Drake Saxophone Mouthpiece Blog on Adolphe Sax page 3

from the Adolph Sax’s French patent 3226, 21 March 1846

Drake Saxophone Mouthpiece Blog on Adolphe Sax page 2
Drake Saxophone Mouthpiece Blog on Adolphe Sax

Adolphe Sax instrument catalogue

Adolph Sax

(Some portions from Wiki) Born November 6th 1814 in Belgium, died Paris, February 7, 1894.

His father and mother were instrument designers themselves, who made several changes to the design of the French horn. Adolphe began to make his own instruments at an early age, entering two of his flutes and a clarinet into a competition at the age of 15. He subsequently studied performance on those two instruments as well as voice at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels.

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Adolph helped develop the bass clarinet and pioneered the invention of saxophone with patents spanning from 1838 to 1850, between the ages of 24 and 36 years old.

Adolph presented the Saxophone, the bass saxophone in Bb (articulated in his first patent 3226 of 1946) at the French Exhibition of Industry Products, held May 1 to June 30, 1844

Patents in order

  • 1843 Saxhorns (six valved horns)
  • 1845 SaxtrombasAdolphe Sax instrument catalogueAdolphe Sax instrument catalogue
  • 846 Saxophones (8 member family)
  • 1849 Saxtubas

Adolph Sax patented 46 inventions in total.

At the age of 28 he moved to Paris to a small instrument making facility of up to 189 workmen. His inventions were well received and he was known by critical review for his intellect and ability to overcome obstacles through and with use of his great skills as a maker and craftsmen.

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Interesting notes on Adolph Sax’s trials with health (as taken from Wiki)

Sax faced many brushes with death. As a child he once fell from a height of three floors, hit his head on a stone and was believed dead. At the age of three, he drank a bowl full of acidic water mistaking it for milk,[4] and later swallowed a pin. He received serious burns from a gunpowder explosion, and once fell onto a hot cast-iron frying pan, burning his side. Several times he avoided accidental poisoning and asphyxiation from sleeping in a room where varnished furniture was drying. Another time young Sax was struck on the head by a cobblestone and fell into a river, almost dying.[5]