Lacquer

Showing all 45 results

  • Buescher 400 Tenor Original Lacquer Very Good Condition Old Pads

    $ 1,450

  • Buescher Aristocrat 140 Alto Original Lacquer Very Good Condition

    $ 1,250
  • Sold Out

    Buffet Super Dynaction Alto Saxophone Original Lacquer 17435

    $ 1,900

    On Hold.

    Buffet Super Dynaction Alto saxophone in original ‘sparkle’ lacquer. This horn is in on consignment, and has good pads, and plays well, with a big, operatic sort of voice. It’s centered like a Selmer from the 50’s, and medium dark, but wider and very open throated. Intonation is good. Keywork is Selmer-like and comfortable. Sometimes these get called a ‘poor man’s Mark VI’ but I’d prefer to think of them as a high-quality, professional mid-century French saxophone in their own right. But I guess, when you figure a new student Yamaha is over $2k, then this becomes a pretty good deal with good pads at this price for a pro vintage alto that is comparable to a Selmer. It has had some small dents removed in the bell area and back of the bow, but that’s just par for the course with a vintage sax, and the work was done well. It’s otherwise in quite good shape. It comes in the the delightful original Lifton case with blue interior. Someone should make a case like this again.

    Only one available!

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

    $ 3,750

    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 has been repadded and plays, but I’m really picky about these and think this one could probably benefit from being overhauled again. It feels pretty good under the fingers, and it plays fine, but really, you want to get the permadjust stuff setup absolutely perfectly and then it just stays in perfect adjustment after that, basically forever, assuming you swap out pads with pads of the same thickness when you eventually do swap pads. 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.

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

    $ 2,250

    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.

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

    $ 4,350

    One of these is coming in in the next few days (around new years 2022!). If you want it, be sure to grab it, as these sometimes don’t hang around for long, and then there’s a wait again.

    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

    $ 4,500

    Inventory Update: May 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.

  • King SilverSonic Alto Original Lacquer Mint Freshly Overhauled 448357

    $ 6,500

  • King SilverSonic Super 20 Alto Saxophone Original Lacquer Excellent Condition 411063

    $ 5,750

    This beautiful, original lacquer King Cleveland SilverSonic alto is getting an overhaul starting end of March 2022, and that is INCLUDED in the price.

  • King Super 20 Alto 415046 Original Lacquer Very Good Condition

    $ 3,650
  • Sold Out

    King Super 20 Alto Saxophone Full Pearls Original Lacquer Exceptional! 298279

    $ 5,750

    On Hold for three weeks till April 21.

    Get this alto! If you’ve been looking for a fantastic King Super 20, this is it! Don’t wait. You could mess around and buy several that wouldn’t play as well, and waste a lot of time and money. This is close to Charlie Parker’s alto’s serial number and is the same version of Super 20 he played. It has solid silver double socket neck, ‘full’ pearls on the G#, side keys, palm keys, and octave key; bell key engraving, and all the other bells and whistles that you want. It’s kind of shocking with how much Selmers and new saxophones like Yamaha and Yanagisawa have gone up in price, that you can still buy one of the BEST altos ever made, by King that is like 10x rarer than a 5 digit Mark VI, for such a relatively low price. I play kings like this myself, so I’m biased for sure, but they really do have the best alto tone that ever existed. Pair with the new GS New York for a classic Cannonball Adderley Kind of Blue / Somethin’ Else era setup, and then practice, and you’ll get pretty close!

    Only one available. Price is not flexible. This is worth every penny.

    Ah, in my enthusiasm, I almost forgot to list past repairs – this alto has been played professionally by a superb local alto player, who is only selling it because he has to for financial reasons. It had some key guard feet slightly pushed in and some dings on the back of the bow when I got it, and those are now gone, leaving little trace. No major repairs, and no current repair issues. The pads are medium through their usable life, and I wouldn’t overhaul this anytime soon. It currently absolutely roasts on the current setup.

  • 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 Original Lacquer 349080 Very Good Condition

    $ 5,650

    Getting a full overhaul now. If you want it old pads, price is minus $1200.

  • 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 The Martin Tenor Saxophone Committee III Original Lacquer Overhauled 195777

    $ 3,250

    The Martin Tenor is loud, punchy, medium dark, and built like a tank. It is a great rock and roll horn, and sounds wicked with a higher baffle mouthpiece. Or play ballads on it with your GS SLANT or GS RESO. This one had a recent high end overhaul, and plays effortlessly. The original lacquer is in beautiful shape as well. This is a rare opportunity to buy a The Martin Tenor that is playing RIGHT, and that has a really nice, snappy, dry pad feel that is how these really should feel to play. Low register is effortless. Altissimo pops without sounding thin. There’s a reason why Martin sold these with a 50 year warranty. They really are built to last. They’re way undervalued for what you get. That won’t last a whole lot longer, in my opinion.

    Only one available!

  • Selmer Balanced Action Tenor 24461 Relacquered Freshly Overhauled Great Price

    $ 6,450

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

    $ 8,750

  • Selmer Mark VI Alto 1960 94108 Original Lacquer Great Deal!

