In a feat of engineering and musical ambition, the world’s largest playable saxophone has been unveiled, not only dominating the stage with its colossal size but also with a sound so profoundly low it has been sensationally likened to the unsettling blast of a sinking ship’s horn.
The instrument, a ‘sub-contrabass’ saxophone, is a record-breaking creation by Brazilian instrument maker J’Elle Stainer for Gilberto Lopes (Italy) in 2013, and is featured in the Guinness World Records.
The saxophone’s sheer dimensions defy normal musical standards:
- Height: Standing at 2.74 m(8 ft 11.87 in) tall, the instrument is officially taller than Robert Wadlow, the tallest man ever recorded (8 ft 11 in).
- Tube Length: Its massive brass tube stretches an astonishing 6.745 m(22 ft 1.55 in).
- Weight & Volume: The sub-contrabass weighs 28.6 kg(63.05 lb) and boasts an estimated internal air volume of 0.27 m3(9.53 ft3).
The record-holder is four octaves lower than a standard alto sax and an entire octave below a bass saxophone. Its super-low frequency, which ranges down to 25.95 Hz, produces notes that are often felt as much as they are heard.
The instrument’s unique, resonant boom has captured public imagination, with listeners comparing its deep, foghorn-like tones to the iconic sound of a ship—and even the melancholic blast from a vessel in distress. The instrument was made to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the saxophone’s inventor, Adolphe Sax, and finally brings to life the “sax bourdon” that Sax first patented in 1846 but never managed to build.
