Tubax

Tubax
Tubax
B-flatSubcontrabassTubax.jpg
Classification

Wind Woodwind

Aerophone
Hornbostel–Sachs classification 422.212-71
(Single-reeded aerophone with keys)
Inventor(s) Adolphe Sax
Developed 28th June 1846[1]
Playing range
No image.png

Written Range:
Sax range.svg
Note: With proper use of overtones, the saxophone's range can be extended.
Related instruments

Military band family:


Orchestral family:


Other saxophones:

  • Sopranissimo saxophone ('Soprillo')
  • Tubax
Musicians
More articles

The tubax is a modified saxophone developed in 1999 by the German instrument maker Benedikt Eppelsheim. It is available in both E contrabass and B or C subcontrabass sizes. Its name is a portmanteau of the words "tuba" and "sax".

Although the tubax has the same fingering, mouthpiece, and reed as a regular saxophone, there is some controversy over whether it is technically a true saxophone since it has a much narrower (though still conical) bore. Some suggest this narrow-bore design makes the tubax akin to the double-reed sarrusophone; however, the tubax's bore is much larger than the corresponding size of the sarrusophone's and its sound has a richer timbre and noticeably more acoustical presence. The first size of tubax to be developed was the E contrabass. It has the same register as a regular contrabass saxophone but is much more compact and thus more manageable due to its tubing being folded more times. It takes a baritone saxophone mouthpiece. While the timbre of the E tubax is more focused and compact than that of the full-sized contrabass saxophone, it still blends well with other sizes of saxophones and can be played with great agility due to its air-efficient bore design.

More recently, Eppelsheim also began making a subcontrabass tubax in CCC and BBB. The B instrument is equivalent in register to the subcontrabass saxophone proposed by Adolphe Sax but never created. The subcontrabass tubax uses a baritone saxophone or bass saxophone mouthpiece. While several B subcontrabasses are already in use, only one C model has been manufactured. It was sold to Thomas Mejer of Switzerland in July 2002; he has recorded on it with Peter A. Schmid as the "Two Tubax Duo."[citation needed]

Contents

Notable tubax performers

External links

Listening

References