Saxophone Doubling

Question for any sax players: How many saxes, in your experience, do most of your fellow sax players play? As a composer, I've always assumed that in a jazz band (or musical theatre pit) I had to assign any soprano sax parts to the alto sax chairs, but more and more I'm hearing about tenor players who play mean soprano. Is this a growing trend? (Maybe growing enough that I could confidently assign soprano doubles to the tenor players too?)

Bonus question: How much louder is a soprano sax than an oboe? I've got a reedy section coming up in a piece I'm considering, and I'm thinking of subbing the soprano sax for it, but I'm wondering if the volume differential would make it impossible for it to blend with the surrounding reeds - clarinet, flute, etc... Thanks.

I don't know a single sax player would say can't play alto, so I can say a sax player can play any sax as long as he owns it, with the exception of soprano, someone could have a pro level on sax but has played the alto his entire life, he can't switch to soprano just like that, soprano requires a bunch of extra skills nobody can have unless he really dedicates time to play soprano.

Tenor may not have any problem coming from alto, just a bit more breath, Baritone the same just add even more breath.

Sax was made to be a woodwind but as loud as brass, it can't be that loud but certainly louder than any woodwind, depending on the tip opening of the mouthpiece but Soprano Sax can sound like 300% of Oboe at fff, mostly with lowest notes B and Bb where the entire tube is used all saxes sound pretty loud in those notes.

A soprano player can easily switch to alto since nobody starts with soprano, you always learn alto or tenor first.

One of those Tenor fanatics have never even tried the soprano, will never like the total mess of controling the soprano.

So you can have like these groups

Soprano+Alto (common)

Soprano+Alto+Tenor (very possible)

Alto+Tenor (common)

Alto+Tenor+Bari (not so common)

Soprano+Alto+Tenor+Bari (a fanatic only)

I find the most common doubles are:

Tenor / Soprano

Alto / Soprano

Alto / Bari

All of the above are correct. Heck, if you're with an RB group, It isn't uncommon for a saxophonist to have three saxes on them. In the LCJO, they usually have two with two other woodwinds. I.E. Victor Goines has his soprano, tenor, with clarinet, bass cl., and flute.

Summary, learn ALL of the woodwinds.

Many thanks, folks.