View source for Tubax

{{Short description|Musical instrument derived from the contrabass saxophone}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Infobox Saxophone
| name           = Tubax
| names          = Sax
| image          =
| range          = <div style="text-align: center; background-color: white;">
  <score lang="lilypond">
    {
      \new Staff \with { \remove "Time_signature_engraver" }
      \clef treble \key c \major ^ \markup "written" \cadenzaOn
      bes1 \glissando f'''1
      \clef bass
      \ottava #-1 des,,1  ^ \markup "E♭" \glissando \ottava #0 aes1
      \ottava #-1 aes,,,1 ^ \markup "B♭" \glissando \ottava #0 ees1
    }
  </score></div> Tubax is a [[transposing instrument]] in treble clef; E♭ tubax sounds two octaves and a [[major sixth]] lower, to D♭{{sub|1}}; the B♭ tubax three octaves and a second lower, to A♭{{sub|0}}
| musicians      = {{hlist  <!-- alphabetical by surname -->
 | [[Paul Cohen (saxophonist)|Paul Cohen]]
 | [[Dror Feiler]]
 | [[Blaise Garza]]
 | [[Vinny Golia]]
 | [[Mats Gustafsson]]
 | [[Uwe Ladwig]]
 | [[Pat Posey]]
 | [[Jarno Sarkula]]
 | [[Steffen Schorn]]
 | [[Jim Sheppard]]
 | [[Marcus Weiss]]
}}
| inventors      = [[Benedikt Eppelsheim]]
| developed      = Derived from the [[contrabass saxophone]] in 1999
| articles       = [[Saxophone]]
| builders       = [[Benedikt Eppelsheim]]
}}
The '''tubax''' is a modified [[contrabass saxophone]] developed in 1999 by the German instrument maker [[Benedikt Eppelsheim]]. Eppelsheim's design uses the same fingering as the saxophone, while reducing the amount of expansion of its [[conical bore]] in relation to the length of tubing. This design modification results in a smaller volume of resonant [[air column]], allowing the use of a smaller [[mouthpiece (woodwind)|mouthpiece]] (baritone or bass size, instead of a larger contrabass mouthpiece), and more compactly folded tubing. The tubax exists in [[E♭ (musical note)|E♭]] [[contrabass]] and [[B♭ (musical note)|B♭]] or [[C (musical note)|C]] subcontrabass sizes. Its name is a  combination of the words "tuba" and "sax".<ref name="Eppelsheim-interview">{{Cite web |title=Interview mit Benedikt Eppelsheim |url=https://www.saxophonforum.de/library-articles/interview-mit-benedikt-eppelsheim.28/ |date=13 February 2008 |access-date=2023-09-08 |website=Saxophonforum: Die deutschsprachige Saxophoncommunity |language=de-DE}}</ref>

== History ==
Eppelsheim's first conception of the tubax came in 1992 or 1993, while working at [[Bavaria]]n instrument maker Münchner Blech. Prior to this time, while working in Franz Traut's workshop in [[Munich]], he had spent much time experimenting with [[bocal]]s and repairing saxophones, and built two experimental instruments. At Münchner Blech he was able to work on [[contrabass saxophone|contrabass]] and [[bass saxophone]]s, as well as [[sarrusophone]]s. Noting that there were no contrabass saxophones in modern production, he had the idea to build one in a shape reminiscent of the sarrusophone, or the ''saxophone bourdon'' on [[Adolphe Sax]]'s original patent drawing.<ref name="Eppelsheim-interview"/>

The process from idea to production took about seven years. The initial design took about a week, followed by four weeks of building a prototype. Most of the time was spent calculating the scale length and tone hole positions, based on principles described in Cornelis Johannes Nederveen's ''Acoustical aspects of woodwind instruments'' and [[Arthur H. Benade]]'s  ''Fundamentals of musical acoustics.''<ref name="Eppelsheim-interview"/>

