Re: Who I might be.
The first indtruments only had one fingering for each note, and thus (for instance) the only way to get Bb is to play the A fingering and press the side key with your right hand. There is no articulated G#, so if you keep your little finger on the G# key and try to play a lower note either nothing comes out or you get a squeak. The instrument is hidden away at present, but as far as I remember it only goes down to bottom B instead of Bb, and only up to either D or D# at the top. It is also a much more rudimentary shape, very light, and absolutely beautifully made. If I notice anything else I will try to enlarge on this.
The reason I find it very difficult to play is that I have been playing a very long time and I use every fingering a modern sax can offer except the third finger right hand F# key (and even that I once found a use for, and had to learn the part because of it).
Some modern saxes don't have a coupler between bottom B and bottom C#, and because I play in some weird keys, I usually solder one on when first get an instrument (makes a C# arpeggio easy, for instance). Although my regular gigging tenor does not have one of those.
There.
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