* Can you believe that a saxophone may be alive?
* Can you accept that the craftsman imparts his spiritual sentiments to the instrument in the process of making it?
* Take things made by hand and those made by machine. Which do you think is more likely to reflect a spirit of devotion?
Since their founding in 1896 Yanagisawa has held true to a singular passion: handcrafting the world’s finest saxophones unrivalled in both tone and ease of play. Yanagisawa’s superb ergonomic key-work is second to none and has earned the loyalty and respect of professionals the world over.
Whether you are looking for a high quality student saxophone or a top-level professional instrument, Yanagisawa’s handcrafted, Japanese-made saxophones will deliver the finest playing experience.
Yanagisawa applies estrictly japanese philosophers thoughts like Baien Miura or Motoori Norinaga:
Granted that the art of instrument-making has more to do with creating a certain desired sound than achieving a certain shape or form, one cannot begin to craft a quality instrument without adding a hidden spiritual dimension to the task. Although Yanagisawa uses machinery extensively during various stages of production, the intentions and skills of the craftsmen involved in the process are the prime factors that bring each saxophone to life. They truly believe their saxophones are alive. Without the right frame of mind, the craftsman may master the form but still fail to give it a soul, producing nothing more than the hollow, lifeless shell of a saxophone. Musical instruments are not industrial goods. The sensitivities of the craftsman and the ability to give life to the form are essential to the art of instrument-making. That is the basic philosophy that Yanagisawa embraced in its earliest founding days and the same philosophy that they apply today.
The very latest addition to the Yanagisawa range is the new WO series saxophones. Both the WO ‘Professional’ and WO ‘Elite’ models illustrate the desire to continually improve what is already a world-leading design. With a number of newly refined key types designed for enhanced playing comfort; a unique palm key plate for broad register resonance; and a special neck plate for focussing the tone, Yanagisawa WO series Alto Saxophones are once again redefining true instrumental brilliance.
Yanagisawa saxophones are the choice of numerous top-level artists across the world including: Antonio Hart, Marshall McDonald, David Pons, Tommy Smith, Gary Bartz, Púrpura Pansa, Jean-Denis Michat and Jess Gillam.
