Lacquer

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  • Buescher 400 Tenor Original Lacquer Very Good Condition Old Pads

    $ 1,450

  • Buescher Aristocrat 140 Alto Original Lacquer Very Good Condition

    $ 1,250

  • Conn 26M VIII Connqueror Alto Original Lacquer Excellent! 292445

    $ 3,550

    This is a beautiful example of a rare Conn Connqueror 26M Alto saxophone with original lacquer and VIII stamp. The Connqueror is the most mechanically sophisticated saxophone that Conn ever made. It is a pre-war 6M body tube and neck, with all new keywork design, extra engraving, and solid silver on all the key touches that are not pearl. The ‘permadjust’ system is the big development on the Connqueror altos. You can read about that on Matt Stohrer’s website, or watch his repairman’s overview of the 26M on Youtube. This one has its bits and bobs intact, and is in very good condition. It just got overhauled before I bought it, so the pads are all new!  Cosmetically, this horn is just great, with only some minor lacquer wear. It has to be one of the nicest 26M Connqueror altos out there. Definitely the nicest one for sale currently, and priced very reasonably. I really like this one.

    Only one available!

  • Conn Connstellation Alto Saxophone 28M Very Good Condition Original Lacquer 335771

    $ 2,050

    You could be forgiven for thinking that because there are two original lacquer, very good condition Conn 28M “Connstellation” saxophones on my website at the moment that these are somewhat common, but I assure you that is not the case!   I will copy and paste the general statements about the 28M from the other description, with the unique description of this particular instrument’s physical and playing condition at the bottom.

    The Conn 28M will always have a special place in my heart.  It represents the last time one of the great American saxophone manufacturing companies tried something wholly new, and although the horn never really found a market and not many were made, they are fantastic instruments that besides being unique and historically interesting, play *really* well.  

    These saxophones were redesigned, utilizing many ideas from Allen Loomis (Conn’s resident saxophone visionary) and Hugh Loney, with input from Santy Runyon, with the aim of creating a saxophone that had extremely slick keywork and a very balanced scale.  The keywork, although familiar under the fingers with regard to placement and layout, is mechanically quite different from any other saxophone and has been built from the ground up with the goal of reducing mechanical friction. There are no pivot screws anywhere on this saxophone, instead the long rods have a very long hinge rod with the middle machined down so only the ends touch.   The G# has a very unique torsion mechanism to provide a G# feel that is smooth throughout the range. The side keys are designed so that the angle and distance of travel is the same for each key. There are adjustment screws on the upper and lower stacks as well as the left hand pinky table. The bell keys are on the left side, and the pantsguard/bell keyguard is a large acrylic plate that was designed with the idea in mind of allowing the horn to vent properly regardless of playing position or clothing choice.  The octave mechanism has three pips (octave vents), one on the neck and two on the body, which has the end result of a very clear middle D and no hiss on the A or G#, as well as excellent intonation. The keywork in general is very light, and the pearls are larger than usual for Conn and a little flatter. The overall feeling is of a very light horn, extremely slick, easy to play, excellent intonation, and very even throughout.

    The one downfall of this design is the pantsguard, which is fairly brittle and often broken.  Although nowadays there are excellent replacements available, this one has its original guard in decent condition.  There is one repaired crack (visible in the photos) and the common small cracks radiating from some of the screw holes.  I would anticipate, absent any further damage, that this keyguard will last and should not present any problems- although I will furnish you with contact information for obtaining a well made (and somewhat more durable) replacement should you ever need it.  And believe it or not, I have experience shipping these so you can rest easy knowing I will remove it for shipping, wrap it separately, and it will arrive to you in good condition.

    This instrument plays quite decently on what appears to be an older repad with plastic domed resonators, with a strong, moderately bright, cheerful voice.  The clarity of the tone is notable, and it is a lot of fun to play with a unique look and feel and timbre that would lend itself easily to classical, big band, or small group jazz.  The lacquer is original and in good condition with some playing wear and a few stand scratches near the low C#, with no evidence of past repairs or dents or resolders of any kind. It is also a unique and interesting piece of saxophone history, in very good condition, and whoever owns this instrument next will have a lot of fun being its steward for the next generation.  

  • Sold Out

    Conn Early 6M Alto Saxophone 250425

    This is about the 150th Conn 6M made. (The first is #250243, and they made other voices in between that one and 250425.) If you know this site, you’ll know that I especially like these early 6Ms. They play wider and wilder than the also-great-later 6M’s, but they still have the super slick keywork that makes 6M’s great. So it’s kind of a sweet spot if you want great keywork and a big sound. This one needs an overhaul, and it has a few dings, but it’s going to be a superb alto with a little care put into it. Or talk to me about getting it including a fresh overhaul, which I can have done to my picky standards in a couple of weeks’ time.

