The tubax is a modified saxophone developed in 1999 by the German instrument maker Benedikt Eppelsheim. It is available in both E♭ contrabass and B♭ or C subcontrabass sizes. It is a portmanteau between the words "tuba" and "sax." Although the Tubax has the same fingering, mouthpiece, and reed as a regular saxophone, there is some controversy over whether it is technically a true saxophone since it has a much narrower (though still conical) bore. Some suggest this narrow-bore design makes the Tubax akin to the double-reed sarrusophone; however, the Tubax's bore is much larger than the corresponding size of sarrusophone's and its sound has a richer timbre and noticeably more acoustical presence. The first size of Tubax to be developed was the E♭ contrabass. It has the same register as a regular contrabass saxophone but is much more compact and thus more manageable due to its tubing being folded more times. It takes a baritone saxophone mouthpiece. While the timbre of the Eb Tubax is more focused and compact than that of the full-sized contrabass saxophone, it still blends well with other sizes of saxophones and can be played with great agility due to its air-efficient bore design. More recently, Eppelsheim also began making a subcontrabass Tubax in CCC and BBB♭. The B♭ instrument is equivalent in register to the subcontrabass saxophone proposed by Adolphe Sax but never created. The subcontrabass Tubax uses a baritone saxophone or bass saxophone mouthpiece. While several B♭ subcontrabasses are in already use, only one C model has been manufactured. It was sold to Thomas Mejer of Switzerland in July 2002; he has recorded on it with Peter A. Schmid as the "Two Tubax Duo."
Tubax performers
- Serge Bertocchi
- Petr Dvořák
- Jay C. Easton
- Randy Emerick
- Blaise Garza
- Vinny Golia
- Mats Gustafsson
- Jesus Vazquez
External links
- Benedikt Eppelsheim Website
- Fred Bayer's Tubax Page
- Article about CD featuring tubax
- Jay C. Easton's BBb Tubax page
- Photos showing construction of tubax
Listening
- MP3 of a tubax being played by Randy Emerick, with the Jerry Fischer Orchestra, Hollywood Florida (playing "Stardust," arr. Mike Lewis)
- [http://www.jayeaston.com/sound%20files/Bb_Subcontra-Jay_Easton.mp3 MP3 of two B♭ subcontrabass tubaxes (overdubbed), playing movement 1 of Duet for Basses by Walter S. Hartley, performed by Jay C. Easton
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| True saxophones | †Soprillo saxophone • Sopranino saxophone • Soprano saxophone • Mezzo-soprano saxophone • Alto saxophone • C melody saxophone • Tenor saxophone • Baritone saxophone • Bass saxophone • Contrabass saxophone • ‡Subcontrabass saxophone |
| Tubaxes | †Contrabass tubax • †Subcontrabass tubax |
| † denotes saxophone not designed by Adolphe Sax• ‡ denotes saxophone proposed by Adolphe Sax | |
