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Yanagisawa Pages

Nice work Ed.

I've always enjoyed the Yanagiswa horn's I've had. It started back in the mid to late 70's when I got a great playing tenor in Junior High. I'm not sure which model it was but it had that case with the bright orange interior.
 
I haven't seen one with a bright orange interior. I think I've seen some gold color. If it was the 70's it was more than likely the 6 series. One of the best tenors I have ever played was a T-6. I couldn't believe how great that horn was.
 
From the pictures I've seen, I'm pretty sure it was a T-6 model. It was a great horn that I stupidly sold when I moved to CA nearly 20 years ago.

I've been playing a T-901 for the last 5-6 years and added a bronze neck to it a couple of years ago. Serves me well!
 
Thanks for the heads up on that.

I've download the photos.
 
I love Yani's and personally believe they are the finest sopranos made period IMO. I started playing soprano back in 77 and an S6 straight was my first. Sounded like a Mk VI but with superior intonation. Since, I've owned a silver 62R, Series III, and now play a standard 901 Yani which I truly feel is the best one-piece soprano made, regardless of price and perhaps the best soprano I've ever played. Yani's mechanics are incredible. You can't go wrong with any of the Yani line. I love the sound of Selmer when it comes to tenors and altos, but when it comes to soprano's, Yani lead the pack. Again, just my personal experience. You're mileage may vary.
 
Hi folks!
I've just received my new sop, it's a vintage yani sn 158XXX
I came to this becouse I was searching for a sop with mk6 tone/feel/and construction... I'm coming from a yamaha 675.
I feel to to have made the right choice, It plays so well in tune with a great and "organic" tone I'm so happy with it!


setup:
mpc selmer metal E vintage '60
java 3,5#

sample: http://www.gospel.bo.it/albums/userpics/10678/prova_sop_s6.mp3

photo book: http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages...049632&formats=0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0&format=0


I'm just searching to understand the differencies between s6 and s800 from the moment my sop is from late 80's standing on the yaangisawa vintage page guide.

Anyone have ever compared the s6 with the s800 ??

who is the best mk6 copy between s6 and s800 ??

is the s800 "more a yani horn" becouse the have been continued to develop and improve the s6 until they get a "real yani horn" out from a truly great mk6 clone?
 
I think the two horns are very close.

For someone into the Mark VI vibe you really can't go wrong with the S-6. I've never been able to really get used to the inline palm keys which led me to some other choices on soprano. Great tone and intonation out of the S-6 though.
 
Pumatheman: Welcome aboard.

I couldn't reach any photos on your photo-link so I'm not exactly sure about the soprano you discussed. Nor did other photo links on this site show me any Yanagisawa sopranos of any era.

I listened to the sound clip. Sounded to me like many sopranos with an oboish-quality to them.

I will give you my take on the Yanagisawa soprano line.

First of all, I've owned a MKVI soprano and played several others. I know some players love their MKVI but frankly, I've never played one with a decent scale or a hi-end that spoke with authority. That I sold mine and never looked back speaks a lot about what I think of them.

I recently tried a few of the Kenny G models made in China, but with improvements. I was impressed but thought they were too expensive for what they were. They were essentially MKVI clones, but with standard saxophone-like forked palm keys, NOT the awful design of the MKVI (my opinion).

I've also played a few Yanagisawa S-6 models and while they seemed better than any of the MKVI's I owned/played, I still wasn't impressed enough to buy one in light of the fine players I already own.

I do own a Taiwanese-made soprano MKVI clone. It suffers the same maladies as did all the real MKVI's I know. Like Ed, the in-line palm keys are deal-killer for me.

Back in the 1970's, I bought a Japanese-made soprano, designed like the MKVI and the S-6 . . . a Dorado 600. I strongly suspect it was a Yanagisawa stencil. It too is gone from my closet, but it served me okay. I replaced it with a more modern designed Yanagisawa labeled ELIMONA. As I look back at it, I recall it was an 800-model. The differences between the Dorado 600 (and the VI/S-6 design) were 1)a removable neck; 2) B and Bb bell pads hung underneath the tube as opposed to the B/Bb bell pads being above the tube like the VI, Conns and Bueschers.

Before I wrote this, I went back through some links and threads but wasn't able to corroborate my contention that the 800 Yanagisawa soprano was totally different than the S-6, but I suspect that I am correct. If anyone can confirm or deny, I'd appreciate it (with corroborating photos).

I suspect photos will show that an 800-series Yanagisawa soprano will have a removable neck and the same bell pads as does the more modern Yamahas (62, 475, 675, etc.), the Selmer Super Action series, and the common Yanagisawa S90X/S991 series.

For reference, my favorite all-time soprano is my 1928 Buescher TT straight, but I also enjoy my S992, S901, and curved SC902, among those in my closet. A Yamaha 62 I once played regularly is now in my daughter's possession.

I'm sure that Yanagisawa S-6 you discussed will work fine, it just wouldn't be my choice. DAVE
 
Hey, I don't don't know if it was a mistake or not.. On the model numbers through the years part:
"1971-1978 A-500/T-500 - lesser pro alto and tenor
1977-1984 500 Series horns"
If they're the same series (A-500 and T-500 should be part of the 500 series, right), why would they have different years? Or do you mean non-alto/non-tenor 500 horns?
 
Typo on the 500 series.

My most recent research (from Yanagisawa catalogs) indicate that the 500 series horns were marketed to the beginner/advancing player. I'm calling them intermediate horns. I haven't seen one so I can't begin to say if they used the same tubes as the 8xx series or if they were using earlier tubes. Given the size of Yanagisawa it would be surprising if they specifically designed the horn with unique body tubes.
 
Thanks for the Yanagisawa info. I like their horns a lot, especially the little ones. I've been playing on a Yanagisawa curved Bb soprano and a Yani sopranino for a long time.

I visited the factory in 1982 while on a Japanese tour with Jaco Pastorius. I wrote ahead for permission, and they were more than helpful. At the end of the factory tour (The factory is, or was, located in a large house) they asked me to critique their baritone sax, which was very good, and their baritone mouthpieces. Somehow, they already knew the tip openings I liked. I really liked the hard rubber baritone mouthpiece, and offered to buy it. They gave me the mouthpiece I liked as a gift, but only after they adjusted the ligature to show the Yanagisawa logo on the mouthpiece when I placed the ligature where I liked it. I was impressed.
 
In Musikmesse this year at some point I decided to go around and compare all the baritones. Several were great, but my favorite was the Yanagisawa (though among the best ones it was just preferance since all of those were great).
 
Yani 500

I used to play a friends alto sax in high school-a Astro.That horn had a warm sound so free blowing felt like a extension of me.Found out later that horn was a Yani stencil.I have a series 500 tenor now that i ALWAYS
get folks asking me what kind of horn is that? I also play the A880, but i would like to find an alto that plays like that Astro!
 
The Astro was probably an A-4 or A-5. More likely the A-5. I had one some years ago and really liked the horn.
 
I have Yanagisawa "Artist" stencil that looks exactly like the 6 Series in the Vintage Yanagisawa gallery. However, on the alto I have has the marking of A-4 next to the serial number 773xxx. Please let me know your thoughts.
 
It would be an A-4 made in 1973. The models tended to evolve as they went along which is to say that an A-4 towards the end of the run will incorporate a lot of A-6 features. The same happened with the A-6's and the subsequent 800's.
 
Ed, thanks for your comment. It's in need of a repadding to become playable. Now, I just have to decide if it's worth it.
 
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