    $ 6,950

    This is an original lacquer Selmer Mark VI Alto from 1960 that was one owner for almost its entire life until now. It was played by a pro in FL. He had a pickup installed in the neck, which I got removed and replaced with a ‘flush plug’ meaning the brass is smooth and matching inside and out. This sax is in great shape and is ready for its next owner to play it and love it for the next 60 years!

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

    $ 4,950
  • Sold Out

    Selmer Mark VI Alto Saxophone Original Lacquer Excellent TenorMadness Overhaul 188739

    $ 6,850

  • Selmer Mark VI Baritone 154k Original Lacquer Excellent Condition No Neck

    $ 6,750

  • Selmer Mark VI Baritone 166k Original Lacquer Low A Fresh Full Overhaul Exceptionally Fine Player

    $ 8,950

  • Selmer Mark VI Baritone Low A Original Lacquer Older Pads 147167

    $ 7,350

    This is a chance to get a worn original VI from 1967/8 with older pads for a bargain price (for a VI). This vintage of Mark VI low A baritone tends to have a TON of projection and power, and very good intonation. 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’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. It’s hard to find any low A Mark VI for this price, let alone a 140k and original lacquer. It was well cared-for, and is a Euro assembled VI that has no engraving from the factory.

    Only one available!

  • Selmer Mark VI Baritone Original Lacquer 1962 100463 Recent Overhaul Low Bb Great!

    $ 6,600

    Original lacquer Low Bb Selmer Mark VI baritone saxophone with a fresh overhaul done last year, and lightly played since. This is a desirable serial 100463 dating to 1962, and it’s the exact same horn as a late 5-digit serial Mark VI baritone in every way. The tone is medium dark, and powerful, with a good amount of focus. Response is easy. This horn is free blowing and just easy to play. The low Bb means that it’s lighter and feels almost like a tenor to hold. You can see a bit of dent work done on the back of the bottom bow, and some lacquer loss from removing the bow to do the dent work. Besides that, it’s in quite good shape. The bell flare, body tube, and upper bow are all undamaged! That’s remarkable! The original neck with matching serial is also in excellent, undamaged condition. If you want a beautiful early Selmer Mark VI bari that is in great shape, plays well, and is recently overhauled, you’d have a hard time doing better than this one for the price.

    Only one available!

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

    $ 8,950

  • Selmer Mark VI Tenor 77158 Original Lacquer Very Good Condition Great Deal! 1958

    $ 11,500

    It would be hard to find a better deal on a Mark VI tenor at the moment. This horn just got tuned up by Aaron Barnard in Cedar Rapids (great repairman), and it plays effortlessly with a big, powerful tone. The tone is medium dark, and focused with lots of power. It brightens up when pushed, but this is the sort of tone that people love in a good 80k Mark VI. It sounds a lot like my 81k. The only reason this isn’t priced about $3k higher is that it had a neck pickup removed, and has had a few minor past repairs. That doesn’t matter when Aaron does the pickup-ectomy, because he puts a ‘flush plug’ in that matches the curve of the brass inside and outside. It’s like the pickup was never there. Besides that, this was a one owner horn, and it was played a lot but well cared for. The only other past repairs I see are a few dings removed from the back of the body tube and bow (bow ones are basically invisible, and the back of the body ones look like a tiny cloudy spot, for example above the serial number). And the bell flare had a crease removed and is in the correct contour now and feels just fine. Neck is in great shape aside from the lacquer loss from when the pickup was installed in the first place. As repairs go, none of these is very serious, and the horn plays just how it should.

    For an original lacquer 1958-59 VI, you’d typically have to pay a lot more than this. I’m pricing this one on the low side for what it is, so that someone can get a relative bargain on it. The market is a bit confusing to folks right now, with people on eBay and some private websites listing horns for 3-5x their actual value. I’m not going to do that. But I’ll tell you this horn would be priced much higher elsewhere, and it is an excellent value if you’re looking for tone, and not cosmetic perfection, but you want a horn in good shape, from a great vintage and serial number, and with original lacquer. That’s what this is. There’s only one available, so get it before it’s gone.

  • 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’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!

  • Sold Out

    Selmer Mark VII Alto Original Lacquer Old Pads Great Deal 270817

    $ 2,350

    This is a great deal on a Selmer Paris Mark VII alto saxophone. It has original lacquer, and no dents or dings or resolders. The neck is in good shape. This alto just needs a good overhaul, and it will play as good as new. The ‘green’ is just tarnished brass, and will go away when it gets cleaned, and the horn will look very nice. If you want a Selmer Paris that is almost a Mark VI, and original lacquer, but for way less money, this is a great route. The VII has a similar tone to a late VI, but a little bigger and a little darker. The main difference is the keywork. Mark VII is most comfortable if you have larger hands, like a mens size large glove or larger. The reach to low C and low Bb are farther than average. They’re fine as long as your hands aren’t on the small side, but it’s worth mentioning. Probably not great for a middle school student etc. For that, any other model of Selmer from the 50’s and later besides the VII will have an easier reach on the pinky keys. The VII is a great value though, as it has Mark VI level build quality, a great tone, and holds its value extremely well.