  • Holton Stratodyne 234 Alto Good Condition with Old Pads 242174

    $ 1,200

  • Ishimori Wood Stone New Vintage Alto Saxophone WSA-VL with F# Dark Lacquer NEW

    $ 4,300

    Two available now! (Finally)

    This is the highly sought-after Ishimori Wood Stone ‘New Vintage’ alto saxophone available. The model is WSA-VL with high F#. It has dark, cognac colored lacquer and beautiful hand engraving, the among the most elaborate of any modern saxophone. Effortless player. Hard to emphasize how effortless. Completely effortless low register, low Bb pops out like any other note. Altissimo is easy. Tuning is great. The tone is sort of Selmer-ish but punchier like a King Super 20. But it’s not either of those. It’s its own thing – the New Vintage alto.  Easy to play delicately and softly with plenty of saturation and projection. Action is low, fast, and snappy. Great for jazz, concert, ballads– really anything. I’m impressed! Here’s our first demo video:

  • Ishimori Wood Stone New Vintage Tenor Saxophone WST-VL with F# Dark Lacquer NEW

    $ 4,700

    Inventory Update: Sept 2022 These are BACKORDERED for about a month currently. To reserve, email me or just checkout through the website if you don’t mind waiting. You card does get charged right away.

    See below for some sound samples and an unboxing video.

    This is a highly-desirable Ishimori Wood Stone New Vintage tenor saxophone. This one is in beautiful Dark Lacquer (Vintage Lacquer, they call it, or VL for short). You can find the unlacquered ‘Antique Finish’ version here.  Ishimori New Vintage Tenors are usually back ordered, but I will try my best to keep at least one in stock. Ishimori is Japan’s premiere saxophone repair shop, and Mr. Ishimori has been designing, building, and repairing saxophones for decades.

    These tenors not only sound great, but they stand out from the crowd with their excellent new horn setup done in the Ishimori workshop. The Ishimori New Vintage tenors hold up extremely well over time, and every detail of construction and assembly is optimized for ease of play. The tone on this Ishimori tenor is meant to remind you of a vintage Selmer – to my ear, it plays like a late SBA – not as loud and wide open as some Mark VI’s, but more focused than earlier Selmers also. The neck and the engraving are meant to evoke the Selmer Super Balanced Action, so I suspect that the neck is an SBA bore. The tuning is excellent. This body tube is designed to have the high F# tone hole present, so it tunes well with the high F#, and that’s also just a convenient feature. Lacquer is gorgeous, as is the hand engraving.

    Ishimori New Vintage tenors play so effortlessly, they sell themselves. Every time one comes in the shop, it sells almost immediately. I have one in stock coming next week. Get it now!

    See below for some sound samples on a range of mouthpieces, and an unboxing video.

  • Keilwerth SX-90 Black Nickel Tenor Near Mint Early Version Good Pads 103682

    $ 4,750

    This is the nicest early Keilwerth tenor I’ve seen, and it also has pads that are almost new, and has no damage or past repairs at all. This is the desirable early version that is what Grover Washington Jr. also played. These tenors are GREAT for smooth jazz, because they have a big, fat upper register that sounds really good with a bright mouthpiece. The whole horn seems like it’s asking to be a solo instrument or cut through a band.

    Pair it with something projecting like a Guardala, Berg, Dukoff, or any of the modern pieces that are made for projection, and you’ll have an instant pro sound. Or play a vintage jazz piece on it and it sounds almost like a Conn but with comfortable, modern ergnomics. The black nickel ones are by far the most popular, and always go fast.

    This one is pretty much unbeatable.

    Only one available!

  • King SilverSonic Alto Original Lacquer Mint Freshly Overhauled 448357

    $ 6,500

  • King SilverSonic Tenor Series III Gold in the Engraving Double Socket Neck 375203

    $ 9,250

    If you’re reading this, then welcome! I’d like to introduce you to one of my favorite tenor saxophones. There are many versions of King Super 20 tenors and King SilverSonic tenors and it can be confusing for people who don’t regularly geek out about vintage saxophones to know which ones are the best. The short answer in this case would be – this one! The reasons, you ask? So, the next earlier SilverSonic version, the ‘Series II’ with pearl side keys, will cost you many many thousands of dollars more money (because only around 200 exist). This is the next version after that, and it has the best combination of features that you could ask for: solid silver (not plated, but all the way through silver) neck and bell; thick gold plate inside the engraving on the bell, gold wash inside the bell with lacquer over it; double socket neck with underslung octave key. All of those features go away at one time or another on later Super 20’s and SilverSonics. So to have them all in one horn is what you want.

