Tone holes
Encyclopedia
Saxophone tone holes are tone hole
s that exist in the body and bell of a saxophone
. They are strategically placed in order to achieve a variety of note
s while holding the best possible intonation
.
of sound. An American company based in Elkhart, Indiana
named "Martin" manufactured saxophones with straight toneholes that were tapered, i.e. the circumference of the tone-hole chimneys was smaller at the point of contact with the leather pads than where they were soldered to the main body of the instrument.
Instruments with rolled toneholes have been manufactured by companies including Conn
(between 1921 and 1947), Keilwerth, Kohlert and SML (Strasser-Marigaux-Lemaire). As of 2010, there are only two companies manufacturing rolled tone hole saxophones: Keilwerth and P.Mauriat. They each have their own ways of making their rolled tone holes. P.Mauriat’s tone holes are formed from the saxophone’s existing material. In other words, they are rolled from the instruments original tone hole. Keilwerth uses a rolled cap that is soldered onto the saxophone’s straight tone hole. Each process affects the sound differently.
developed a special type of saxophone pad specifically designed for use on saxophones with rolled toneholes called Conn "Res-o-Pads". These have an internal metal reinforcing ring which is hidden under the leather covering around the circumference of the pad. Their most notable feature is that the diameter of the pad extends over the rim of the key-cup, thereby giving a slightly wider surface area for the rolled tone-hole to seal onto. Rim impressions from Res-o-Pads are minimal.
Unlike standard pads, Res-o-Pads cannot be "floated" into key-cups, as they are sized in 1/32nd-of-an-inch steps (unlike standard saxophone pads which come in 0.5 mm size steps) which may not always correspond closely to key-cup diameters. Though designed to fix into key-cups purely by friction, most saxophone repairers glue them in place using shellac
or hot melt adhesive.
Newly-produced Conn Res-o-Pads are still available from specialist suppliers, and are favored by some saxophone collectors because they give a fully authentic look and feel to vintage saxophones with rolled toneholes. It is possible, however, to fit standard pads to any saxophone with rolled toneholes (and many people do) without any noticeable disadvantage regarding the quality of sound produced.
Tone hole
A tone hole is an opening in the body of a wind instrument which, when covered by a key, alters the pitch of the sound produced.The resonant frequencies of the an air column in a pipe are inversely proportional to the pipe's effective length. For a pipe with no tone holes, the effective length is...
s that exist in the body and bell of a saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
. They are strategically placed in order to achieve a variety of note
Note
In music, the term note has two primary meanings:#A sign used in musical notation to represent the relative duration and pitch of a sound;#A pitched sound itself....
s while holding the best possible intonation
Intonation (music)
Intonation, in music, is a musician's realization of pitch accuracy, or the pitch accuracy of a musical instrument. Intonation may be flat, sharp, or both, successively or simultaneously.-Interval, melody, and harmony:...
.
Varieties
There are two varieties of tone holes, straight and rolled. Straight tone holes are much more prevalent, but rolled tone holes are favored by some saxophonists as they supposedly produce a different timbreTimbre
In music, timbre is the quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices and musical instruments, such as string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments. The physical characteristics of sound that determine the...
of sound. An American company based in Elkhart, Indiana
Elkhart, Indiana
Elkhart is a city in Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. The city is located east of South Bend, northwest of Fort Wayne, east of Chicago, and north of Indianapolis...
named "Martin" manufactured saxophones with straight toneholes that were tapered, i.e. the circumference of the tone-hole chimneys was smaller at the point of contact with the leather pads than where they were soldered to the main body of the instrument.
Instruments with rolled toneholes have been manufactured by companies including Conn
C. G. Conn
C.G. Conn Ltd., sometimes called Conn Instruments or commonly just Conn, was a United States manufacturer of musical instruments, especially brass instruments. In 1985 their Strobotuner division was bought by Peterson Electro-Musical Products, who continue to service their line of products.Assets...
(between 1921 and 1947), Keilwerth, Kohlert and SML (Strasser-Marigaux-Lemaire). As of 2010, there are only two companies manufacturing rolled tone hole saxophones: Keilwerth and P.Mauriat. They each have their own ways of making their rolled tone holes. P.Mauriat’s tone holes are formed from the saxophone’s existing material. In other words, they are rolled from the instruments original tone hole. Keilwerth uses a rolled cap that is soldered onto the saxophone’s straight tone hole. Each process affects the sound differently.
Conn Res-o-Pads
C. G. ConnC. G. Conn
C.G. Conn Ltd., sometimes called Conn Instruments or commonly just Conn, was a United States manufacturer of musical instruments, especially brass instruments. In 1985 their Strobotuner division was bought by Peterson Electro-Musical Products, who continue to service their line of products.Assets...
developed a special type of saxophone pad specifically designed for use on saxophones with rolled toneholes called Conn "Res-o-Pads". These have an internal metal reinforcing ring which is hidden under the leather covering around the circumference of the pad. Their most notable feature is that the diameter of the pad extends over the rim of the key-cup, thereby giving a slightly wider surface area for the rolled tone-hole to seal onto. Rim impressions from Res-o-Pads are minimal.
Unlike standard pads, Res-o-Pads cannot be "floated" into key-cups, as they are sized in 1/32nd-of-an-inch steps (unlike standard saxophone pads which come in 0.5 mm size steps) which may not always correspond closely to key-cup diameters. Though designed to fix into key-cups purely by friction, most saxophone repairers glue them in place using shellac
Shellac
Shellac is a resin secreted by the female lac bug, on trees in the forests of India and Thailand. It is processed and sold as dry flakes , which are dissolved in ethyl alcohol to make liquid shellac, which is used as a brush-on colorant, food glaze and wood finish...
or hot melt adhesive.
Newly-produced Conn Res-o-Pads are still available from specialist suppliers, and are favored by some saxophone collectors because they give a fully authentic look and feel to vintage saxophones with rolled toneholes. It is possible, however, to fit standard pads to any saxophone with rolled toneholes (and many people do) without any noticeable disadvantage regarding the quality of sound produced.