[tomcov]

I sold my Selmer Super 80 soprano in 2001 and purchased a Yani S-981 from Saxofoonwinkel in Holland. I bought the 981 instead of the 991 because I believed (based on as much research as I could do) that the 981 was simply the 991 without the High G key and as a result was cheaper.

However, the one thing that always bothered me was that the price difference between the two is quite substantial...having trouble believing that a simple High G key could explain that alone. Recently I noticed on a couple of websites that the 901 even costs a bit more than the 981. So I'm confused.

Question: is the 981 a 991 without High G? OR is it a 901 with a detachable neck? or is it another thing altogether (ie...the lowest end of the Yani line).

Thanks

 

[hgiles]

Yanagisawa doesn't make nor brand any cheap saxes. I wouldnt worry about it. I think youve got a great sax.

I would tend to think that the 981 is a model not currently in production, hence the lower price.

 

[Dave Dolson]

+1. I have an S901 and an S992. Except for the fixed neck on the S901 and the body-material being different (S901 is brass, S992 is bronze), the horns are exactly alike. I always understood that the 981 was merely a 991 without the hi-G key. For me, that would be a non-issue. While I can play those notes, I avoid them like the plague (but I am an improviser, not a chart-reader). DAVE

 

[tomcov]

I totally agree about the high G key...really - when am I going to need it. Even though I am more of a chart reader, I haven't run across the need for that much. Im happy with the horn, just very curious about the facts on this. I've heard three theories on the S981 on this forum over the past decade, which Im dying to find out the truth on. Here they are:

Theory 1: 981 is the 991 without the G key construction. All other engineering and materials are exactly the same.
Theory 2: 981 is the 901 with a detachable neck...and hence a slightly different horn in construction (and maybe quality) than the the 991...namely a slight step down
Theory 3: 981 is not really related to the 991 or 901...it is an upgraded version of the older 880 model (which was the Elimona top end at one point before the 991 and 901 came out)

 

[jakethesax]

Maybe you could ask Wally Evans , I'm pretty sure he's somewhere on the forum.. He was the yanagisawa rep up until very recently, and did it for a long time... If you have a Yani question I bet he's your man...

My stab at the difference is that the 981 was the older equivalent of the 991.. I believe the 991 series had some tone hole adjustments to aid intonation and evenness across the horns...

 

[captain blowhard]

My understanding is the same as Dave's; the S981 is identical to the S991 except does not have the High G key. Prior to the S991 was the S990, which had a no High G key counterpart called the S880 which is the one I own. Personally, I'm happy not to have the high G because a) you'll never use it and b) the extra keywork just makes the horn that much heavier.

By the way, there were two different versions of the S880. The earlier one had a brass badge near the bell and was contemporaneous with the other 880 horns Yana made in the 80's. Sometime labelled as "Elimona" (Elite Monarch!) Then there was the later version which was part of the 990 series - that's the one I have.