    That’s the first big reason. The second is keywork. People always seem to want keywork that feels modern, even on a vintage horn. This is a barrier to lots of players getting to experience best vintage horns – they can have trouble with the idea that a Conn 10M or a Buescher Top Hat and Cane has different pinky key layout, and are afraid they won’t be able to adjust. If you’ve had the pleasure of spending a week playing a horn with an unfamiliar key layout, you’ll know already, that this fear is overplayed. Your brain makes the changes in your muscle memory and you very soon feel comfortable and at home. Nevertheless… if you’re someone who wants it both ways – vintage horn build quality, beauty and tone, but modern-ish keywork, then this is the horn for you. The Series III Super 20’s and SilverSonics are the first ones that feel pretty much modern under the fingers. No, low Bb does not tilt like your Yamaha, but it’s still in the same location and is the same basic shape. So it’s easier to make the move to this version of SilverSonic.

    And why move? Well, to me, beauty alone is a sufficient reason. It’s easily one of the most beautiful saxophones ever made.That gold over silver on the bell, plus the neck – people are still imitating that look today, to varying degrees of success.  This one is a little grimy at present, but it will clean up very nicely in the course of an overhaul. It doesn’t absolutely have to be overhauled right now though, so I’ve got it listed with current pads. It blasts out notes on them, and it’s tons of fun to play, so if you want to get the horn now and then save up for an overhaul in a year or two, this makes that easier to do. You should plan on spending a couple hundred bucks on a tune up right off the bat, I think. I may end up doing that soon anyway. That 20 cent piece will come off the thumb rest, but I kind of like how it looks. That’s up to you, but sorting out a correct original style thumb rest is easy to do, so don’t worry about that. I can take care of that for you. This version of the SilverSonic deserves to be worth more than it is, and I have this one priced actually lower than the last one I sold 10 years ago, so it’s definitely a great deal. You just don’t see Series III SilverSonics with doube socket neck and gold in the engraving very often. And they have a super-powerful, fat not too shrill, projecting tone that is really hard to beat. This could easily be your only horn for the rest of your life, and you would never need to upgrade, and probably would never even be tempted to. Now that i’ve written this description, if the horn suddenly disappears from the site, you’ll know I decided to just keep it and play it.

    Only one available!

  • King Super 20 Alto 415046 Original Lacquer Very Good Condition

    $ 3,650

    Nice clean King Super 20 Alto Saxophone ‘Series IV’ from 1965,  meaning it’s a late Cleveland one with the more modern keywork style. That’s good if you want a King Super 20 tone with minimal keywork compromises. This has the solid silver single socket neck. This sax has its original pads, which are 57 years old, so plan on an overhaul. Enough of my customers want a less expensive Super 20 that I’m leaving this one original pads for the moment. Almost every other King on the site is overhauled, so check those out if you want one that is a turnkey purchase.

    Only one available!

  • Sold Out

    King Super 20 Alto Series III Original Lacquer Very Good Condition 376523

    $ 4,950

    Great King Super 20 alto that is also on the affordable side for one of the best vintages. This is 376523, double socket, solid silver neck, engraved bell keys, underslung octave key, but the more modern style pinky keys and a tone that is more like the ‘full pearls’ Super 20’s. This horn just got a full, top shelf overhaul with Pisoni italian leather pads and nice reusable slightly domed, metal resonators. It feels brand new under the fingers, and it is still in excellent original cosmetic condition. Only one available! $4950 incl the overhaul, which is about what you’d pay for a Yamaha, and this is much better and holds its value better too.

  • King Super 20 Tenor 1947 Full Pearls Original Lacquer Good Pads 290165

    $ 5,850

    This is a beautiful original lacquer King Super 20 tenor saxophone from 1947. It has the light ‘coca-cola’ lacquer that these almost always have in the 290k range. The pads are in excellent condition and almost new. These late 40’s Kings are wonderful players. Big, dark, spread, powerful tone with lots of projection. The neck has the matching serial to the body. It’s kind of amazing to me that you can still buy an original King Super 20 tenor with a good overhaul and full pearls, solid silver neck, and full pearls on all the side and palm keys for this kind of a price. Heavily marketed Taiwanese horns are priced in the same range.

  • Sold Out

    King Super 20 Tenor Original Lacquer 349080 Fresh Overhaul Excellent!

