{"id":32978,"date":"2012-07-18T10:48:07","date_gmt":"2012-07-18T17:48:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bassic-sax.info\/blog\/?p=32978"},"modified":"2025-09-13T10:11:43","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T17:11:43","slug":"key-bass-sax-aqila","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bassic-sax.info\/blog\/2012\/key-bass-sax-aqila\/","title":{"rendered":"Would You Buy A Bass Sax In The Key Of C?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yesterday<\/a> I mentioned that Steve from Aquilasax appeared to be testing the waters to see if there was enough interest to bring in a shipment of Jinyin-made, American-style, bass saxophones. Apparently this isn’t the only bass project that the company is considering.<\/p>\n

On another page of Aquilasax’s web store, you can see an image of an Adolphe Sax Bb bass, circa 1877, that is on display at the National Music Museum, at the The University of South Dakota, Vermillion<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Adolphe<\/a><\/p>\n

It is on this page of the Aquilasax e-store<\/a>, that a C-pitched bass saxophone is discussed. Steve writes:<\/p>\n

This SOLO brand Bb Bass sax reminds me of my Conn 12 m Baritone, similar keywork only bigger. If you are interested in a C Bass sax then click on “Put me on the waiting list” and IF we get enough interested we’ll look into getting some made. We don’t want your money yet but will require a deposit to secure a sax should we go ahead. Shipping is extra!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The price that is listed is $6,120.00.<\/p>\n

Let’s for a moment ignore the fact that the saxophone in the photo is wrongly identified as a SOLO brand. Would you want to order a bass sax in the key of C? I could potentially see some benefits to it.<\/p>\n

It would allow you to read tuba or euphonium parts without transposing them\u2014provided you could read bass clef. If you’re not good at, or don’t like transposing, it would allow you play in the same key as other concert tuned instruments like guitars, pianos, and the likes.<\/p>\n

However, given the sound differential between C-pitched tenors and Bb tenors, there will be tonal differences between C basses and Bb basses as well. So the real question is: What will a C-pitched bass saxophone sound like?<\/p>\n

Since we have no bass saxophones in the key of C out in the public realm (Oscar Adler models are reputed to be in the possession of Gebr\u00fcder M\u00f6nnig Oscar Adler & Co Holzblasinstrumentenbau GmbH\u00b9), I would be curious to know what Steve would use as a model. In the past, I believe he drew on the Conn C melody for his inspiration.<\/p>\n

There will no doubt be players who will like the idea of a C-pitched bass saxophone. If you are one of them, now’s the time to let the man know<\/a>. Who knows, perhaps Steve will get enough interested players to move ahead on the project.<\/p>\n

Talk to any bass saxophone player, and they’ll tell you the same thing: Bass saxophone players have to be adept at finding work for themselves. A bass player who happens to have a sax in the key of C, would be in the same boat.<\/p>\n

_________________________________________<\/p>\n

\u00b9 This information is according to German saxophone historian Uwe Ladwig, who interviewed the former Manager of Gebr\u00fcder M\u00f6nnig Oscar Adler & Co Holzblasinstrumentenbau GmbH, Mr. Veit Schindler, in 2006<\/a>.<\/h6>\n
\n
…this is just my blog<\/em>. <\/span> My \u201creal\u201d <\/b> website is<\/span> www.bassic-sax.info.<\/a> If you\u2019re looking for <\/span> sax info<\/strong>,<\/span> you should check it out too.<\/span>There\u2019s lots<\/em> there! <\/span><\/div>\n
 <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday I mentioned that Steve from Aquilasax appeared to be testing the waters to see if there was enough interest to bring in a shipment of Jinyin-made, American-style, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[6],"tags":[387,828,209,619,323,182,633,218,198],"class_list":["post-32978","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bass-saxophone","tag-aquilasax","tag-asian-made-bass-saxes","tag-asian-made-saxophones","tag-bass-saxophone","tag-c-pitched-sax","tag-modern-saxophones","tag-musings","tag-stencil-horn","tag-stencil-saxophone"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t