Miscellaneous The Saxinet ("Backpack Sax")

[Saxinet]

Hi to all,

I thought some people here might be interested in a new instrument I’m making called the Saxinet (aka “Backpack Sax”). It’s a keyless instrument with the same basic fingering as saxophone.

I’ve made a few videos of the Saxinet backed by other instruments. I apologize in advance for the imperfect playing, especially in intonation (the player’s main challenge on such a small instrument, but great for practice). You’ll see right away that I’m neither a horn player nor a jazz player, although I have played professionally on other instruments in other genres for about 21 years. The main point is to convey a rough idea of the instrument’s potential. Search for "saxinet" or the "Northwind Instruments" channel on Youtube.

The Saxinet It’s available in Bb and C, and in a choice of three colors, silver, gold and two-tone. I’m hoping that it will have uses for experienced players as a compact travelling instrument, as well as for kids to learn on a couple of years earlier than they could with sax or clarinet, or as an alternative to recorder. The Saxinet is my sincere attempt to make a better “pocket” instrument than any other on the market.

I’d be glad to answer any questions or comments, either here or by email.

All the best,

Duncan Gillis
Saxinet.com

 

[kevgermany]

Before anyone shouts, this thread was cleared with Pete...

Here's a link: http://northwindinstruments.com/saxinet/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfXSf6CnBng
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze6xUWBwEUI#t=26

 

[Ads]

How does it sound?, I had a Xaphoon, it was an awful thing, sounded more like a Kazoo than a sax or clarinet.

A roundup of these kind of things would be good - Saxinet, Chalamaux, Xaphoon etc

 

[jbtsax]

That's interesting. Are there any plans to make a conical one? You could call it a "Saxorder" or "Saxute".

 

[kevgermany]

How does it sound?, I had a Xaphoon, it was an awful thing, sounded more like a Kazoo than a sax or clarinet.

A roundup of these kind of things would be good - Saxinet, Chalamaux, Xaphoon etc

Listen to the youtube links...

 

[Andrew Sanders]

Does it come with a snake as standard?
(Sorry Duncan)

 

[Dave McLaughlin]

It’s a keyless instrument with the same basic fingering as saxophone.

As it's cylindrical, it'll overblow at (about) a twelfth, so surely the fingering's more like a clarinet?

 

[Ads]

Maybe the bore diff is why they sound nothing like a Sax? . the videos do a good job of hiding it, especially the Xaphoon and Bamboo sax ones - a Straight sop with fixed neck is basically a cone with holes in , the Saxinet (this one and the Wooden Jupter one) Chalamaux, Xaphoons, bamboo Saxes etc are all cylindrical, surely a conical one would be no harder to make from plastic or metal ? and have a Sax sound...

 

[Colin the Bear]

The tin whistle clarinet. I'm out.

I would suggest that your marketing may be more sucessful if you get a professional musician to record at a professional studio. I don't think it's a natural trad jazz instrument but it may find a niche in folk or world music.

 

[Saxinet]

Colin, I doubt you were ever "in", but thanks for the marketing tip. As I took great care to mention in my post, I am a professional musician, but not a jazz or sax player; thanks too for pointing it out again. I would love to hire pro sax player to do something in a studio. I would also love to buy Christmas gifts for my family. I will correct you on a couple of points though; it has far less in common with tin whistle than it does with saxophone - I think here you're being highly discriminating regarding the instrument you're familiar with (sax) at the same time as being fast and loose with another you perhaps are not (tin whistle). And no, it's not a clarinet, as any clarinetist will tell you - that's why it's not called one.

Ads

"surely a conical one would be no harder to make from plastic or metal ? and have a Sax sound..."​

No, it would surely be very much harder, as 5 minutes in the workshop would demonstrate. Plus there would be a problem of pitch. As in extremely high. Dave, to answer your question on fingering, it is basically identical to sax in Bb and C major. Some of the cross-fingered notes are similar, some are not.​

 

[kevgermany]

OK, enough of this. No more sniping please.

