The Sopranino saxophone plays in the key of E flat, and the sound that it produces is an octave higher than that of the Alto saxophone. This saxophone produces a sound that is an octave below than that of the tenor saxophone.
The Bass Saxophone is considered to be one of the largest members of the saxophone family, even larger than the popular baritone saxophone. The history of this saxophone goes back to the s when Adolphe Sax presented this instrument in at an exhibition in Brussels. It is pitched in Bb which means it plays in the key of B flat.
This is one of the largest types of saxophones to exist and is twice the length of the baritone saxophone. It is also the second lowest-pitched member of the saxophone family. While it is one octave below the baritone saxophone in terms of sound, it is incredibly heavy and weighs approximately 45 pounds.
Not only does this saxophone look impressive but produces a fine, rich tone and carries an exquisite acoustic presence. The tone, however, can range from melodious and soft to harsh and rough, which greatly depends on how the player uses it. In recent times, there has been significant growth in the number of contrabass saxophonists, resulting in a definite increase in chamber music and solo music literature.
This saxophone is also particularly famous among those woodwind players who look for an extreme or an ethereal kind of a tone. Unlike other saxophones, the Subcontrabass saxophone is one that Adolphe Sax did plan to build but never got around to its construction. This saxophone is a transposing instrument that plays in the key of B flat. The suncontrabass sax produces sounds that are an octave below that of the bass saxophone and two octaves below the tenor saxophone.
Interestingly, until the s, no playable and genuine subcontrabass saxophone was made or produced. However, a much playable and real such saxophone was developed in by an instrument manufacturer from Munich, Germany, called Benedikt Eppelsheim. While this instrument has the same fingering process as that of a contrabass saxophone, its conical-shaped bore is narrower, compared to a regular saxophone.
In September , the development of the first-ever subcontrabass saxophone was completed that stood 7 feet 5 inches tall. In terms of size, this saxophone is smaller than a tenor saxophone but larger than an alto saxophone. Most of the C-Melody saxophones have curved necks with a shape similar to that of a tenor saxophone.
One of the defining characteristics of this saxophone is that it is not a transposing instrument which means that players and musicians could read music notes without having to transpose. This proved to be a major selling point for this instrument as compared to several other types of saxophones. This is comparatively a newly designed and modified contrabass saxophone that is pitched in the tune Eb and produces a sound that is one octave below than the baritone saxophone.
Compared to a conventional contrabass saxophone, the Tubax saxophone consists of a narrower bore which means that it requires a lesser amount of air to blow in. The narrow bore makes it very easy to play this instrument softly even in the lowest register. This saxophone is folded four times which makes it almost cm high. A defining feature of the Tubax saxophone is that it has a special vent key that facilitates overblowing and can be controlled by the left thumb of the musician.
This allows musicians to play different tones and ranges without having to shift or use too much of their facial muscles. This was believed to be a very bold and innovative take on the saxophone instrument which was developed by Conn, an American instrument manufacturer in The goal behind the creation of the Conn-O-Sax was to create a new voice for all the saxophonists.
This is why you can find such a great discrepancy from one horn to the next in the same model range. Now they were using computer modeling, and more modern factory technology. There was actually less hand hammering of bells and body because the workers were developing severe carpal tunnel and other injuries to their wrists.
They were doing far more machining than they ever did, and yet the horns I played were more consistent and the tone of every one of them was pure and resonant. I guess I can now throw away the old romantic image of the craftsman painstakingly hammering a bell hundreds of times, putting every piece together by hand, like an artist producing an image on canvas or a sculptor chipping away at a block of stone and coming up with a work of art that contains the soul of the artist.
It seems that modern technology can produce a better instrument, and one that can still be expressive, or more so than its older counterparts. It takes the player to inject soul into it. It seems Selmer has poised itself once again to stay at the top of the saxophone world. If they can continue to produce saxophones like they do, and continue their tradition and history of innovation, they no doubt will. The first Selmer saxophone was the Modele 22, produced in It was a fairly unremarkable horn, and in that time, professionals still preferred saxophones made by Conn, Buescher, Martin and to a lesser extant, Cuesnon.
