Adolphe Sax (1814-1894) was a Belgium born woodwind and brass instrument maker who started his career working in his father’s workshop, where he demonstrated exceptional skills and craftsmanship. He was a noted inventor and player, with a great deal of literature surrounding his life, with much of it contradictory as he made many enemies throughout his life. Sax was notoriously litigious, and was known to produce his own versions of the ideas of others. Following this, many makers sued Sax, and for the remainder of his life he was involved in a number of litigations. The lawsuits bankrupted him twice – in 1856 and 1873, although he continued to press on with his work despite his financial difficulties. His two main inventions, the saxhorn and the saxophone, have become incredibly well used, both in military situations and as an embodiment of the spirit of ‘The Jazz Age.’
Made In
City
Paris
Country
France
Description
Technical Description
3 valves.
Technical description: brass; ligature tuning at mouthpipe; fitting for music card holder. Valve type: Valves 1 and 3 Berlin-type, valve 2 hybrid Périnet-type; all bottom sprung; alignment by slot on lower part of piston, key on casing.
Overall size: 626; bell 149.
Sounding length: minimum 1245.
Bore: mouthpipe 9.9 (not tapered); distal end of ligature tuning slide at c 96mm from mouthpiece receiver, 10.0; centre of valve cluster at c 162mm from mouthpiece receiver, v.t.s. bores (1,2) 10.0, (3) 10.3 - 10.6; at 623mm from bell end, c 15.8; at c 379mm from bell end, 22.35. B = 0.52.
Dia of mouthpiece receiver: m.r.t. 10.0 (not tapered).
Inscribed on bell "No. 30365 / Saxhorn Ctre alto Sib Cavalerie / Adolphe Sax Fleur Brevete / de la Mson Milre de l'Empereur / 50, rue St Georges a Paris" / trademark AS with "PARIS" on stem of the letter S.