Is this really a sopranino?

[geo@loyola.edu]

Have written to the seller of http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2539667011&category=16 203&rd=1, but I haven't heard back yet.
Is this a sopranino or a C soprano? For one thing, it looks more like a C sop next to the Bb sop. For another thing, Buescher sopraninos (that I know of anyway) don't have a G# key, the C# key doing the job.

Is it me, or ...?

[paulwl]

Definitely a C. Ninos look like real shrimps next to Bb sopranos. The side by side pictures don't give away a lot about the horns' relative lengths, but I'm not getting that "Ooo, teeny!" feeling you get looking at a nino. You're also right about Bueschers lacking a separate G# button (some, anyway).

Then of course, the guy may think sopraninos came in C and Eb. And why not? Back in the day even the Eb was a "soprano."

[Big Nick]

Considering the age, do you also need to check that it's low pitch?

[geo@loyola.edu]

Just in case anybody's interested in this item, the seller replied to my question to the effect that she's really not sure, but everybody's telling her it's a C. Here are some added particulars:

56 MM long (22" inches)
Serial: 12022X
Low Pitch

[geo@loyola.edu]

I should have added that that length definitely makes it a C sop, not an Eb sopranino.

[Paul Coats]

As I have worked on C sopranos, and from the picture comparing to the Bb, and the 22 inch length, it IS a C soprano.

You don't need to worry about the high pitch issue with the Bueschers, because they were ALL "low pitch". But Conn did make both high and low pitch saxes.

FYI for readers who don't know what this is about: "Low Pitch" instruments play at A=440 hz, and will play quite well in tune with modern instruments. "High Pitch" were either imported from Europe, or made for export to Europe, long ago. There is NO WAY a "High Pitch" sax can be made to play in tune with modern instruments at the standard A=440 pitch level. You cannot pull out the mouthpiece far enough, you cannot have more tubing soldered on the neckpipe. Well, you can, but the sax will never play in tune with itself.

[Pete]

You sure about the Bueschers being only LP? I thought that was only Martin and HN White (King) -- i.e. they expressly say in vintage ads that they sold only LP horns.

[AbrahamFackle]

kinda off topic... the Nuclear Whale's Buffet contrabass is a high-pitch instrument. They've got a custom long neck for it and the player basically false fingers and lips it into tune.

[Pete]

Abe, see Paul's comment, above. Do you have any evidence to back up your claim?

There were very, very few Buffet (Evette & Schaeffer) Eb contras produced, maybe around 20 or so. Paul Cohen's is LP. RJ Verdi's is LP. It makes me doubt that others are HP.

[AbrahamFackle]

My repair tech got a chance to look at it when they toured here a few years ago. He fixed something on their 'nino.

[Super 20 Player]

Here's a link to the page about that horn on the Nuclear Whales website. It doesn't say anything about it being a high pitch horn, and it makes specific mention of the custom neck being a replica of an original.

http://www.nuclearwhales.com/info.htm#mother

[garyinla]

"There is NO WAY a "High Pitch" sax can be made to play in tune with modern instruments at the standard A=440 pitch level. You cannot pull out the mouthpiece far enough, you cannot have more tubing soldered on the neckpipe. Well, you can, but the sax will never play in tune with itself."

I know a pro session sax player who is playing very well and in tune A440 on a High PITCH Conn curved soprano.