Yanagisawa Wind Instruments

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Yanagisawa Wind Instruments is a Japanese woodwind company known for its professional saxophones. Along with Yamaha they are one of the leading manufacturers of saxophones in Japan.

A family company, they started in 1896 but became more widely known after the release in 1954 of the T3 silver-plated tenor saxophone. This was followed in 1956 by their first alto saxophone the A3. They are now particularly known for their saxophones made of materials other than the standard brass, including bronze and solid silver. Their first solid silver saxophone was produced in 1972.

Their saxophones are widely used by professionals, played by performers such as Plas Johnson (known for the alto sax on the "The Pink Panther Theme"), Steve Slagle and Mel Martin.

Yanagisawa also offers separate necks, mouthpieces and ligatures, as well as other saxophone accessories.

[edit] External links

• Yanagisawa Wind Instruments website
• Article about Yanagisawa bronze saxophones
• Mel Martin's visit to Yanagisawa factory, reprinted from The Saxophone Journal, Volume 16, Number 4
• Yanagisawa saxophones history (from Saxophones.co.uk)
• Other players of Yanagisawa saxophones (from Saxophones.co.uk)
• Steve Slagle's recommendation of Yanagisawa saxophones