Adolphe Sax, a Belgian instrument maker and musician, patented the saxophone in 1846. Sax wanted to create an instrument that would be the most powerful of the woodwinds and the most adaptive of the brass, filling the tonal gap between the two sections in an orchestra. While the saxophone is made of brass, it is technically categorized as a woodwind instrument because it produces sound using a single reed, similar to a clarinet. Sax originally designed 14 different sizes and versions of the saxophone, ranging from sopranino to contrabass. Although it struggled to find a permanent home in classical orchestral music, it became the soul of jazz music in the early 20th century. Adolphe Sax faced many legal battles and rivalries throughout his life as other manufacturers tried to challenge his patents and discredit his innovative design.