I guess most everyone knows that Sax claimed to have made his instruments not with a conical bore, but with a "parabolic cone". This seems to have been confirmed as a myth, since no one seems to have seen one in a Sax instrument. They all seem to be basically conical, without the increasing curve along the top of the bore where the tone holes lie.
However, I seem to have one in my Modèle 26 sopranino...
This horn was a great find--basically a closet horn in perfect condition (even with the original Tonex pads), with only some age spots in the original first lacquer. But I had what I though was a slight banana bend in the body. On closer inspection the bottom of the horn is perfectly straight, but there is a definite increasing curve in the top, such that on viewing straight through, one can't see the end of the bore at the top. In fact the bore opening at the end of the bell is not round; it is definitely elongated on the vertical axis at the top: one can feel this but putting a couple of fingers in the end and rotating them. It is something on the order of a couple of millimeters, which is not trivial.
So this raises the question: was this intentional or some byproduct of the manufacturing process? I'm guessing that this was intentional, and that perhaps these early 'nino bodies came out of Sax's inventory when his shop was bought by Selmer. I also have a curved Modèle 22 soprano, and a number of people think that the few curved sops made by Selmer over the years (the latest was an SBA) were actually made with Sax bodies keyed by Selmer. I have seen pix of a number of examples of curved Selmer sops (1922, Modèle 22 and SBA), and they are exactly the same, except for the stamping of the logo, and pearls on or not on the G# and alt F#. Likewise, I have seen pix of several pre-VI 'ninos, (Modèle 26, BA and SBA) and they too are exactly the same except for those pearls. So perhaps both of these models were made with leftover Sax bodies, since in both cases they are extremely rare, having been made in very limited quantities.
As to the effect of the "parabola" on the sound I really cannot say, except to say that this is a very sweet little 'nino.
However, I seem to have one in my Modèle 26 sopranino...
This horn was a great find--basically a closet horn in perfect condition (even with the original Tonex pads), with only some age spots in the original first lacquer. But I had what I though was a slight banana bend in the body. On closer inspection the bottom of the horn is perfectly straight, but there is a definite increasing curve in the top, such that on viewing straight through, one can't see the end of the bore at the top. In fact the bore opening at the end of the bell is not round; it is definitely elongated on the vertical axis at the top: one can feel this but putting a couple of fingers in the end and rotating them. It is something on the order of a couple of millimeters, which is not trivial.
So this raises the question: was this intentional or some byproduct of the manufacturing process? I'm guessing that this was intentional, and that perhaps these early 'nino bodies came out of Sax's inventory when his shop was bought by Selmer. I also have a curved Modèle 22 soprano, and a number of people think that the few curved sops made by Selmer over the years (the latest was an SBA) were actually made with Sax bodies keyed by Selmer. I have seen pix of a number of examples of curved Selmer sops (1922, Modèle 22 and SBA), and they are exactly the same, except for the stamping of the logo, and pearls on or not on the G# and alt F#. Likewise, I have seen pix of several pre-VI 'ninos, (Modèle 26, BA and SBA) and they too are exactly the same except for those pearls. So perhaps both of these models were made with leftover Sax bodies, since in both cases they are extremely rare, having been made in very limited quantities.
As to the effect of the "parabola" on the sound I really cannot say, except to say that this is a very sweet little 'nino.