    $ 5,900

    Freshly overhauled third series King Super 20 tenor saxophone. This gets my ‘exceptionally fine player’ designation, and it deserves it. The third series Super 20’s are for folks who want a Super 20 that sounds great, but who want the keywork to feel as modern as possible. It’s quite comfortable and fast under the fingers, and it plays effortlessly. You won’t find a better King that checks all the boxes than the series III ones – they lack the side key pearls, but they gain the modern keywork, and they still have the solid silver, double-socket neck that gives the horn a lot of its characteristic tone. This horn just got a complete mechanical overhaul, so it’s just as tight and snappy and new-feeling as can be. It was one owner, original pads before that, so this has never been messed with, and it plays great now and is ready for its next several decades of music making. If you want a tenor that is powerful, full-throated, projecting, and not too bright, but not very dark either, that’s what a Super 20 does really well. The upper register projects a ton without getting thin like a Selmer does, and the low register shakes the walls. Plus the price is the same as you pay for a Yamaha EX and only a little higher than the boutique Taiwanese horns now go for, which is kind of wild.

    Only one available!

  • King Super 20 Tenor Saxophone Full Pearls Original Lacquer Matt Stohrer Overhaul Exceptional 319719

    $ 7,950

    This is a primo Super 20 tenor – best of the best. These are the fresh photos with a Matt Stohrer overhaul just completed.  He does Super 20’s SO well. This is now the tenor that I play in the shop when I want to play a tenor. It’s fantastic.

  • Martin Centennial Alto Saxophone Committee II and III Transitional Model Rare! 142319

    $ 1,550

    Insanely low price (not my decision) on this gorgeous Martin Centennial Alto saxophone. (This is on consignment and the owner wants me to move it quickly!) The lacquer has aged to a dark honey color and looks great. Having no other Centennial altos around to compare to, I’m not willing to commit to this being original lacquer, but it might be. I don’t see signs of buffing, and if it were a Comm II, then it would look correct to be original. So maybe it is? The Centennial celebrates 100 years since the invention of the saxophone. It appears briefly between the Committee II and the Committee III (The Martin Alto) models, and it has features of both models. You can easily spot some guards and key shapes that remind you of the Comm II, while the main design chiefly anticipates the Commitee III in design and tone. If you want a The Martin Alto, but you want one that is cooler, super-early, darker than average, and rarer and more collectible, this is it!

    The tone is warm, powerful, round, and full. The ‘carrying power’ (as Martin calls it in old ads) is a main plus of this model. It sings out with absolutely no resistance to blasting over a section or a band. You can do the west coast dry jazz tone like Art Pepper, or you can blast like the SNL sax players if you want to. The intonation is remarkably good. The ergonomics are also surprisingly good.  It’s hard to beat this horn for the money. It even plays well on the existing mix of pads, and doesn’t need an overhaul right out of the case like most of these.

    Only one available!

  • Martin Magna Alto Original Lacquer Excellent Condition 206422

    $ 2,650

    Beautiful original lacquer Martin Magna Committee III Alto Saxophone. It has no dents or dings and is in absolutely gorgeous condition. The Magna is the most desirable Martin saxophone, because of the rarity and some cosmetic and mechanical features that set it above the rest. These include the fancy engraving, and nickel keys and cross accents on neck and bell, and keyguards. This Martin Magna Alto has original pads, so it hasn’t been messed with, just lightly played. It’s ready for new pads and its next 60 years of playing. Maybe you can be a part of that! These altos have such a beautiful tone (think Art Pepper), which is warm, dry, full, and powerful. Medium between bright and dark, with plenty of what Martin called ‘carrying power’ and we call ‘projection’ to spare, no matter how much you want to push it. These sound better with really bright mouthpieces than almost any other saxophone, if that’s your thing. But they sound great with something like an MC Gregory Model A like Pepper used. This is as nice an example of a Magna as you are likely to find! I’m getting the thumb hook screw sorted out by the way. Only one available!

  • Martin Music Man Alto Original Lacquer Gorgeous! 208891

    $ 2,150

    Gorgeous original lacquer Martin Music Man alto saxophone. This is one of my favorite The Martin Alto Committee III’s ever, and is being sold from my personal collection. It was in another collection for many decades before I got it, and it has been cared for very well over the years. The pads aren’t bad, but it’s not freshly overhauled either. It plays well on them. I’d play it for a while and save up for an overhaul before too long, if you want to unlock the full potential.

    The Official Music Man model was made to commemorate the runaway hit musical ‘The Music Man’ about a traveling band instrument salesman. (I’m sure you know it.) These are a lot like a regular Comm III, “The Martin Alto” but have some extra engraving and the adjustable neck octave key stoppers like a Magna. They will always be more desirable and collectible than a regular The Martin Alto, but they have the same power, projection, and dark, complex tone. These horns are built to last, and came with 50 year warranties when new. Some of them are just leaving their warranty coverage now, which is hilarious. Only one available!