The first size of tubax to be developed was the E♭ (contrabass) tubax, introduced at the [[Musikmesse Frankfurt]] in 1999 and intended as a more practical alternative to the contrabass saxophone.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bass saxophones, The Tubax contrabass saxophone and The Soprillo piccolo saxophone made by Benedikt Eppelsheim |url=https://www.pro-music-news.com/html/11/e90702ko.htm |access-date=2023-09-08 |website=www.pro-music-news.com}}</ref>  The larger B♭ (subcontrabass) tubax appeared soon after and is equivalent to the [[subcontrabass saxophone]], which although envisioned as the ''saxophone bourdon''  by [[Adolphe Sax]] in his 1846 patent, was only first built in 2010 by Brazilian manufacturer [[J'Élle Stainer]].<ref name="saxophone.org">{{Cite web |title=J'Elle Stainer Double Bb Sub-contrabass Saxophone |last=Berni |first=Attilio |work=saxophone.org |date=21 February 2013 |url= https://www.saxophone.org/resources/guestArticle/view/article/15 |access-date=22 November 2022  }}</ref> The subcontrabass tubax is also available in C.<!-- only one has been manufactured, for Thomas Mejer of [[Switzerland]] in July 2002; mentioned here but need a WP:RS  https://www.woodwindforum.com/forum/index.php?threads/eppelsheim-jelle-stainer.21306/#post-202733 -->

==Construction==
The E♭ and B♭ tubax have the same lengths of tubing as the contrabass and subcontrabass saxophones respectively, but are much more compact.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Redefining the saxophone, Soprillo and Tubax: new saxophones for a new millennium |first=Paul |last=Cohen |date=September 2000 |journal=Saxophone Journal |publication-place=Needham, MA |publisher=Dorn Publications |volume=25 |number=1 |page=8–10 |issn=0276-4768 }}</ref> They are built with a narrower [[conical bore]], somewhere between a regular saxophone and a [[contrabass sarrusophone]], and use comparatively smaller [[baritone saxophone|baritone]] or bass saxophone [[mouthpiece (woodwind)|mouthpiece]]s. While saxophones are folded a maximum of three times, rendering saxophones larger than the baritone tall and unwieldy, the tubax is folded four times, to stand only {{convert|114|cm|ftin}} high for the E♭ tubax, not much taller than a baritone saxophone, yet an octave lower.<ref name="Bassic-Eb-Tubax">{{Cite web |title=Eb Tubax |last=Kahlke |first=Helen |work=Bassic Sax |date=11 May 2012 |url= https://bassic-sax.info/version5/modern-saxes/benedikt-eppelsheim/eb-tubax/ |access-date=22 November 2022 }}</ref> Similarly, the B♭ tubax stands {{convert|145|cm|ftin}} tall, nearly half of the enormous {{convert|2.74|m|ftin|adj=on}} height of an equivalent subcontrabass saxophone.<ref name="Eppelsheim-Bb-Tubax">{{cite web |title=Tubax (B♭) |url=https://www.eppelsheim.com/en/instruments/tubax-bb/ |publication-place=Munich, Germany |publisher=Benedikt Eppelsheim Wind Instruments |access-date=6 November 2022}}</ref><ref name="Guinness">{{Cite web |title=Largest saxophone - playable by one person |date=3 August 2013 |publisher=Guinness World Records |url= https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/110941-largest-saxophone-playable-by-one-person |access-date=22 November 2022 }}</ref> Despite this, the tubax retains identical fingering to a standard saxophone, including an altissimo F♯ key. This required completely redesigned [[key (instrument)|keywork]], which also brings the hands to a more comfortable position. The smaller size and more accessible key placements result in more portable and ergonomic instruments.<ref name="Bassic-Eb-Tubax"/> The tubax also has a more focused and compact [[timbre]] than that of the full-sized saxophones.

==Repertoire and performance==
[[File:Oliver Saar 01 (fcm).jpg|thumb|upright|Oliver Saar performing on an E♭ tubax at Jazztage Idar-Oberstein in 2017]]
Given its short history and rarity, little has been specifically written for the tubax, but it can readily be used for any material intended for bass or contrabass saxophone. The tubax, like the saxophone, is a [[transposing instrument]] notated in [[treble clef]]. The E♭ and B♭ models have identical ranges to the contrabass and subcontrabass saxophones, respectively. Built without the low A key found on some low saxophones, the lowest note of the E♭ tubax is thus D♭{{sub|1}}, an octave below the lowest note of the baritone saxophone. The lowest note of the B♭ tubax is A♭{{sub|0}}, a semitone below the lowest note on the piano keyboard (A{{sub|0}}).

Notable performers:  <!-- alphabetical by surname -->
* [[Paul Cohen (saxophonist)|Paul Cohen]]
* [[Dror Feiler]]
* [[Blaise Garza]]
* [[Vinny Golia]]
* [[Mats Gustafsson]]
* [[Uwe Ladwig]]
* [[Pat Posey]]
* [[Jarno Sarkula]]
* [[Steffen Schorn]]
* [[Jim Sheppard]]
* [[Colin Stetson]]
* [[Marcus Weiss]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Saxophone}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Saxophones]]
[[Category:Contrabass instruments]]
[[Category:1999 musical instruments]]