Saxophone Innovations

[Gandalfe]

I was reading another fine forum, the Bass Coup (http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Bass_Sax_Coop/message/4011), and wanted to start a thread that tracked innovations in the design of saxophones since Adolphe Saxe introduced them so many years ago. A tip of the hat to Raymond Morris for starting this list which I and others have already added to:

1. Articulated mechanism that makes the low C# key double as a G# key.
2. Changed layout of the keys served by the left hand's little finger.
3. Front button for high F.
4. Key for high F#
5. Low 'A' on baritone saxophones.
6. Adjustable thumb rest.
7. Alternate F# key.
8. G# trill key (rare).
9. Many mouthpiece designs
10. More attractively-shaped necks on alto and tenor saxophones.
11. Straight and bent neck options on soprano saxes.
12. Adding altissimo vents
13. Intonation improvements by tweaking the tonehole layout
14. The use of three octave vents

Reportedly some small Brazilian manufacturers produce baritone and bass saxophones with their bells extended and fitted with mechanism to produce low Ab, G and longer models that produce low Gb and F. The left and right thumbs work the keys for these extra low notes. However these interesting instruments do not appear to
exist outside of Brazil and we have no independent reports about their quality.

"It seems to me that Herr Eppelsheim is our contemporary Adolphe Saxe. He designed a compact narrow-bore Eb contrabass saxophone and named it the Tubax.

He designed a Bb bass saxophone with a shorter overall length and with a radical circular neck and wider bore. I look forward to his continuing improvements in saxophone design." Raymond Morris

[hornimus]

- Offset LH/RH stack tonehole layout
- Removable bow/bell
- Adjustable key bumpers (for bell/bow keys)
- Independent hinge pivots for upper stack G and bis-Bb.
- Vertically adjustable thumbrests (Martins! Swiveling alone just doesn't amount to much, IMHO.) One evolutionary step that didn't catch on.
- Tilting lowBb/C# linkage (and low C#/B linkage on certain models)
- Dumbbell F#/bis-Bb bridge mounted on lower stack hinge rod instead of low F keycup
- Adjustment screws for stack keys, front F
- Adjustment lug mechanism
- Better consumables (teflon, tech cork, pads, lubricants)
- Ribbing !!

Oops, scratch ribbing, I think Adolph had that on his horns from the outset...

[tomasi]

- Non stick G# mechanism as on at least Keilwerths
- D thrill key as on G H Hüllers (Rare?)
- Dual low C toneholes as on G H Hüllers (Also rare)

[Gandalfe]

The soprillo by Benedikt Eppelsheim? 8-)

[Nopunonsax]

I am sure that the SOTW forum must have discussed Houvenaghel's Saxophone "le Rationnel" in the past. It seems to me to be one of the most radical and interesting innovations in saxophone design since Adolphe Sax's original and ground-breaking design. In Houvenaghel's design, the third finger of the right hand which turns B natural into B flat, lowers ALL notes by a semitone from F upwards. It never caught on and was withdrawn. Details can be found at: http://www.saxgourmet.com/leblanc.htm

[SuperAction80]

- Non stick G# mechanism as on at least Keilwerths


:D :D :D Absolutely!!! I have been told that Martin actually started this innovation long ago. It's kind of funny that the other big manufacturers haven't jumped onto the cure for this very common (and annoying) problem. Crud patches anyone?

[playitfunky]

let me know when they invent the sound like Micheal Brecker button.

[daigle65]

At the turn of the century Evette-Schaeffer come up with the Apogée System.
http://www.saxpics.com/buffet/apogee.htm

Very innovative but an evolutionary dead end.
The more complicated the key system, the more often you visit your tech.

[Wonder woman]

I believe the first saxophones had a double octave key mechanism similar to that of the oboe, so combining those into one key is an innovation. I think that has a specific name but I can't think of what it is...

Also the first saxophone had multiple keys that allowed it to play well into the altissimo register, but Sax decided to remove those keys because he didn't like the sound of the instrument.

The first saxophone was also a bass instrument, so the invention of the higher register instruments could be considered a major innovation.