The Wilmington Bass Saxophone Professional
You could buy another Bass Saxophone that’s more expensive or has a more well known name, but you can’t buy another bass that plays all the notes! The Wilmington Pro Bass Saxophone is the ONLY bass in the world that plays second octave D with the regular fingering, and that’s because it features our proprietary and revolutionary Altarac Vent.
The Altarac Vent is a fully mechanized triple octave vent that allows the player to use all the same fingerings as on other saxophones with no alteration for response. In theory, a perfect saxophone would have a separate octave vent for every single note, but in practice, this would be tons of extra keywork and would be very difficult to set up and maintain. The standard saxophone keywork arrived at the compromise of 2 octave vents: one on the body that vents D2-G#2, and one on the neck that vents A2 and above. This works pretty well on smaller saxophones, but as they get exponentially larger, the compromise doesn’t work so well because the ideal location for a vent such as D2 is pretty far from where the body octave vent is actually located.
The Altarac Vent gets around this issue by installing two additional vents that work in tandem on a teetering mechanism to vent D2 and D#2, and the body octave vent then vents only E2-G#2. To accomplish this requires quite a bit of custom modification, starting from Low D all the way up to the very top of the horn. The additional 3rd octave vent has to be executed precisely so it is adjustable where it needs to be and is fully automated without additional action from the player. Adjustment screws were added so that key heights can still be independently adjusted. This modification designed in the Sax ProShop is truly a thoughtful, well engineered mechanism.
Having a note on the instrument that doesn't work causes you to have to be on guard for that note- it changes how you read and how you solo. The Altarac Vent allows the player to relax and focus on the music- the way it should be. Although this keywork is new and innovative, it was designed to be adjustable and repairable in a standard fashion by your trusted repair technician. It comes with an oversized clothing guard to protect the mechanism and keep it in adjustment.
As with the Wilmington Standard Bass Saxophone, it has been fully set-up at the Sax ProShop. We spend a significant amount of time on each instrument to set up the key heights, the pad heights, timing, perform our tuning and toning process, and reduce key noise by adding synthetic materials such as ultra suede, tech cork, and teflon to the mechanism as needed for quiet and smooth action.
The result is a bass saxophone that feels great and very solid, with keywork that lays well under the hands almost like a baritone. The tone is even throughout, the intonation is remarkably good, and it speaks well in all registers (no alternate fingerings required). It is highly adjustable and repairable, for all of the bumps and bangs an instrument of such a size inevitably endures.
The Wilmington Pro model is engraved in-house with the Wilmington logo and extensive additional engraving showcasing additional scenes from the beautiful North Carolina coast. Have some custom engraving in mind? Let us know!
Features:
*Altarac Vent, the world’s first fully mechanized triple octave vent
*Keyed Low Bb to High F#
*Compact body style
*Ribbed construction
*Completely removable top bow and bow and bell section so the instrument can be mostly disassembled without soldering for easier repairs and dent removal
*Two heavy duty bell-to-body braces to keep the bell in alignment and the low end honkin’
*Two sturdy braces in the top bow that unscrew
*Long hinge rods are nickel which limits flex and keeps the horn in adjustment
*Front F has adjustment screws to remove lost motion
*Bis Bb key
*Key contacts under every single floating key to keep them in adjustment and create a solid feel
*Side key contacts under Side E, Side C, and Side Bb
*Low C and Eb key touches have an upward ergonomic curve
*Adjustment screws on the top stack keys
*Adjustment screws on sliders for the F# to G# and F# to Bb connections
*Adjustment screws to adjust the swing of the Low B to Low C# connection
*Foot on Low C# lever to give it a solid feel
*Adjustable bell key bumpers
*Blued Steel needle springs for a snappy feel
*Triple Strap Ring *Adjustable Thumb Rest
*Substantial floor peg
*Comes with hard rubber mouthpiece, ligature, cap, and reed *Rolling zipper case with a good size storage compartment and plenty of padding
*Extensive and beautiful engraving done in-house with additional custom engraving available. Contact us at saxproshop@musicmedic.com to plan out your custom design after ordering.
For Dealer inquiries please contact us at sales@musicmedic.com