subcontrabass saxophone

It is a transposing instrument pitched in B, one octave below the bass saxophone, two octaves below the tenor, and three octaves and a major second below its written pitch.

• Name — Subcontrabass saxophone • Range — The subcontrabass saxophone in B sounds three octaves and a major second lower than written. The first model, created by J'Élle Stainer, extended to a written low B (sounding A). A subsequent model by Benedikt Eppelsheim reached a written low A (sounding G). • Developed — Conceived 1846; first instrument 2010 • Musicians — * Attilio Berni • Jay C. Easton • Gilberto Lopes • Todd White • Builders — * Benedikt Eppelsheim • Galassine • J'Élle Stainer

Although described in Adolphe Sax's patent in 1846, a practical, playable subcontrabass saxophone did not exist until the 21st century. An oversized saxophone that might have qualified was built as a prop around 1965; it could produce tones, but its non-functional keywork required assistants to manually open and close the pads, and it was reportedly incapable of playing a simple scale. • Illustration — Compact subcontrabass saxophone manufactured by J'Élle Stainer c. 2010, Musical Instruments Museum, Brussels The tubax was developed in two sizes in 1999 by German instrument manufacturer Benedikt Eppelsheim, the lower of which, pitched in B, he described as a "subcontrabass saxophone". This instrument provides the same pitch range that the saxophone bourdon would have, while the smaller tubax in E covers the range of the contrabass saxophone. Compared to a regular saxophone of the same pitch, a tubax has a narrower bore and uses a smaller reed. In the 2000s, contrabass and subcontrabass saxophones became popular in church orchestras in Brazil and are made by Brazilian instrument manufacturers J'Élle Stainer and Galassine. J'Élle Stainer produced a working compact subcontrabass saxophone in 2010 which was shown that year at Expomusic. In September 2012, Eppelsheim built the first full-size subcontrabass saxophone in B (distinct from his B tubax). In July 2013, J'Élle Stainer completed a full-size subcontrabass saxophone; It stands 2.74 m high and weighs 28.6 kg. In Brazil, at least one Octocontrabass, built in E an octave below the contrabass, has been made.

*