see a picture of the factory !

I wasn’t originally going to say anything until after it had arrived, but, as I’ve ‘outed myself’ on saxontheweb I may as well confirm it here. One of the new batch of C’s was shipped out to me yesterday. I had been waiting for bare-brass, but they seem a while off yet – so I’ve gone for something less exotic in the meantime, plain lacquer. I can’t resist the urge to try one any longer.

I will be giving it a thorough online review, after it arrives – which is probably 8-10 days away – both out of personal interest and to give Steve any helpful feedback that I can. In the meantime I’d better play the Aquilasax alto that I have, just to get used to (e.g.) the modern tilting table ! The old Martins are going to feel a tad neglected in the next month or so… Although it may be interesting to compare the new C sound with the elderly Martin C.

However, a very astute statement from the well respected  Mr Stephen Howard, who admits to having played a C-Mel in a blues band, leaves me wondering “Why didn’t I really notice that ?”

Here is his comment from that scary place – alt.music.saxophone -

“In theory they’re a great idea – but in practice they have a tendency
to take the worst aspects from the alto and tenor saxes. Thus you get
the lower end response of an alto and the top end response of a tenor.
If it were the other way round….

I played one for a few years in a blues band – it was kind of fun, but
never really very satisfying.”

Hmm, Stephen has done great reviews on both Martin and King C-Mels – as well as many other more modern instruments – so I respect his opinion.  Food for thought, indeed.