[DavidUK]

I found a Super Pennsylvania tenor first, which is a T4 model, then a few months later a matching Super Pennsylvania alto. This has a unique identifying feature of a straight bell brace as under...

I have an inkling as to which corresponding Yanagisawa model this stencil matches, but could others please let me know what they think?

Many thanks.

 

[Brenton]

Once upon a time you could tell what year a Yanagisawa was made from the first three digits of the serial number (the first being 0). If that was still true by 1987, you would have part of your answer.
But it seems that somewhere along the way they took the same approach as Yamaha ie. Make it as difficult as possible for secondhand ones to be aged from their serial number. Add in engraved random stencil names and removing all reference to Model numbers, then you have it: Only Sax geeks (such as some who may respond below) can be counted on to sort out whether it has "crappy hinged low B and B flat" (to quote an earlier thread) etc. in order to narrow down the possibilities. Good luck...

 

[LostConn]

Once upon a time you could tell what year a Yanagisawa was made from the first three digits of the serial number (the first being 0). If that was still true by 1987, you would have part of your answer.
But it seems that somewhere along the way they took the same approach as Yamaha ie. Make it as difficult as possible for secondhand ones to be aged from their serial number.

In fact, Yanagisawa has done closer to the opposite. They abandoned their original serial number system (which generated coded numbers in the millions, as the horn in this thread illustrates) in favor of simple, sequential numbering system that applies to all their horns across the board. This system has been in place for 30+ years now, so it covers most of their top-flight instruments. Whether your sax is 150,xxx, 250,xxx, or 350,xxx, you can pretty easily estimate its year of manufacture from a serial number table available online. (If the table doesn't go far enough, just extrapolate.)

 

[Brenton]

In fact, Yanagisawa has done closer to the opposite. They abandoned their original serial number system (which generated coded numbers in the millions, as the horn in this thread illustrates) in favor of simple, sequential numbering system that applies to all their horns across the board. This system has been in place for 30+ years now, so it covers most of their top-flight instruments. Whether your sax is 150,xxx, 250,xxx, or 350,xxx, you can pretty easily estimate its year of manufacture from a serial number table available online. (If the table doesn't go far enough, just extrapolate.)

Aah, thanks for the correction. Then if too many serial number digits were being generated during the seventies (before the 800 series), then might it be fair to say that it became the first 4 digits that denoted the year (ie. 1977 in this case)? [Or maybe it had always been the third and fourth digits?] Cheers...

 

[Saxray]

Once upon a time you could tell what year a Yanagisawa was made from the first three digits of the serial number (the first being 0). If that was still true by 1987, you would have part of your answer.

Wasn’t this particular sax manufactured in (August?) 1977? In 1987, they were well into the 500/800/880 era and this looks like a way earlier model to me.

/Saxray

Edit: Never mind, Brenton himself beat me to it…

 

[datsaxman]

Yes, 08/1977. Really nice saxes!!!

 

[DavidUK]

I've found photos of Yanis with the same bell brace. They all point to it being an A6, such as this one:

Yanagisawa A6,argente ,made Japan 1977

à vendre alto Yanagisawa ,1977,son chaud fantastique !!!

www.anibis.ch

But who's to say they're correct when there still isn't any mark on the horn to confirm it? Especially when I then find A6 horns which have a ring bell brace!

 

[whaler]

I had one of those stenciled Astro. Really nice for a cheap sax.

 

[sparq]

This looks like a late-manufacture A-4. I think only the 4-series had that bell-to-body brace.

It could also be an A-5 made with some leftover parts, but certainly it is not an A-6, A-50, A-800, A-880 or anything later. Among other differences, all of the other horns had a High F# key.