[vivace1]

I hate to open a new thread on Yanagisawa tone, but, seems like so much of what is written argues terms like "bland" which mean nothing to me. I'm just curious about where these horns would fit on a dark/bright spectrum of say Yamaha 875/Keilwerth/Buescher=dark and Mark VI/82Z= bright. What horn would you say the Yani was modeled after? Would one call these large or small bore instruments (or medium)?
Seems like the big players on Yanis are jazz players- is this an unfair classification? You see a lot of their sopranos in the classical world, but not their altos or tenors.
Obviously, I know that I can only know for myself if I try it for myself, but this has been difficult for me given the lower circulation of these instruments. I can't afford to buy new, so I'm not too keen on using the trial period of, say KesslerMusic, knowing that I can't afford the horn through them. Also, I know that 90% of the sound comes from the player and the mouthpiece, that said, I'm looking for the quality of sound that comes from the final 10%- the horn's sound. Very curious about SOTWers opinions on this. Muchas Gracias.

 

[hgiles]

Y'know I tried to find the same info you are seeking and was even willing to buy a horn and try it for myself. Never got there. Never found one in my price range.

I got my old Big B overhauled instead.

The tenors, though well appreciated by their owners, don't seem to be as popular as the altos in the higher echelon of jazz saxophone playing.

 

[swinginnice]

I've been playing on a 991 alto and I find it to have a very rich tone that I wouldn't say is either simply bright or dark. I know many other alto players that play them as well and I love the sounds I hear coming from their horns. I would describe the yani sound as warm, powerful, projecting, clear, ringing/buzzing, and it certainly stands out in a crowd of selmers. I play jazz these days, but am also an accomplished classical player and would consider the yani a perfect horn for either setting. The solid intonation and control at all dynamic levels and unparralled ergonomics are what a classical player really needs and a (jazz player for that matter). You will find that players of yanagisawa horns will always give a glowing recommendation.
hope this helps

 

[shmuelyosef]

With the proper mouthpiece, I can play my Yani tenor brighter than my Yamaha 'Z' and darker than my Conn 110M (modern Keilwerth stencil). Just make a point of finding one that you can play. Maybe even just buy one, get it properly setup and play it for a while. They hold their value well, so you can get most of your money back out of a used Yani purchase.

 

[Perry Cobb]

I used to play a Yani/Martin/880 Tenor back in the 80s that was great. (never should have sold that). Played a markVI tenor for years after that....recently the past few years have switch back to a Yani991 and haven't looked back since. I would say that the 991 is a bit brighter than my markVI as well as has a bit more projection. Now, all my horns are Yani...sop (S902), alto (A991) and tenor. I use bronze necks on alto and tenor.

 

[bjornblomberg]

I think my Yani Tenor, a T992, is excellent. It is very flexible, the sound is somehow more neutral than my previous Selmer Mk7, but the T992 seems more responsive to the player in terms of the possibility to "color" the sound. It is also responsive to change in mouthpieces, probably more than the Mk7. But probably, in the end, mouthpiece may mean as much as the horn, or even more. Anyway, the T992 pairs really well with a standard Link STM 8*. Excellent combination. The only tenor I've tried that possibly sounded cooler was a 1922 Chu, but that horn had a horrible keywork. The T992 on the other hand has the best keywork I've ever tried. Bright or dark? It is difficult to tell, but I think you can get both qualities depending on the way you blow. As mentioned, it is very flexible. Highly recommended.