New Yani A9930 Owner - Is my sax real?

I won't speak to the matter of legitimacy - beyond my expertise - but I urge you to put a protective layer of oil on your springs. Some springs look to already be attacked by rust.

Dr G said:

I won't speak to the matter of legitimacy - beyond my expertise - but I urge you to put a protective layer of oil on your springs. Some springs look to already be attacked by rust.

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Thanks, which kind of oil would be best for this?

The sax looks quite authentic to me.

About how much did you pay for it, and was it new or used? If it was only $500, that would likely be a problem.

Christian1 said:

About how much did you pay for it, and was it new or used? If it was only $500, that would likely be a problem.

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I paid a little under 3000 for it, and I now realize my title could be read the wrong way but it's used. These usually go for more from what I saw but this one was a bit more worn cosmetically.

Congratulations on owning a very desirable alto. If you had ever owned a Chinese sax I'm sure you could easily tell the difference. But like said above, that one is crying out for maintenance/care.

1saxman said:

Congratulations on owning a very desirable alto. If you had ever owned a Chinese sax I'm sure you could easily tell the difference. But like said above, that one is crying out for maintenance/care.

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Thanks for the advice, I will take it to the shop. Is there anything else obvious besides the springs that need care?

Wow. Okay, first of all the sax and neck probably have a build-up inside. This kind of flakes off when the sax dries out but it can get thick. It should be washed out which means taking the sax apart. The exterior of the sax needs to be cleaned. I have found Pledge spray wax to be the best and easiest for this. You just spray a section, keys and all, and wipe it off, using a soft cotton cloth and some Q-Tips. Then all friction points need to be oiled, including the springs. there are many things that can be used but woodwind key oil is good enough.
I use 'stuffers' in all my saxes, neck, body and bell. This prevents the slime build-up and removes the need for taking the horn apart to wash. However you have to start with a clean horn.

1saxman said:

Wow. Okay, first of all the sax and neck probably have a build-up inside.

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Which pictures are you looking at? It looks pretty clean to me.

Isnt there a danger that spraying Pledge will result in some ending up either on the end of a tone hole or the pads, creating potential for sticking? There will also be bits that are real hard to get to to wipe it off again. I guess with a silver horn its worth that bit more effort to keep it clean, certainly compared to my "Earthtone" finish which is going to end up looking pretty nasty whatever I do.

I have a 9930 alto and it looks legit to me. I would take it to a shop to get it adjusted so it's at its peak performance.

Canadiain said:

Isnt there a danger that spraying Pledge will result in some ending up either on the end of a tone hole or the pads, creating potential for sticking? There will also be bits that are real hard to get to to wipe it off again. I guess with a silver horn its worth that bit more effort to keep it clean, certainly compared to my "Earthtone" finish which is going to end up looking pretty nasty whatever I do.

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Yanagisawa sterling silver saxes have clear lacquer over the silver, so they don't need to be spray-polished or waxed for preservation purposes. You can apply polish or wax if you want, but only if you'd ordinarily apply it to a lacquered instrument. Extra treatment isn't necessary here to prevent tarnishing.

Can't say if it's real, but it might well be ideal.

Yanis are great horns. I've been through a bunch, including modern Selmers, although, for sure not as many as other SOTW members.
Great ergs & intonation.

It sure looks right to me.

Thanks to everyone for the input; all of the advice on upkeep was much appreciated. As a followup I took it in to get adjusted and had the neck cleaned. The saxophone tech said that the discoloration on the blue steel springs was not an issue so I left that alone.