    Only one available!

  • Selmer Mark VII Tenor 272860 Original Lacquer Good Condition

    $ 3,950
  • Sold Out

    Selmer Mark VII Tenor Fresh Overhaul Original Lacquer 244631 Plays Great!

    $ 3,950

  • Selmer New LargeBore Alto Original Lacquer Recent Overhaul 11770

    $ 2,350

  • Selmer Radio Improved Alto Original Lacquer, Recent Overhaul 19276

    $ 5,350

    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!

  • Sold Out

    Selmer SBA Alto Original Lacquer Recent High End Overhaul Gorgeous 51347

    $ 7,500

    Amazing original lacquer Selmer SBA alto with a recent high-end overhaul. It plays great! This is about as nice an example as you are likely to find. It has a medium dark, smoky tone. The core is lyrical and delicate, making this a great do-it-all alto for either classical or jazz. Just switch your mouthpiece out! The scale is nice and even. Intonation is quite good as well. No resolders, no dents, no dings. A little lacquer loss from a too-long neck cork that was installed in the past, is about the only cosmetic defect.

    It comes with a nearly new BAM Classic alto case that fits it perfectly, and that is protective for shipping.

    Only one available!

  • Selmer Series II Tenor Original Lacquer Beautiful Condition 451502

    $ 3,900

    This is a nice clean Selmer Series II Tenor in beautiful original condition. It plays well, and saves you a bundle compared to buying a new one. No past repairs, no issues. Pads are mostly original. This is the pre-jubilee Series II that plays better and is better built.

  • Selmer Super Action 80 Series II Alto Saxophone 517537 SA80-II Excellent Condition Great Price!

    $ 3,150

    Save thousands of dollars getting this beautiful condition used Selmer Series II alto. This instrument has very little wear, and comes to you in excellent condition. It just got several new pads and a thorough setup, so it is playing very well and effortlessly throughout. As I’m sure you know, the Series II is the standard, go-to alto saxophone for serious saxophone study. You never need to upgrade it, and you can take it to college for saxophone study and it will be in good company there with a lot of other Series II’s and III’s. The tone is balanced, warm, clear and round, with a lyrical core tone and very good intonation. The Series II likes to have a classical style or concert mouthpiece like a Selmer S80 C* or D, or a Selmer Concept etc. Lots of other mouthpieces work, but if you’re not sure what to get, then get one of those two.

    Saxophones don’t really wear out if you maintain them, so there’s really no reason not to save a few thousand dollars on a nice used example of one of the most popular professional alto saxophones. You can keep this for the rest of your life and play it. It will hold its value as long as you own it. These are only going to go up in price over time.

  • SML Gold Medal 1 Tenor Original Lacquer Deluxe Engraving Gorgeous 17481

    $ 5,350

    This is the SML that is the most desirable of all in my book. Only in a narrow serial range right around this, did they have the fancy engraving all over the bell including inside. This is the coveted Gold Medal 1 with all the touted features that set this model apart, and with rolled tone holes and new pads. This sax is original lacquer, excellent condition. It would be quite hard to find a better gold medal tenor.

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

    $ 3,444

    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 $3000. 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 one available late May 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.

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

    $ 3,000

    One of these available, starting in about a week (April 9 or so)

    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 Mint Unplayed Fantastic Deal! A991

    $ 3,950

    Mint, unplayed, 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!

  • Yanagisawa AWO2 Solid Bronze Alto Saxophone Mint Unplayed Fantastic Deal! A902

    $ 3,750

    Only one available at this price!

    Mint, 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 Mint Unplayed Fantastic Deal! A992

    $ 4,575

    Out of stock for the moment. Back in March, probably.

    Mint, unplayed, 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!

  • Yanagisawa S990 Soprano Saxophone High G Very Good Condition 210471

    $ 3,150

    Used Yanagisawa S990 soprano saxophone in very good condition. This one has the high G key! the S990 sounds a bit warmer and more rich than the S991/SWO10, which I like. This particular soprano is in very goood cosmetic and physical condition. It has been played some, and the pads are original, so plan on getting some pads replaced for it to play its very best. In particular, the palm key pads will need replacing, along with some lower stack pads probably cleaned at least. This soprano is on consignment for a good past customer, and I haven’t done any work on it for that reason. However, I did reduce the price so that you can easily get it tuned up when you receive it.

    It plays very well currently, and has a beautiful, rich, bell-like tone that is medium between bright and dark. Intonation is very good. I actually love the included Yanagisawa hard rubber soprano mouthpiece (5 tip). It’s easy to play, responds well, tunes great, and has a rich tone. Great first (or last) soprano mouthpiece if you don’t already have one, and it’s included in the price. This sax has both necks, straight and semicurved. The semicurved neck puts the weight of the horn on the neckstrap instead of on your thumb, which is a big improvement over a fully straight soprano in my opinion. These sopranos are hard to find in good shape, and this one is quite nice.

    Only one available!

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

    $ 4,500

    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!