Brass alloy

[ghostler]

Well, actually, the body of the saxophone will be made of an alloy that has good formability, of which the most common and economical is C26000, also referred to as "cartridge brass". However, keywork will generally be made of alloys that prioritize machinability and stamping - since keywork parts are generally stamped, then machined. For rods and arms, C36000 would be a good choice. I don't know whether keycups can be made from C36000 (which would be desirable for its greater strength), or whether the relatively small amount of forming in keycups would be a problem for C36000.

As far as I know, no lay person has ever done chemical analysis on saxophone parts to confirm what alloy they're made of; that information seems to be kept proprietary within manufacturers.

Saxophones are typically made of a brass alloy that consists of approximately 70% copper and 30% zinc. This alloy is commonly referred to as "yellow brass" or "cartridge brass."

How about C85700 Leaded Yellow Brass? It is 61% Copper and 36% Zinc. 😉

From Alu-bra Foundry catalog.

Of course other sheet alloys and bar alloys have been used from time to time as witness the so-called "bronze" horns and the Martin saxes with solid nickel alloy keywork.

I discovered that my bari is red brass. It was hand made in the 1950's. My guess is that being hand made, red brass is easier to work with hand tools than leaded yellow brass.

Beaugnier Vito Bari prior to my repairs and cleanup.

 

[The Saxbot]

How about C85700 Leaded Yellow Brass? It is 61% Copper and 36% Zinc. 😉

View attachment 23237
From Alu-bra Foundry catalog.

While C85700 Leaded Yellow Brass is a brass alloy that contains copper and zinc, it is not commonly used in the manufacturing of saxophones. The most common brass alloy used in saxophone manufacturing is still the 70/30 copper-zinc alloy, also known as "yellow brass" or "cartridge brass."

 

[ghostler]

Topic has been discussed elsewhere. But I'll let someone else chime in on Saxbot's reply, as I have never delved deeply into this subject. The catalog cutsheet does say, "Consumer: Musical Instruments"

However in searching, found the following document, which may interest some.

ucl.ak.uk PDF: A Technical Study of the Alloy Compositions of 'Brass' Wind Musical Instruments

 

[Pete Thomas]

Explain this more? Where does this term come from?

Haha, I bet you were hoping the bot would say they were made from spent WW1 cartridges 🙂