H. Couf models – an illustrated guide
In 2025, I undertook a massive review of all the data I had managed to collect in over 7 years of cataloguing H. Couf saxophones. I must admit, I was quite surprised by the findings.
Each of the voices of horns, and both models, have their own dedicated pages where their features are explored in great detail; have tables that list features common—and not—between the models; and are shown in beautiful photos. What follows below is simply a brief overview with links to the appropriate pages were the greater details can be found.
Soprano
Superba I soprano
- These horns came in 3 phases, which can be identified based on visual characteristics.
- Serial # range catalogued to date: 76915 – 91912
All phases of the Superba I soprano shared the following 3 characteristics:
- Post to body construction
- Straight tone holes
- Hand engraving
Superba I # 80896 – Phase 3 – lacquer
Superba II soprano
- This model did not undergo any changes during its production run.
- Serial # range catalogued to date: 64031 – 80587
All the Superba II sopranos from the earliest to the latest share the same features:
- Black plastic G# key touch
- MOP key touches are smaller, with button inset within brass “cup”. Metal edges encircle the pearls.
- Black plastic left thumb rest
- Mark VI style left palm keys.
- High D, Eb, F tone holes are inline, and on the front of the body tube—also like on the Mark VI
- Left pinkie cluster attached to rods at the back of the keys
- Bell keys on the top of the body tube
- Right pinkie keys old-school JK-style
- No high F#
- No front F
- Sliver-shaped chromatic F# key
- Fixed metal right thumb rest
- Lyre holder on the front, just above bell keys.
- Straight tone holes
- Post to body construction
- Hand engraving
Superba II # 78937 – Blackgold
Alto
Superba I alto
- These horns came in 4 phases, which can be identified based on visual characteristics.
- Serial # range catalogued to date: 51363 – 91160
All phases of the Superba I alto shared the following characteristics:
- Black plastic left thumb rest
- Circle & 1/2 oval bell to body support brace
- Post to body construction
- Lyre holder attached to socket opposite the neck fastening screw
- Bow to bell connected directly (no connecting ring)
- Bow to body connected directly (no connecting ring)
- Low C key arm has a bend
- RH pinkie keys rounder in shape
- Large MOP buttons without metal edges
- Strap ring a thick, flat ring
- Rolled tone holes
- Hand engraving on the bell & bow
Superba I #67654 – Phase 2 – Gold plate
Superba II alto
- These horns came in 4 phases, which can be identified based on visual characteristics.
- Serial # range catalogued to date: 56462 – 82516
All phases of the Superba II alto shared the following characteristics:
- Black plastic left thumb rest
- Post to body construction
- Lyre holder attached on the left side beside the F3 key
- Bow to bell connected directly (no connecting ring)
- Bow to body connected directly (no connecting ring)
- MOP key buttons with metal edges
- Fixed metal right thumb rest
- Strap ring a simple metal ring
- Drawn & straight tone holes
- Hand engraving on bell only
Superba II # 81306 – Phase 4 – Lacquer
Tenor
Superba I tenor
- These horns came in 4 phases, which can be identified based on visual characteristics.
- Serial # range catalogued to date: 54xxx – 91373
All phases of the Superba I tenor shared the following characteristics:
- Black plastic left thumb rest
- Circle & 1/2 oval bell to body support brace
- Post to body construction
- Lyre holder attached to socket opposite the neck fastening screw
- Bow to bell connected directly (no connecting ring)
- Bow to body connected directly (no connecting ring)
- Low C key arm has a bend
- RH pinkie keys rounder in shape
- Strap ring a thick, flat ring
- Large MOP buttons without metal edges
- Rolled tone holes
- Hand engraving on the bell & bow
Superba I # 65988 – Phase 2 – silver plate
Superba II tenor
- These horns came in 4 phases, which can be identified based on visual characteristics.
- Serial # range catalogued to date: 5×101 – 81518
All phases of the Superba II tenor shared the following characteristics:
- Black plastic left thumb rest
- Post to body construction
- Lyre holder attached on the left side beside the F3 key
- Bow to bell connected directly (no connecting ring)
- Bow to body connected directly (no connecting ring)
- MOP key buttons with metal edges
- Fixed metal right thumb rest
- Strap ring a simple metal ring
- Drawn & straight tone holes
- Hand engraving on bell only
Superba II # 74990 – Phase 3 – lacquer
Baritone
Superba I baritone
- These horns came in 4 phases, which can be identified based on visual characteristics.
- Serial # range catalogued to date: 55760 – 91793
All phases of the Superba I bari shared the following characteristics:
- Low Bb & A horns were both available
- Black plastic left thumb rest
- Large MOP keys without metal edges
- Post to body construction
- Lyre holder attached at the front, just below upper bow
- Bell to bow soldered directly
- Chromatic F# key on back of body tube, operated with MOP button key.
- Chromatic F# key guard present
- Strap ring a thick, flat ring
- Straight tone holes
- Engraving on bell & bow
Superba I with low A #? – Phase 1 – Lacquer
Superba II baritone
- These horns came in 4 phases, which can be identified based on visual characteristics.
- Serial # range catalogued to date: 55xxx – 77xxx
All phases of the Superba I bari shared the following characteristics:
- Low Bb & A horns were both available
- Black plastic G# key touch
- Black plastic left thumb rest
- MOP key buttons with metal edges
- Bell to body brace: Single round metal bar
- Post to body construction
- Bell to bow soldered directly
- Body to bow soldered directly
- RH pinkie keys squarish in shape
- No high F#
- No front F/E guard
- No chromatic F# guard
- Fixed metal right thumb rest
- Simple metal strap ring
- Straight tone holes
- Engraving on bell only
Superba II with low A # 61xxx – Phase 2 – Blackgold
Some interesting Couf bari trivia
While it’s true that H. Couf saxophone are known for their good intonation, here’s a fun-fact about the Couf bari: In about 1980, Herb Couf mentioned at a trade fair visit in Frankfurt that the originally-planned neck for the baritone was too long for him. He had Keilwerth shorten the neck by 1 cm, and deliver all new baritones with this shorter neck. Meanwhile the bari players who had such short necks on their horns, ordered the regular length ones because the intonation was problematic for them.
What year exactly Herb Couf made JK switch the neck length is not cited in Uwe’s work. Nor is there any mention in Uwe’s research when or if Couf switched back to the longer neck length. Given the popularity of Couf bari saxes, and the lack of intonation problems players have with them, we can only assume this was only a brief blip in Couf’s bari development, and is really only more a curiosity than a current problem for owners of these horns.
Based on personal experience, I can say with 100% certainty that my 6XXXX Superba II bari suffers from no intonation issues.
Bass
H. Couf bass saxophones are among the rarest bass saxophones in the world. Why? Because they are stencils of Keilwerth’s bass, which like Selmer’s, are all built upon order only.
Although we have no confirmed number of Superba I & II bass saxophones built, we know that to date JK has built < 275 in total over the course of the company’s history.
Neither myself, nor any of my European colleagues, has found any printed evidence that Couf offered any Superba II bass saxes. However, the 2 that I have catalogued do in fact indicate that they really do exist. The only difference I have found between the Superba I & II bass saxophones is the size of the MOP key touches.
Make sure you check out the Couf Bass page to see the full galleries of five different H. Couf Superba I & II bass saxophones.
Superba I bass
- The MOP key touches are larger, without metal edges. The same as those that are still on the SX90.
Superba II bass
- The MOP key touch are a smaller button inset within a brass “cup”. Metal edges encircle the pearls.
