[Dana in Philly]

It looks a lot like the YAS-23 I just bought for my son. What looks different is the quality of the serial number engraving. The OP's example has really rough serial number engraving. Somebody did that deliberately, obscuring the original work, to confuse buyers.

 

[Dana in Philly]

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[Peter Wright]

I just had a look at the labelling on my 62II and it looks a lot like the OP’s.

I’m wondering if it really is made from real Yamaha parts from different saxes. Seems like a weird thing to do though.

EDIT: although looking at it mine is lower down and the pattern on the thing that joins the sections is different, so maybe not…

 

[pontius]

It looks a lot like the YAS-23 I just bought for my son. What looks different is the quality of the serial number engraving. The OP's example has really rough serial number engraving. Somebody did that deliberately, obscuring the original work, to confuse buyers.

This would require filing away the old stamping, re-stamping or engraving, then repairing the damaged lacquer and making it all invisible, which in itself would be a pretty time consuming job, even for an absolute expert. Doesn't seem likely to me. I'm starting to lean towards this being mis-engraved at the factory and somewhow slipping through QC. If it made it to a music store that rents and deals in student horns, they probably would never have even looked at the serial number because just one look at the horn would tell them what it is.

 

[chatcher]

It's a good mystery. I was thinking it could have been assembled as a frankensax, but the model number is engraved on the body tube, which has no high F# tone hole. If all 62's had high F#, then that one single part - the tube - is in itself an anomaly, no matter what other parts are attached. There are more questions than answers at this point. I don't know at what stage that engraving is normally done - if it's applied after the horns are built, then incorrect factory engraving must be the answer. (“When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”) I would think such a mistake could only happen on a manufacturing line that produced both the 62 and the "whatever this is". Which I guess would have to be in Japan, as the engraving shows, though I don't know if both models were made anywhere near each other. I can imagine a factory worker putting something strange together as a personal project, but how that would get into the normal distribution chain and find its way to an American music store is difficult to understand. And that kind of behavior seems (to me) more stereotypically American than Japanese...

(9) Johnny Cash - One Piece at a Time (Official Audio) - YouTube

 

[Qalina]

here is mine if that helps...

 

[jcathey]

I would think such a mistake could only happen on a manufacturing line that produced both the 62 and the "whatever this is".

Not at all. To me, the simplest explanation also seems the most likely. The engraver, whoever that was, simply engraved "62" when he meant to engrave "26". A touch of momentary dyslexia, rather than any elaborate scenario. It is likely that QC did catch it, as that is what Yamaha is most known for. (Consistent quality, which you don't get without a pretty impressive QC mechanism.) But, was that mistake worth scrapping the horn? To them? I'm sure the factory records show that the serial number is a YAS-26 (or whatever), and that they'll stand behind the warrantee on it, regardless of a mistake like this.

No doubt the engraver got his knuckles rapped, perhaps even lost the position if his engraving quality was not up to their general standards, but discarding thousands of dollars worth of inventory as a result? That is unlikely, IMHO.

 

[AlanU]

I agree with jcathey, above.
Years ago no-one would fake one. They were not regarded highly enough/collectible.

The important question has yet to be asked. Does it play well?

 

[chatcher]

...The engraver, whoever that was, simply engraved "62" when he meant to engrave "26"...

It never occurred to me that those markings would have been applied one character at a time, by hand. I was thinking more along the lines of computer controlled laser engraving, where maybe the wrong model was selected by an operator. Obviously I have no knowledge of how it's done. The old markings appear to me to be stamped, while new ones (and this one) seem to be made of separate dots.

 

[pontius]

I agree with jcathey, above.
Years ago no-one would fake one. They were not regarded highly enough/collectible.

The important question has yet to be asked. Does it play well?

Plus, this is not a fake. One look at it tells you what it is. I have a Vito stamped version that looks identical. Why would someone go thru the meticulous work to file, polish, engrave, and spot lacquer a horn that has so many other obvious identifiers? Finding a buyer to fall for it may be even harder than all the work that went into it. I can't see anyone even trying to pawn this off as a 62, especially a shop.

 

[Dana in Philly]

Hmm. Qualina's serial number engraving looks equally as rough as the OP's horn. So forget my post #41.

 

[frozen fingers]

I have a 10M, but I'd be delighted to have an M10!