Alto saxophone. Nominal pitch: E♭.

M. Couturier

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Instrument

Alto saxophone

Instrument Family

Wind

Maker

M. Couturier

Place Made

Western Europe ; Europe ; Paris ; France

Date Made

Circa 1880

Description

Technical description: Silver-plated keys. Curved body and crook (silver-plated brass); thread lapping for mouthpiece; wooden mouthpiece with silver-plated brass ligature. Box and screw for music card-holder.Lowest note is written B₃. No rollers. F₆ touchpiece operated by second joint of L2 rather than L1. L0: Two simple octave keys; upper key, on crook, is attached to lower touchpiece by a 'crocodile' clip at the end of the touchpiece which fastens to a circular ring at the end of the keyhead lever. L1: B₄; D₆; E♭₆. L2: A₄; F₆. L3: G₄. L4: G♯₄; C♯₄; B₃. R1: F₄; side B♭₄; E₆. R2: E₄. R3: D₄. R4: E♭₄; C₄. Keymount type: pillars mounted on plates. Keyhead type: modern. Serial number: 548. Overall size: 660; bell diameter 113. Sounding length: air column length without mouthpiece 952. Bore: at proximal end of crook 12.6; at distal end of crook 24.2. Inscription: on front of bell "M. COUTURIER / PELISSON FRERES & CIE / LYON-PARIS", also "SYSTEM GEORGE" / "548" upside-down / "BREVETE / S.G.D.G." within oval. With case. Repair History: Reed cap missing. Usable pitch: Plays at A₄ = c 440 Hz. Performance characteristics: All notes which use upper octave key are very sharp. Pads are not seating well, so that no notes below written G₄ are possible, however tone is good. Illustration references: Campbell et al. 2004, dust jacket and p.94 Figure 3.10b.

Notes

N. Parks, 26.10.96, Aug 1991; R. Parks, 1.6.96. Melanie Piddocke, 4.12.10.

Measurements

660; bell diameter 113.

Provenance

Government allocation to the University, 1991.

Collection

C.H. Brackenbury Memorial Collection ; MIMEd

Accession Number

1047

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