Saxophone Forum


by stevehavel
(10 posts)
17 years ago

how to tell key of sax

I have a pan american soprano built in 1915 with serial # 39362. I suspect it's an e flat. How do I know for sure and also what it is worth if anything?

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  1. by stevehavel
    (10 posts)

    17 years ago

    Re: how to tell key of sax

    forgot to also say that there is an "S" above the serial number and a L beneath it, plus another number: 1153489. Any help appreciated!

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  2. by Donnie The B
    (282 posts)

    17 years ago

    Re: how to tell key of sax

    Steve- Soprano saxes are Bb instruments. www.saxpics.com might have some info on the brand - likely a stencilea, meaning Pan Am hired Conn or someone to make these with PanAm branding. Current value is very much dependent on condition. You can read more about vintage horns at Jason Dumars' site : www.saxophone.org ------- Good Luck.

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    1. by stevehavel
      (10 posts)

      17 years ago

      Re: how to tell key of sax

      i understood that as well but there ought to be a way to prove it. Like if I play a Bb will it really be a c tone?

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    2. by stevehavel
      (10 posts)

      17 years ago

      Re: how to tell key of sax

      a dealer just told me that the S above the serial number indicates it's a Bb but if it was a E it would be tuned to Eb and C to C, so I guess some soprano's are custom tuned by the manufacturer, which is why I want a way to verify it with "sound" as who knows who is the ultimate authority on it.

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      1. by definition
        (963 posts)

        17 years ago

        Re: how to tell key of sax

        get a tuner play a C, it should read as a Bb. If it does the horn is a Bb soprano if it says Eb, then the horn is not a soprano, but an Eb sopranino If it does not read either of these pitches, the it is an F soprano. Highly unlikely, but possible

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        1. by stevehavel
          (10 posts)

          17 years ago

          Re: how to tell key of sax

          I play into a software tuner "tuneit" which has a default instrument setting of C. I play flute so know it works fine there. My bite for middle C and low C is high on the mouthpiece with loose bite and lots of air/volume. For middle C I use middle finger of left hand and tuner reads Ab plus or minus 10 cents. For low C I use all fingers down with right hand pinky on lowest key, the one lower than the eb key as I call it and no pinky used on left hand and tuner reads A plus or minus 10 cents. For high C fingered same as middle C but with addition of thumb high octave key the tuner reads A plus or minus 10 cents. Perhaps this sax is way off or my inexperience is causing the variance. Is it normal for middle C to be the most accurate and the high and low octave C's to both be flat? When I play F in both octaves the tuner reads D.

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        2. by Sax Mom
          (964 posts)

          17 years ago

          Re: how to tell key of sax

          It could be that your mouthpiece isn't far enough on the horn, and that if you push the mouthpiece on further, the pitch could raise to A# (which is, of course, Bb). That would be normal for the saxophone. The F would sound as a D# (Eb). Yes, it can be common for the saxophone to require more work from the player to play the different octaves in tune.

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