  • Selmer Balanced Action Tenor 24461 Relacquered Freshly Overhauled Great Price

    $ 6,450
  • Sold Out

    Selmer Mark VI Alto 1955 Original Lacquer Recent Overhaul Excellent! 57457

    $ 8,750

    This is a fantastic, two owner example of a Selmer Mark VI alto from the first year of production. It has a recent overhaul done through GetASax with Pisoni Italian leather pads and Tenormadness slightly domed metal resonators, which is a WONDERFUL combination for a VI alto like this. It has a powerful, projecting, focused voice, and it’s totally effortless to play. I bought this horn from the original owner, who studied in NYC with Joe Allard and played in all kinds of groups in the 50’s. The original lacquer was nearly 100% present when I bought it, but it was flaking off. We washed the horn and the flaking lacquer came off, leaving it in the present stage of elegant wear, with the bare brass darkening and the engraving set off by the contrast. It looks great, like an villa on the grand canal in Venice or something. You won’t find a nicer 5-digit to play. It’s got TONS of power and can really scream, but the core tone is medium dark, so it doesn’t get shrill even when pushed. Low register is effortless. There are no past repairs to speak of, and the overhaul is just getting settled in, so it has probably at least a decade or two of solid turn key playability in this overhaul. Whoever gets this is one lucky alto player! Only one available.

     

  • Sold Out

    Selmer Mark VI Alto 69479 Original Lacquer No Neck Serial

    Beautiful example of an early 5-digit Selmer Mark VI Alto saxophone with original lacquer and American engraving. The neck on this one has no serial number and has the thicker ‘ferrule’ above the tenon, which you see around 76xxx on some VI altos, so I bet the original owner swapped out the original neck for this new neck that appeared in 1958, and was available into the early 60’s. I’ll update the description with more info soon.

  • Selmer Mark VI Alto Near Mint Original Lacquer 98721

    $ 9,500

    This is an absolutely premium Selmer Mark VI alto saxophone with nearly all of its original lacquer intact. It even has original pads from the factory from 1962. You’d be hard-pressed to find a cleaner, more beautiful Mark VI. This has a 5-digit serial, and it is in the serial range that is my favorite for tone. These late 5-digit altos have a dark, powerful, tenor-like tone that is bigger and more complex than a typical VI. They’re among the best altos you’ll find! The ‘long bow’ tuning on this one is totally fine, with no problem on low B etc. using a Meyer.

  • Selmer Mark VI Alto Original Lacquer American Engraved Very Good Condition 234127

    $ 4,950

    Beautiful original lacquer Selmer Mark VI Alto in very good condition. This alto also still plays quite well on its mostly original factory pad setup. It has a resoldered keyguard foot on low C on one side, and that’s the only repair. The neck is in great shape, and I don’t see any damage anywhere. Plan on a repad soon, but you’re looking at a beautiful original VI alto for Yamaha type of money. That’s a great deal!

  • Selmer Mark VI Sopranino 5-digit RARE Original Lacquer Excellent! 98569

    $ 8,250

    This is an incredibly rare 5-digit Selmer Mark VI Sopranino saxophone. Serial 98569, close to Coltrane’s famous VI soprano. Original lacquer at about 98% intact; extremely clean condition with no damage and no past repairs. Original case is great as well. I may have this significantly underpriced. A 5-digit Mark VI soprano of this serial would sell much higher. In any case, it’s the ultimate sopranino saxophone. This is the only 5-digit sopranino I’ve had in the history of GetASax, so there is most certainly only one available!

  • Selmer Mark VI Tenor 1956 Relacquer Great Deal Incl Overhaul! 65412

    $ 8,500

    If you want a 5-digit VI tenor that plays great and is overhauled to the top level, this is it. This is a great deal for this 5 digit Mark VI tenor from 1956. It’s American-engraved with original neck with matching serial number. There are no dents or dings, and the older pads were still sealing when I got it, but it was going to be time to overhaul it soon, so it just got a full mechanical overhaul with all new everything (leaving the lacquer of course) and with slightly domed reusable metal resonators like Selmer used back in the day.

    Condition wise, it’s worth mentioning that it was definitely buffed when it was relacquered – the bell engraving is still visible for sure, but it was originally very deeply cut at this serial range, and the palm key tone holes are shorter than they were originally because of buffing. It still tunes fine up top, since we can easily set the key heights on the palm keys individually, but it’s worth mentioning.

    With the overhaul, this an an absolutely effortless player, with a dark, powerful, focused, projecting tone that is loud and fat sounding. These 60k VI’s are always really popular with people who have played a lot of Selmer tenors, because they really have a special, dark, powerful tone that is what made the Mark VI so popular in the 50’s.

