Vintage Martin C Melody Sax
We think from the
serial number that this sax was made in the 1920's. It is in fully
playable condition having been serviced by Dennis Primett, who described
it as the best C melody he'd played. As you can see the lacquer is very
worn & scratched. It has a mouthpiece and the original case which is in
useable condition.
The following is from Steven Goodson at saxgourmet.com : "These horns are
under appreciated . They are undervalued. Play one in good adjustment and
you’ll see what I mean. I’ve used a The Martin baritone for years. They
are the best of the vintage baritones. All of the Martin horns have a
sweet sound, and a very lush lower end."
(These are photos of this
actual sax).
£499
incl.vat & UK mainland delivery.
A main characteristic
of Martin is its thick soldered tone holes. Everything about the Martin is
robust and so is its sound. The Martin's sound remains full and warm where
others sound shrill.
During the economic let down following WWI American instrument makers seized upon the C saxophone as a way to promote sales outside the professional musician and student markets. It was highly successful for around 20 years as it was easier for novice players. It then went out of fashion as players preferred the tone of the alto & tenor. Its a little larger than the alto, smaller than a tenor and of course you can play from the same piece of music as accompanying instruments such as piano. Fingering and blowing is the same as on alto and tenor but the sound will come out in concert pitch so there's no transposing to worry about. Nowadays the C melody sax has a significant following with websites dedicated to the instrument.
Company
history
Originally “The Martin Company” was
founded by John Henry Martin. John Martin , born February 25, 1835 in
Dresden Germany, learned to make instruments in Germany as an apprentice.
In 1855 he emigrated to the USA, where in 1865 he moved to Chicago. The
“The Martin Company” was founded by him in 1865 (other sources claim
around 1890) in Chicago. In 1871 it the factory the factory was destroyed
by a (not the) great Chicago fire. In 1876, he moved to Elkhart and became
the 6th employee to work for Conn. His health forced him to retire in
1902. In 1920 he died.
The second company called “The Martin Band Instrument Company” was founded in 1904 (other sources claim 1906) by the five sons of John Martin. From 1904 (or 1906) till 1910, the five brothers build their instruments in their homes. In 1910 they moved to Elkhart, where at Baldwin street they started their factory.
We would sincerely appreciate any further information on this sax if anyone out there has any!
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