Putting this here, because it's good content. In 2012, I wrote to Sacred Sax (who moderates a forum on SaxOnTheWeb) and asked:
Dear sacredsax,
Hi,
I'm thinking of getting a C to play in our church praise band (I've played both alto and tenor in praise bands before, but these guys are addicted to sharps, and besides, I don't want to drag my Mark IV out every Sunday for a few minutes unpaid playing.
I'm not much of a sax player, but I know enough to know that I sound better on my better-quality Selmer horns with upgraded mouthpieces. Both my Signet tenor and Mark V Alto have a full bore that delivers rich tonality. I've been told that even the best C-Melody horns had a bore that was relatively narrow and would not deliver as rich a tone. What's your take on this? Thanks - Paul
----Sacred Sax's reply----------Feel Free to add your own below-------------
Dear Paul,
Your reason for wanting a C Melody is a good one. I have played on our church music team for well over fifteen years. For the first five or so years I played alto ever though I owned a number of C-Melodies.
Then one day the light turned on and I have played one ever since. As our music became more difficult with the addition of the more modern choruses transposing on the fly became more of a problem than it was worth so I traded sharps for flats - lots of them.
The bore on the C-Melody was not an altered alto or tenor bore but one designed just for that voice. It was a conical bore of the style that was used by Adolph Sax on his horns,As such the C-Melody has it be played with that in mind and try to create a C-Melody sound and not one that sounds like and alto or tenor.
Using a good C-Melody mouthpiece is a good starting place but not having one of those a good large chamber alto mouthpiece can give good sound. I used a Caravan classical mouthpiece for quite awhile with good results.
The C-melody has a very full rich sound when played properly.
I have a Friend that plays C Melody professionally and he uses and old New York Meyer alto mouthpiece and has a tone to die for. I play a Goldbeck C-Melody mouthpiece which are next to impossible to find.
I agree with you on Selmers - I play either my radio improved gold plate alto to my silver plate Cigar Cutter. I also have a super balanced action 48xxx series alto. At one time I had Conn C-Melodies with the alto style tuner neck in gold plate, silver plate, and in polished brass, When I sold my collection I just kept the polished brass as I thought it produced the fullest mello tone and have not regretted it. I am personally fond to these Conns however for every Conn lover there are those partial to Bueschers, Martins, Kings, etc.
Good luck with your C-Melody venture. You will enjoy playing it with your church group but remember playing the C-Melody well takes some effort and work. They are their own horn so to speak.
- "SacredSax"