The following is a description that Paul Coats wrote for creating a Low A extension for a low Bb bari. I have been using one for more than 5 years now. It works great, and on my Selmer, it has perfect intonation. Photos by M. Margison Copyright 2005

Making a Low A for your Low Bb Bari

By Paul Coats

There it is—you knew you would run into it sooner or later: low A. And your old Bari Sax only goes to low Bb. Do you play it an octave up? Do you ask the director to give you another note to play? Whatcha gonna do?

Go to the lumber yard or hardware store and ask them to cut a piece of 4" PVC sewer pipe (4" I.D., 4 7/16" O.D.) to a length of 6". You also need some foam weather strip material and gold or silver spray paint (to match your sax).

Spray the pipe inside and out with the matching paint. When it's dry, put a few bands of foam weather strip around one end. Insert this into the bell of the bari. Finger low Bb, and you will produce a low A! Compare the pitch to the second space A, or to a low C on the piano. Pretty close, huh?

It is seldom you will need to play both the low Bb and low A in the same passage. You will usually have time to insert it a few bars before, and can remove it after—just as a trumpet player uses a mute.

Go on, laugh all you want, but it works!!! A low A extension made to these measurements will fit and work properly on Conn, Bundy, Selmer USA, Buescher, and most other low Bb baris.

So, who's laughing now?

Check this message from Kevin to see how he had to adapt these instructions for his 1920s Adolph Sax stencil.

Back to the top of the page.