    If you’re looking for a VI tenor from basically the best serial range, with a great tone, great ergonomics, good intonation, and that costs a lot less than most VI’s, and is mechanically top shape, then that’s what this is.

    Only one available!

  • Selmer Mark VI Tenor Worn Original Lacquer 1967 140547 Great Deal!

    $ 6,750

    This is a chance to get a worn original VI from 1967 with older pads for a bargain price (for a VI). This vintage of Mark VI tenor tends to have a TON of projection and power. The tone is medium between bright and dark –  not super dark, not super bright and thin. Depending on mouthpiece, you can take it in lots of directions. This was owned by the same guy for the past several decades. He played it a lot because it plays well. It still plays well, and just got tuned up. It’s time for a fresh overhaul on it, in my opinion, so if you like the worn look on a Selmer, and you want it original lacquer, and you want to be able to afford to overhaul it your way, but not be into it for too much money, then that’s what this is.

    Only one available!

  • Selmer New LargeBore Alto Original Lacquer Recent Overhaul 11770

    $ 2,350

  • Selmer Radio Improved Alto Original Lacquer, Recent Overhaul 19276

    $ 4,950

    If you read around on here a bit, you’ll see that I love Selmers from the 1930’s and the Radio Improved in particular. This one has most of its original lacquer intact, and is in quite good condition. it is also in great playing condition with a recent overhaul done by Jack Finucane (from a couple of years or so ago before he stopped doing overhauls), and feels nice and snappy under the fingers. The pads look a little funny in photos – that’s because of some powder from Yamaha powder paper that is on the leather. But the pads themselves are in excellent condition and are nearly new. The resonators look like a Reso-Tech set made to match the vintage Selmer Tonex resos, but slightly oversized, and very slightly domed. They are a good match for the horn, and they almost look like vintage Selmer resonators. It didn’t get played much after overhaul, as the owner is in a military band and plays a modern horn most of the time for work. It’s on consignment now, and I think it’ll likely sell quickly.

    The tone of a Radio Improved alto is the reason to buy it. It’s like a Selmer blended with a Conn almost- delicate lyrical core that reminds me of an SBA, but with a wider, warmer, more spread feel like a Conn. The keywork is not modern. This is before the ‘Balanced Action’ keywork improvements, so you will have to get used to the left hand pinky keys if you haven’t played a vintage horn before. If you have, then it’s no problem. I barely notice keywork differences anymore after playing all the different styles out there. This one is more comfortable than most, and I like the direct action bell key mechanism.

    The original lacquer is in beautiful shape and looks great – deep honey gold. The only spot that isn’t original lacquer (and you’d have to really look closely to tell this) is at the neck receiver, where it looks like Jack had to resolder the neck receiver and then mix up some matching lacquer to over spray there. The only way to tell is that there’s just a little sign of overspray of the new lacquer on top of the original lacquer just below the receiver. That resolder often needs to be done on a 30’s Selmer to make the neck receiver strong again after 80+ years of use. (It was done on my personal RI, so I specially look for it). These horns are very uncommon, and this one is nicer than the great majority of RI’s out there. Only 1140 RI altos were made, and this is probably in the top 10% of those.

    Only one available!

     

  • Yamaha YSS-62 Soprano Purple Logo Near Mint Fresh Repad 2129

    $ 4,150

    This is just about the best YSS-62 that you could hope to find. It’s in near mint condition, with original lacquer almost perfect. No past damage at all. No repairs, and it just got a fresh overhaul, so the 40 year old Yamaha pads (which were dried out but not worn) are all replaced and the soprano is playing its best. If you want the warm, rich, pleasant tone of a Yamaha 62 (probably the most popular soprano made in the last 50 years), and you want a time capsule example that looks new, then that’s what this is. It’s a bargain at this price. You’d pay more for a new YSS-82Z, which is just a copy of the 62 anyway. This is a top pick for me among sopranos. Buy with confidence! You won’t be disappointed.

  • Yamaha YTS-62III Professional Tenor Saxophone Brand NEW with Warranty and Pro Setup

    $ 3,798

    The YTS-62III Tenor saxophone from Yamaha is the go-to, top recommended first professional tenor from most teachers and band directors I have talked to over the years. Again and again online, someone asks something like, “We want to get our daughter/son a good saxophone. Our budget is around $3750. What should we get?” The most common answer is basically always a Yamaha 62 tenor. Why? It just works. It’s a professional horn that is extremely reliable and made in Japan, with excellent build quality, great intonation, and a top quality factory setup. You can use virtually any mouthpiece on it, and it will still tune well. That lets you take the (admittedly rather vanilla) tone in myriad directions. Yamaha is a conservative company, and their crowd pleaser YTS-62III tenor saxophone is meant to get the job done without over-determining the tone. It’s clear, medium bright, and round. Not too loud and in your face, not very dark or too bright. Not very smoky or complex. But you can add most of that back in with a well-chosen mouthpiece.

