Comments on: Contrabass Saxophone is Really, Really Big

By: Jerse

Jerse — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 14:21:34 +0000

That insectguy at the end haunts my dreams…

By: iTim

iTim — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 08:50:30 +0000

There’s a rarer instrument: the octocontrabass clarinet. Two exist, made by Leblanc.

By: kyboiz

kyboiz — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 07:40:26 +0000

speaking of rare or obsolete even, does anyone remember the E Flat horn?

By: DCGaymer

DCGaymer — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 22:39:46 +0000

Marcel Helland is my new hero.

By: Allen

Allen — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 20:14:35 +0000

2 octaves below middle C? I’ve played a recorder pitched at that, the Paetzold sub-greatbass. Requires a lot of air. I’ve heard Dolmetsch is working on a sub-contra in F, two octaves under a normal bass recorder.

Here are some pictures I scanned from Strad magazine several years ago, of a rather large string bass, made by the 19th century French maker Vuillaume:

http://plover.net/~agarvin/bass.jpg
http://plover.net/~agarvin/bass2.jpg
http://plover.net/~agarvin/bass3.jpg

By: Gerry

Gerry — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:25:49 +0000

I play alto and tenor sax and have only tried playing a bari a few times.

Can only imagine that the contrabass is like trying to blow a 6″ pipe. Wayyyy too much for me….

There was an article on bass and contrabass saxes in the March/April 2008 ‘Saxophone Journal’ magazine. Guy from Brazil had a Stainer Low B Contrabass custom built that will go below 65Hz - essentially below human hearing into the subsonic range..

Here’s some more vids:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a09mBkuC8wo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xfS_wmlfjg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieb5IDnXV8o&feature=related

By: andrewdoane

andrewdoane — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:27:30 +0000

Sweet… I totally want one. I played bari in high school. I will have to add this to the list of ridiculous things I will buy if I win the lottery.

By: Jane

Jane — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:05:22 +0000

Sorry but it sounds like someone farting

By: Frank

Frank — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:40:37 +0000

Nice one Reechard.

By: Rosi

Rosi — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:30:23 +0000

It’s an octave below the bari, so I’m guessing the C two octaves below middle C to about E above middle C. Ouch. That’s two octaves lower than an alto sax.
I don’t know about contrabass saxes, but you can buy bass saxes (which are about a fifth higher I think) pretty easily through specialist shops.
Also, I have no idea why he’s holding the sax up. You’re meant to rest it on a spike to play it, similar to a bass clarinet or a cello. It’s just making it more difficult to play if you hold it up.

By: Viola

Viola — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 02:14:34 +0000

It’s the sexy version of the sax! I’m impressed. I wonder what the range is?

By: Another Jake

Another Jake — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 01:51:35 +0000

Someone get this man a harder reed STAT!

By: Reechard

Reechard — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 01:27:17 +0000

Fools! He’s actually the world’s smallest man

By: Greg

Greg — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 01:24:11 +0000

Man! How much cooler would Kenny G look with one of those around his neck?!?! (Kenny G is cool? Wait….)

By: aaron

aaron — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 01:08:39 +0000

There is a saxophone group that uses one called the nuclear whales
There is a more resonable version of a contrabass called a tubax made by eppelsheim same octive below the bari
http://www.eppelsheim.com/tubax.php?lang=en

By: Ali S.

Ali S. — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:28:29 +0000

Saxamaphooooone!

By: ted

ted — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 23:02:35 +0000

It really needs an orchestra, but that was interesting. People shouldn’t be so critical - it takes a lot of air to blow one of those things.

Enjoyed the geek at the end, too.

Who needs a tuba to make farting noises?

By: Leo

Leo — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 22:23:59 +0000

Is that how it really sounds or he is just a poor player??

By: DrJones

DrJones — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 22:00:38 +0000

That thing is awesome!!! I’d love to see it in action on the marching field

I think it would sound great in a trio or quartet of other saxes or reeds.

By: bean

bean — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:44:53 +0000

I’m surprised a chunk of brass that big is only 45 pounds.

By: oezicomix

oezicomix — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:39:26 +0000

JT ketterer should get his own show on tv!!
and i so much wanted to hear the guy play the pink panther motiv…

By: CheeseDuck

CheeseDuck — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:32:36 +0000

Uh. The sound from that thing is horrible.

By: WillF

WillF — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:20:03 +0000

I wonder where you buy reeds for it.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:13:06 +0000

I can hear why there are only 25.