Yanagisawa S-992 Soprano Saxophone Mint

Description

To put the whole description in one sentence, in my opinion, this is the best soprano saxophone that is made today, and this one is in better than new condition with an extensive Matt Stohrer full setup. The Yanagisawa company makes only saxophones, and they make them with a continuous commitment to improvement. Their soprano saxophones are particularly prized for their excellent intonation and warm tone. They also have the best build quality of any modern saxophone, across the board.

This is the S-992 model, which is identical to the S-991 in design. The difference is that the 992 is made of solid bronze, rather than brass. The keys are still brass, giving the horn a nice two-tone look. This horn is in mint condition, and looks new to me, even upon close inspection. It has not been played much at all and is in like new playing shape as well. To top it off, this horn was just given a thorough setup by Matt Stohrer, and it now plays better than new (sometimes the bronze horns can need a bit of extra attention from the factory). There are no dents, no dings, no resolders, no past repairs, and no flaws on the sax. It comes with both original necks which are also in great shape. It ships in the original case in excellent condition.

Inevitably someone will want to know about the difference in sound between 991 and 992. In my experience with a few dozen horns, I would say that the 991 is basically a clear, round tone. The 992 is a little darker and more complex, and perhaps a bit warmer as well. I tend to prefer the 992 a little bit over the 991, but both are really excellent sopranos. These work well with a wide range of mouthpieces, and that is, after all, the most important way to shape the overall tone.

This sax sells for right around $4650 new online, and I am asking over $1000 less, even though this horn is in mint condition AND has had a lot of extra setup work done by an excellent tech. (And new horns need this to be done to them too in many cases.) That should be a great deal for someone, and it should also make it so that the buyer can either afford to also buy a great mouthpiece (strongly recommended, whether from me or elsewhere) and/or easily get his/her money back out down the road without any trouble, should that become a necessity. After all, used saxophones are not like used cars – they don’t wear out if you take care of them, so used in great shape is just as good as new, only less expensive.