    It’s hard to keep these horns in stock, as Yamaha has been backordered on them for a long time. I have some more coming in pretty soon (Maybe June 2022) These come with a new horn checkup before they go to you, meaning my (experienced/skilled/picky) repairman makes sure that the horn plays like it should. Often there are 2 or three little tweaks that take the horn from good to great, and that’s actually a big added value to you to have us do that before you get it. Most of the differerces between new horns of the same model at a store are due to the lack of a good new horn checkup.

  • Sold Out

    Yanagisawa AWO1 Professional Alto Saxophone New + Setup – Fantastic Deal! A901

    $ 3,150

    Currently backordered. Should be in stock soon, so email to reserve yours. Thanks!

    New in the plastic Yanagisawa AWO1 Alto saxophone. This is probably the best deal overall in a modern alto period. This horn just got checked out post shipping and is ready to play its very best right out of the case when you get it. It’s completely mint, with factory box and paperwork etc. You won’t find a better playing Yanagisawa AWO1 Alto Saxophone, nor will you find a better price. I have an extremely limited number of these that I can offer you at this sale price. Good luck to the few people who are able to jump on this amazing deal!

    If you’re wondering, the AWO1 is the brass version of Yanagisawa’s professional alto. This is the new name of what used to be the A901 model. It has a more open and vibrating feel than the heavier-built AWO10 (which is also a fantastic alto, but more expensive). My first good alto was one of these. If you want the best alto for the money, that would be the Yanagisawa AWO1. And when you go to re-sell it, you can get most to all of your money back, which is the opposite of most new saxophones.

    Any questions, feel free to ask!

  • Yanagisawa AWO10 Elite Professional Alto Saxophone Brand New Fantastic Deal! A991

    $ 4,000

    One in stock now Sept. 26th 2022

    Mint, unplayed, new in the plastic Yanagisawa AWO10 Alto saxophone. This is probably the best deal on this saxophone that you will find anywhere.  The AWO10 (formerly called A991) is Yanagisawa’s top of the line saxophone, made of solid brass, like most saxophones (as distinguished from their bronze and silver options that are significantly more expensive.)  This AWO10 just got checked out post shipping and is ready to play its very best right out of the case when you get it. It’s completely mint, with factory box and paperwork etc. You won’t find a better playing Yanagisawa AWO10, nor will you find a better price. I have an extremely limited number of these that I can offer you at this sale price. Good luck to the few people who are able to jump on this amazing deal!

    If you’re wondering, the AWO10 is the brass version of Yanagisawa’s top line professional alto. This is the new name of what used to be the A991 model. It has sturdier ‘ribbed construction’ and double arms on the bell keys, to distinguish it from its extremely similar but less expensive sibling, the AWO1 (A901). The Yanagisawa AWO10 also has the underslung neck octave key mechanism and fancy hand engraving. I love how the neck octave key looks and works. My first good alto was a Yanagisawa, and I never would have needed to upgrade from it. The tone is medium bright, clear, and round, with a crisp projection to it. With a classical mouthpiece, it darkens up beautifully while still shimmering. For jazz, it’s a natural lead alto with a brighter mouthpiece, like the GS New York or many others. The intonation is excellent. Keywork is super comfortable. The build quality that Yanagisawa offers is the best of any saxophone, and yet the price is lower than many of its competitors. That’s why Yanagisawa is SO popular among pro sax players, and why its saxophones are often back ordered with long waits. Here’s your chance to grab one at a SUPER price that is all setup and ready to go for many years making beautiful music dependably. It’s the Lexus of modern saxophones, and it just makes playing effortless.

    Any questions, feel free to ask!

  • Sold Out

    Yanagisawa AWO2 Solid Bronze Alto Saxophone Brand New + Setup! A902

    $ 3,750

    Two available as of May 2022

    Brand new, unplayed, in the plastic Yanagisawa AWO2 Alto saxophone. This is probably the best deal overall in a modern alto period. This horn just got checked out post shipping and is ready to play its very best right out of the case when you get it. It’s completely mint, with factory box and paperwork etc. You won’t find a better playing Yanagisawa AWO2, nor will you find a better price. I have an extremely limited number of these that I can offer you at this sale price. Good luck to the few people who are able to jump on this amazing deal!

