Conn C-Melody

Serial Number 106332 (1923)

SOLD

Beyootiful Gold-Plated Conn C-Melody

This C-Mel is in great shape.
Compare it to the gold-plated sax at WorldWideSax. Theirs has new pads, but I think mine is prettier.
Mine also comes with the original case and a vintage C-Mel mouthpiece.
And oh yeah...mine is a $1,100 cheaper. Why? I got it inexpensively and, frankly, I don't think a C-Mel, not matter how beautiful, would sell at such a high price.

The instrument has older, but good, Conn Reso-Pads and it plays well.
I am thinking it was repadded and then put away and not played

Let me list its shortcomings...they are minor:
- Looks like the neck has been polished enough that the gold-plate is almost worn through to the silver-plate underneath. The color is halfway between gold and silver.
- The back of the bell rim is bent down slightly.
- The gold-plate is worn to the silver at the touch-point by the right-hand thumbhook.
- The top post of the low B and Bb keys was resoldered.
- The forked Eb key is corked shut (not uncommon...it probably wouldn't take much to restore it if you want that alternative fingering.)
- A couple of the screw rods are a bit long...no functional problem there.
- A couple of the springs are replacements. You can tell because they are too long.

I totally refurbed the micro-tuner neck...smooth sailing.

Comes with an awesome red translucent C-Mel mouthpiece marked "Conn". Decent odds that it is original
It is in great playable shape.

This horn is in great condition...makes me happy to just look at it.
It has rolled toneholes, micro-tuner neck, tiny set screws, etc.
Comes with assumedly original gold-plated neck tightening screw, gold-plated lyre screw, gold-plated ligature, and gold-plated mouthpiece cap. [Actually, I am not 100% sure about the cap and lig, but I think so....]

Also comes with its original (assumedly) case. Good solid condition, but showing wear. More so than the horn itself.
While sturdy, I would not use it as a daily carrier.

I recently discovered the Beechler/ARB apparently makes a metal ARB mouthpiece for the C-Mel.
I tried an ARB metal mouthpiece with the silver-plated C-Mel I have for sale and it opens up the sound of the instrument gloriously.