Adolphe Sax Alto Saxophone

Serial Number 30133, 1867

Antoine-Joseph “Adolphe” Sax was born in Dinant, Belgium in 1814 and even as a young child could be
found in his father’s workshop. Charles-Joseph Sax designed and manufactured musical instruments for the
Belgian Regimental Music Corps under appointment as maker to the Court by William I of Orange.

Curiosity led to apprenticeship at an early age, followed by Adolphe moving to Paris in his twenties to start his
own company. He conceived the idea for the saxophone in 1838, built the first example in 1842, patented it in
1846, then built and sold the first model (a bass) shortly thereafter.

The controversial saxophone was welcomed by composers of the day (most noticeably Berlioz) anxious for
new voices to write for, but condemned by jealous fellow instrument makers unhappy with the overnight
success of the Belgian upstart. Life only got worse for Sax when the saxophone was overwhelmingly endorsed
by the French military, due to the ensuing vicious and underhanded attempts by his contemporaries to put him
out of business. Not easily silenced, Adolph Sax persevered through myriad attacks on his inventions, his
factory, his reputation and indeed his life, eventually handing his factory over to his son before passing away in
1894.

The range on this alto just extends down to low B (standard for the day and hence the short bell), but
does go all the way up to high F. Key pearls weren’t in use yet, nor were rollers on the low Eb, C and
bell keys. There was no side F#, bis, or front F key; no articulated G# or one-and-one Bb. The automatic
    octave was quite a few years away: the double key system had a spatula to the left to open the octave
           vent in the body for fourth line D through G# and one to the right to open the octave vent on the neck
                   for A through high F.