    If you’re wondering, the WO2 is the bronze version of Yanagisawa’s professional alto. This is the new name of what used to be the A902 model. It has a more open and vibrating feel than the heavier-built AWO20 (which is also a fantastic alto, but more expensive). My first good alto was one of these. And the solid bronze adds more depth and complexity to the tone – kind of a thick heart to the core of the tone. It’s quite easy to hear once you get used to it and play the different Yanagisawa saxophones. The AWO2 (A902) and AWO20 (A992) are my favorites, closely followed by AWO1 (A901) and AWO10 (A991) (same horns but in brass instead of bronze).

    Any questions, feel free to ask!

  • Yanagisawa AWO20 Solid Bronze Alto Saxophone Brand New Fantastic Deal! A992

    $ 4,675

    One available now Sept 23, 2022

    Mint, unplayed, new in the plastic Yanagisawa AWO20 Alto saxophone. This is probably the best deal on this saxophone that you will find anywhere.  The AWO20 (formerly called A992) is the best horn that Yanagisawa makes in my opinion (I prefer it to the solid silver ones.) This AWO20 just got checked out post shipping and is ready to play its very best right out of the case when you get it. It’s completely mint, with factory box and paperwork etc. You won’t find a better playing Yanagisawa AWO2o, nor will you find a better price. I have an extremely limited number of these that I can offer you at this sale price. Good luck to the few people who are able to jump on this amazing deal!

    If you’re wondering, the WO20 is the bronze version of Yanagisawa’s top line professional alto. This is the new name of what used to be the A992 model. It has sturdier ‘ribbed construction’ and double arms on the bell keys, to distinguish it from its extremely similar but less expensive sibling, the AWO2 (A902). The Yanagisawa AWO20 also has the underslung neck octave key mechanism and fancy hand engraving. I love how the neck octave key looks and works. My first good alto was a Yanagisawa, and I never would have needed to upgrade from it. The solid bronze adds more depth and complexity to the tone compared to brass – kind of a thick heart to the core of the tone. It’s quite easy to hear once you get used to it and play the different Yanagisawa saxophones. The AWO2 (A902) and AWO20 (A992) are my favorites, closely followed by AWO1 (A901) and AWO10 (A991) (same horns but in brass instead of bronze, and a little less expensive).

    Any questions, feel free to ask!

  • Sold Out

    Yanagisawa S990 Soprano Saxophone Elimona High G RARE 181231

    $ 3,750

    This soprano is something of a unicorn. I had ONE other of these many years ago, and I still miss it. I’m sorely tempted to keep this one this time around. It’s the desirable Elimona verision of the soprano, with the cool metal badge on the bell (bring this back, Yanagisawa!!), but it also has the high G key. That’s what makes it a unicorn. You might see an S880 or S990 with the Elimona badge a handful of times per year, but that plus the high G key is very uncommon. It also happens to be, in my opinion, the best playing Yanagisawa soprano made to date. The new Yanagisawa sopranos are still wonderful, and still represent the best value in the market on a new soprano, but the S990’s have a warmth and complexity that is less evident in the newer sopranos (991, WO). So you get the great Yanagisawa build quality, the dependable intonation, easy ergonomics, AND you also get a richer, more interesting tone, and the rarity factor and convienience of having a high G. That makes this soprano a no-brainer for someone I’m sure.

    It is in excellent to near mint condition, with no past repairs, pads still in good shape, both necks looking great, and the nice original case as well.

  • Sold Out

    Yanagisawa SWO-2 Solid Bronze Soprano Mint Unplayed + New Horn Checkup

    Currently out of stock August 2022, more coming soon. This is a new Yanagisawa SWO2 Soprano saxophone in solid bronze. The one piece solid bronze Yanagisawa SWO-2 soprano is one of my favorite modern soprano saxophones of all. It has a noticeably darker, more complex tone than the SWO1, so to me, it’s worth the extra money to spring for the bronze on soprano. The one piece design means no neck socket to leak, and the horn resonates beautifully under your fingers when you play. It tunes beautifully as well. The keywork feels great under the fingers – dry and snappy. Yanagisawa has the best build quality of any modern saxophone, and it shows. Plus I get all new Yanagisawa saxophones checked out pre-sale by one of my excellent repairmen, so that any tiny improvements that will take it from good to great are done before you get it. This is a surprisingly big deal, and something you want to have done, regardless of where you happen to buy a new saxophone. A couple of tiny, smart fixes often take an already good horn into the exceptional category.

    If you’ve been thinking of getting a soprano, then Yanagisawa is really a great choice. These are precision instruments that are built to last and that sound beautiful. They work with a wide range of mouthpieces (Selmer sopranos are more ‘mouthpiece picky’), which is nice because you can shape the tone with mouthpiece choice a LOT.

    I have an extremely limited availability of these Yanagisawa saxophones, but ONE SWO2 is currently available as of April 2022. Whoever gets it will be one lucky saxophonist!