 

[kevgermany]

Duncan, I'm interested in the fingering differences, especially over the break. Perhaps you can let us know more about them.

 

[Nick Wyver]

Not sure there is a break.

It plays chromatically through 14 tones and semitones, from Bb to c.

Bb to c is 14 semitones - don't know where the tones come into this.

If this is at all aimed at sax players then they're going to want a version without the mouthpiece.

 

[jrintaha]

Is the mouthpiece removable? It kind of looks like it is.

I'd actually find a portable reed instrument very handy. I have a xaphoon, and while it doesn't really sound that much like a saxophone (or a clarinet), it has a pretty nice tone of its own, once you learn how to coerce that out of it. The built-in mouthpiece, however, is just awful. Way too large, gets you a sore jaw and headache in no time. And the intonation is so far off that it's just plain impossible to play along with anything or anyone. It's kind of like almost every note is 20-30 cents sharp, plus a couple of ones that are 20-30 cents flat.

Just by looking at it I see the saxinet beats the xaphoon in the mouthpiece department at least. If the intonation is workable, I see a lot of times I could've used one.

 

[Ads]

Prof

The Above Beratement of Colin could have been said better, a lot better, especially by someone marketing a new Product, as this is a mainly UK forum and "Saxinet" are in Canada (I think) I guess he doesn`t expect many sales here anyway ...

A Translation into Diplomatic : Hi Colin, Looks like the instrument isn`t for you then ? , Sorry for the lacklustre performance but I`m not a Pro woodwind player and sadly a Pro demonstration isn`t financially possible at these early stages but Hey, if it sounds OK with me playing it, imagine how it`ll sound in your hands ! . Regarding the Tin Whistle, don`t knock it , one thing they are is TOUGH, tougher than plastic or bamboo this one similarity is a massive benefit to the Saxinet and if it becomes 100th as popular I`ll be driving a Ferrari before I retire ...

 

[TomMapfumo]

Hi there!

Thanks for sharing the idea with us. I would not be interested in buying such an instrument as it
does nor really look or sound much like a saxophone. As I trumpet player I really like some of the pocket
trumpets out there which could easily fit on a trip - I even took for cornet to France once. With the sax I
would currently just do something else with my time away and have a break from playing for a week or so - which
can be beneficial in its one way.

So doesn't appeal, unfortunately. It would be good if a better "pocket sax" could be developed, though a curved soprano is
close.

Kind regards
Tom

 

[ProfJames]

Agree with Tom. A curved sop is so portable.

 

[Koen88]

Hi there!

Thanks for sharing the idea with us. I would not be interested in buying such an instrument as it
does nor really look or sound much like a saxophone. As I trumpet player I really like some of the pocket
trumpets out there which could easily fit on a trip - I even took for cornet to France once. With the sax I
would currently just do something else with my time away and have a break from playing for a week or so - which
can be beneficial in its one way.

So doesn't appeal, unfortunately. It would be good if a better "pocket sax" could be developed, though a curved soprano is
close.

Kind regards
Tom

maybe a curved sopranino?

 

[TomMapfumo]

Curved sopranino sounds a good idea, with the problem being that nit is likely to be too costly. A reasonable pocket trumpet will cost you about £130+ but a current sopranino is likely to cost at least £500+ like the "John Packer Mighty Atom". A current soprano curvie should be nearer the £200 mark.

 

[Ads]

I don`t know the diff in size between Sop and Sop'N but here`s the Curved Sop next to a standard Descant recorder to give those who`ve not seen one a n idea . and another next to a standard straight Sop .. the Curved is a tiny thing , I`d love to see a curved Sopranino

EDIT:- found this youtube of a Sopranino Curved (the non curved are probably longer than a standard Curved sop) . no command performance on this link but it shows the size at least . looks quite a bit smaller than the Curved Sop

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsUzd4H0gss