{"id":9943,"date":"2019-09-03T10:38:20","date_gmt":"2019-09-03T17:38:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bassic-sax.info\/version5\/?page_id=9943"},"modified":"2025-09-04T13:47:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T20:47:00","slug":"couf-sopranos-superba-i-vs-superba-ii","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bassic-sax.info\/version5\/vintage-saxes\/european-made-saxes\/h-couf\/couf-sopranos-superba-i-vs-superba-ii\/","title":{"rendered":"Couf Sopranos: Superba I vs. Superba II"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
Superba I \u00bb<\/a><\/td>\nSuperba II \u00bb<\/a><\/td>\nH. Couf Serial # Chart<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\"soprano<\/a>
Superba I Soprano # 84911 Source: getasax.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Updated in 2025<\/h5>\n

What really are the differences between the Superba I and Superba II Couf soprano saxophones? The short answer is not as much as you might think, but it all depends on when an individual horn was made.<\/p>\n

H. Couf Superba I sopranos did undergo changes over the approximately 22 years that they were produced, while Superba IIs apparently remained constant in their design. Regardless of which model however, their relation to Keilwerth is extremely evident\u2014as will be illustrated below. <\/p>\n

A quick disclaimer<\/h2>\n

Unlike some brands like Selmer\u2014that have had their soprano saxophone designs very well documented over certain periods of time\u2014very little is known at this point about the H. Couf saxophone\u2019s design changes. To the best of my knowledge, the research I have gathered here is the first real attempt at collating relatively large amounts of data about this J. Keilwerth-made saxophone brand.<\/p>\n

However, there are a number of limitations with this data: 1. The data gathered is based only on what can be seen in photos I have managed to find scattered across the Internet\u2014or in a very few cases in person. 2. The quality and quantity of photos is often very limited for each instrument (sample). 3. Any changes not visible to the naked eye\u2014such as bore dimensions for example\u2014are obviously not known. 4. In some cases the sample sizes that I have been able to gather to date are so small, that I haven\u2019t been able to conclusively draw any conclusions.<\/p>\n

For all these reasons this page continues to be a work in progress. Over time, my hope is to fill in the missing blanks. If you can help in some way, please do not hesitate to drop me a note<\/a>. Thanks!<\/p>\n

What does the term \u201cintermediate\u201d mean in Couf speak<\/em>?<\/h2>\n

Herb Couf said:<\/p>\n

There were three levels of H. Couf saxophones; Superba I, the professional line\u2026. Superba II the intermediate line with many of the same features as the Superba I\u2026<\/p>\n

Source:  Saxophone: Ein Kompendium<\/em>, Uwe Ladwig. Second Edition, 2012. p. 59<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That said, \u201cintermediate\u201d does not mean inferior, and not up to pro standards. The Superba II were built to the same level of precision that their Superba I cousins were. All intermediate means in this case, is that a few minor things were different. At its core, a Superba II is still a JK soprano. Full stop. <\/p>\n

With all that in mind, it\u2019s time to take a closer look at what makes a I a I, and a II a II.<\/p>\n

A quick and dirty overview chart of the differences between the Superba 1 & 2 soprano saxophones<\/h2>\n

Why is this quick and dirty? Because it doesn\u2019t account for the various exceptions to the features outlined in it\u2014and there are quite a few. These exceptions, and much, much more, are gone over in minute detail in the following Superba 1 & 2 pages. So think of this chart as a primer, or a review, if you\u2019re looking for a simple broad strokes listing of what changed when. <\/p>\n

Unlike their alto, tenor, and bari cousins, these smaller Keilwerth-made horns had much fewer updates, therefore phases. To put the following table in context, this is what I’ve found:<\/p>\n