A B-flat subcontrabass tubax (right). On the left, for comparison, is a tenor saxophone.

The tubax is a modified saxophone developed in 1999 by the German instrument maker Benedikt Eppelsheim. It is available in both E-flat contrabass and B-flat or C subcontrabass sizes. Image File history File links A B-flat subcontrabass tubax. ... Image File history File links A B-flat subcontrabass tubax. ... Saxophones of different sizes play in different registers. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Benedikt Eppelsheim is a world-renowned German manufacturer of high- and low-voiced saxophones, the soprillo and tubax, which are available exclusively from him. ...

Although the tubax has the same fingering as a regular saxophone, it has a much narrower (though still conical) bore, somewhat like that of a sarrusophone, though not as narrow, so there is some controversy over whether it is technically a true saxophone. The first size of tubax to be developed was the E-flat 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. The sarrusophone is a family of transposing musical instruments patented and placed into production by Pierre-Louis Gautrot in 1856. ... The contrabass saxophone is the second largest member of the saxophone family (the largest being the triple B-flat subcontrabass tubax, although the tubax is not technically a member of the saxophone family due to its narrower bore). ... Baritone saxophone The baritone saxophone, one of the larger members of the saxophone family, was invented by Adolphe Sax. ...

More recently, Eppelsheim also began making a subcontrabass tubax in CC and BB♭. The BB♭ instrument is equivalent in register to the subcontrabass saxophone proposed by Adolphe Sax but never created. The BB♭ tubax uses a bass saxophone mouthpiece. Only two CC tubaxes have been manufactured. One was sold to Thomas Mejer of Switzerland. The other is assumed to be Eppelsheim's personal instrument. A B-flat subcontrabass tubax (right), the closest extant instrument to a subcontrabass saxophone. ... Life-size statue of Adolphe Sax outside his birthplace in Dinant, Belgium. ... The bass saxophone (or bass sax for short) is the second largest existing member of the saxophone family (or third largest, if the subcontrabass tubax is counted). ...

Tubax performers

• Petr Dvořák
• Jay C. Easton
• Randy Emerick
• Blaise Garza
• Vinny Golia
• Jesus Vazquez
• Thomas Mejer

Blaise Garrett Garza (born February 10, 1989 in Tampa Bay, Florida) is an American actor and musician. ... Vinny Golia (b. ...

External links

• Benedikt Eppelsheim Website
• Fred Bayer's Tubax Page
• Article about CD featuring tubax
• Jay C. Easton's BBb Tubax page

Listening

• MP3 of a tubax being played by Randy Emerick, with the Jerry Fischer Orchestra, Hollywood Florida (playing "Stardust," arr. Mike Lewis)
• MP3 of two B-flat subcontrabass tubaxes (overdubbed), playing movement 1 of Duet for Basses by Jesus Vazquez, performed by Jay C. Easton