For all of you nay sayers out there, who don’t believe that any vintage, C pitched bass saxophones still exist, someone was kind enough to record a video and upload it YouTube.
The following is a Millereau C bass, played by Frédéric Couderc. The narration is provided by Bruno Kampmann, and yes, he does provide it in English as well. You’ll just have to wait until towards the end of the video to hear it. (After the horn’s 2nd solo performance.)
…this is just my blog. My “real” website is www.bassic-sax.info. If you’re looking for sax info, you should check it out too.There’s lots there!
@ThomasF: It would make sense that the Oscar Adler that your musical colleague bought could have been a C-pitched bass. Adler offered 9 different models of C bass saxophones. It would make sense that one or the other is still around somewhere in Europe. (Besides all the original ones that Gebrüder Mönnig Oscar Adler & Co Holzblasinstrumentenbau GmbH has in its possession.)
@Kev: I’m pretty sure they know the difference. Although Pete could likely find an argument against it somehow. 😉
@Bob: Oh, I don’t think I’ll have to adjust my poll, there’s not enough of these to matter. They’ll have to go into the “Other” category. 😛
@Paul: G.A.S.? You? Temptation is getting to you, isn’t it? :devil2:
Perhaps start with a HP bari. This bass really reminded me of my Evette Schaeffer from 1886. Not at all what we’re used to hearing. Very pleasing to the ear, and almost like a totally different instrument altogether.
Go on Paul… I dare you… Dip in your toe… The water’s fine…
Next thing you know, you’ll be adding an addition to your house for your collection. (Or in my case, an addition to the addition.) :loco:
What a glorious sound!
As Mr. Couderc plays it, it does sound more like an extended bari than a “smaller” bass.
I am now looking at my altos, tenors, and clarinets to consider which of them could be offered up for a GAS attack. 😉
paul
Well Helen, you may want to add this to your lengthening poll list of “What Kinds Of Saxophones Do You Play ?” It certainly looks to be right size for C-Bass Sax (but maybe high-pitch C-Bass) ? Am I right that pre-20th century french instruments are usually fairly CLOSE to the later low-pitch anyway ?
Hey Thomas F, any chance you can re-contact your bass-sax-buying friend from years ago ? I/we really want to know what became of that “small” Adler Bass…
Is there a chance this is a high pitch Bb? Or am I barking mad?
In the late 70’s a friend of mine bouhgt a bassax stamped Adler (Oscar?). It was smaller and sounded differnt when we copared the Adler sax to a Selmer bassax from the 50’s. He was looking for a Bb bassax. I think it was a C bassax!?!? I don’t know if he still have the sax? He moved up to the north of Sweden, so we don’t see each other any more.
Thomas