The one feature that made it different from other saxophones at the time was that the bell keys were located on one side of the bell, whereas other saxophones of the period still employed split bell keys, meaning B and Bb were opposite one another on the bell. The Modele 26 had improved keywork over its predecessor, and the Modele 28 is really the same saxophone, except it was made after Selmer acquired the original Adolphe Sax factory in Around the same time they bought the Adolphe Sax factory, they made limited editions of "Adolphe Sax" horns that used the bodies of original Sax instruments with Selmer keywork.
The engraving was similar to Adolphe Sax horns. About of these were made, but I have never seen one nor can I find a picture of it other than this. Next came the "Supers" which utilized the rocker type of octave mechanism that has since become the most copied style of all octave mechanism designs.
This was followed by the "Radio Improved" which featured slightly improved keywork and a redesigned G cluster and neck. Another interesting feature is the teakettle octave vent.
The Jimmy Dorsey Model was actually released during the middle of the Balanced Action run in , but used the same body and keywork of the Super Series, but with a Balanced Action Sheet bell key guard placed over the wire key guard.
They were available only as an alto and tenor, and are among Selmer's rarest horns, only about having been produced. The Super Balanced Action was introduced in and featured slightly changed neck and bore proportions, refined ergonomics, the "Remov-a-Bell" seal which made it easier for repairmen to have access to the bell in order to fix and remove dents and other damage to the bell.
The tone holes were also offset in a more radial fashion, whereas earlier BA's were more or less in a straight line, like other saxophones. The Padless was introduced in and made in the US at the Buescher factory, which was assembling Selmer saxophones that came into the US. Buescher was later bought by Selmer.
The padless was a revolutionary design, using rubber "O" rings instead of pads to seal the tone holes. However, the design was never popular and never took off. This is the second rarest model after the Jimmy Dorsey sax. Less than were made and it was discontinued after 6 months of production.
You can see in the photos that although produced at the time of the Balanced Action, the design is more like a Buescher of the period including its G cluster, bell keys on the left side with wire key guard of the Super Series. Unarguably the most famous and sought after saxophone in history, and arguably the best saxophone ever made. Introduced in and finishing its run in , a span of 20 years, it didn't take much time for all the other saxophone manufacturers and models to slowly fall by the wayside.
The Mark VI may be responsible for or at least be a large factor in the demise of saxophone manufacturing in America. There are other reasons of course, but by this time, the design and keywork was leaps and bounds above other makers. Some will say the best sounding too, but I don't agree there.
I have played over mark VI's, all in proper working order, and have found lots of inconsistencies in the sound, using the same set up I always use. That's as it should be considering the horn was hand made, and anyway, tone is subjective, and also considering what Jerome Selmer told me about how they did not work from blueprints or models, and tweaked things as they went along without a definite line of demarcation from one horn to another. However, there probably are very few saxophone greats who have never played a Mark VI at one point or another.
The mystique of the Mark VI is so great that many younger players, when they achieve a high level of playing and also have the bucks to afford one, immediately go looking for a Mark VI, like the Knights looking for the Holy Grail.
All I can say is, if you find one and it is the right saxophone for you, if it sings for you the way you want it to, then by all means get it. There were two series of Dorsey horns. The first series was made in with serial numbers 24xxx and the second in with serial numbers 27xxx. Home » Museum » Serial Numbers. True Tone - Buescher Manufacturing Co. Year Range Serial Range - - New Wonder - Chu Berry Year Range Serial Range - - - - - - - - - - - - F-mezzo soprano Keyed in F, the F-mezzo design is a unique hybrid between the Chu Berry and the Naked Lady with same side bell keys.
Basic design is of the Chu Berry family. Year Range Serial Range - - KING H. Year Range Serial Range - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Super - "Cigar Cutter" Year Range Serial Range - - - - Super non-cigar cutter Year Range Serial Range - - Super - Radio Improved Year Range Serial Range - - Balanced Action Year Range Serial Range - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Selmer Balanced Action "Dorsey" There were two series of Dorsey horns.
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