{"id":31542,"date":"2012-04-22T10:46:28","date_gmt":"2012-04-22T17:46:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bassic-sax.info\/blog\/?p=31542"},"modified":"2024-05-30T09:41:53","modified_gmt":"2024-05-30T16:41:53","slug":"big-lungs-play-jelle-stainer-full-size-subcontrabass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bassic-sax.info\/blog\/2012\/big-lungs-play-jelle-stainer-full-size-subcontrabass\/","title":{"rendered":"Just How Big Are Your Lungs? Could You Play The New J\u2019\u00c9lle Stainer Full-size Subcontrabass?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A few weeks ago I published a series (1<\/a>, 2<\/a>, 3<\/a>) of articles on J\u2019\u00c9lle Stainer’s compact subcontrabass saxophone<\/a>, which now resides in Italy. Attilio Berni  is now the owner of the impressive horn, and he uses it regularly in his performances with the Italian Saxophobia Project<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Sure the horn is impressive, but the people at J\u2019\u00c9lle Stainer are not content to just have 1 option for any voice of sax. True to form, Gilberto Lopes has been working, together with Joao Luiz da Rocha, to ensure a full-size version of a subcontrabass saxophone is realized.<\/p>\n

Joao Luiz da Rocha is the creative genius who designs and crafts the very special horns that J\u2019\u00c9lle Stainer makes. While Gilberto Lopes is the man responsible for the company’s marketing, product research, trade fairs and financing.<\/p>\n

\"J'Elle<\/a><\/p>\n

     Source: Gilberto Lopes Used With Permission<\/h6>\n

It has been 5 years in the making, but in only a few short months, this big sax\u2014which has been nicknamed Anaconda<\/em>\u2014will be finished. It is not fully assembled yet, so final numbers aren’t in, but at present it stands approximately 2.8 metres tall (just over 9 feet) without a stand, and weighs in at 34 kg (74.9 lbs). Its weight will certainly top out at over 75 lbs, when all the key guards and reinforcements have been attached.<\/p>\n

Gilberto Lopes was kind enough to send me some recent photos of this monster horn. These shots will give you an idea of just how large this horn is, and how small our conventional horns are in comparison.<\/p>\n

In these photos you will see how it lives up to its Anaconda name. Joao Luiz da Rocha is having to fend off an attack from his own creation.  \":mrgreen:\"  I guess the low A bari just wasn’t filling enough.  \ud83d\ude09  <\/p>\nngg_shortcode_0_placeholder\n

  Source: Gilberto Lopes Used With Permission<\/h6>\n

Horn Specs:<\/h3>\n
    \n
  • Bb subcontrabass saxophone (1 octave lower than the bass).<\/li>\n
  • Range: low Bb to high F#. This actually places it outside the normal piano range, since a regular piano’s lowest note is usually an A\u2014the low B on this horn.<\/li>\n
  • Height: Approximately 2.8 metres.<\/li>\n
  • Weight: 34+ Kilograms (More to come as horn is completed).<\/li>\n
  • Will be engraved with plants and flowers from the Amazon region of Brazil.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    As mentioned, this full-size contrabass is very close to completion, but still has a way to go before it will be ready for stage performances. J\u2019\u00c9lle Stainer has, however, recorded a brief video to provide an audio sample of the sax in progress.<\/p>\n