[cypher]

TL;DR - do pictures of model/serial number and engravings look legit?

I just bought a new (and what I hope is a genuine) YSS-82Z off eBay from the "BrassBarn" seller (who seems to have good ratings but you can never be too careful...). Yamaha's site specifically lists "BrassBarn" as not an authorized seller. I inquired the seller about this they replied with:

BrassBarn is not an authorized dealer and directly imports instruments from overseas. Therefore, the warranties on all instruments apply only in their respective country of origin.

This Yamaha YSS-82Z Custom Z soprano saxophone was imported directly from Japan and is a mint, brand new, unused 2018 build, the complete retail kit, and has not been unboxed. The price includes FedEx shipping with signature receipt.

If you are interested in buying it understanding that it has a warranty applicable only in Japan, I will unbox it to provide some photos and its serial number.​

Anyways... warranty issues aside I took the plunge and went for it. It arrived in what would appear to be a legit factory sealed box, case looks right, and horn looks legit from what I can tell. But, I dunno... just have a weird feeling about it... maybe it's just the fact it was a eBay deal with an oddball warranty situation or maybe it's a bit of buyer's remorse and me looking for a reason to fault it.

Either way... I just want to make sure it's legit.

Here's a few photos I took of model/serial number and engraving below. I dunno... what do you think? Looks like the real deal to me.

 

[FunkyHorn626]

I think IMHO that it is legit. Usually if someone is going to scam on ebay they are more inclined to do so as an individual as opposed to a store. I have never purchased anything from them , but I see they post all kinds of horns on their eBay store and all of them have legit descriptions etc. If one or several people purchased something from them in the past and whatever they bought was not legit, eBay would have yanked them or shut them down by now and they have been around for the past few years if I remember correctly. Looks like a good horn to me. Play it and enjoy it

 

[jman1977]

Brass Barn is a legit seller. They have some of the best prices around for the horns that they do sell.

 

[PigSquealer]

I find it odd after being a member for 12 years you make a purchase and then ask the forum to legitimize it....After the purchase.
If you were insecure about it being a potential fake why didn’t you buy from a authorized local dealer? If you did test play at the local dealer then bought it online out of the country with no warranty where is the savings. You shot the relationship with your local dealer and yourself on a warranty. It looks like the real deal, but so does food on a computer screen.

 

[milandro]

The horn is, I am quite sure, legit.

Yamaha authorized dealership is something that has nothing to do with whether a shop offering horns that are authentic or not. It’s a way to protect prices in certain regions that Yamaha ( as many other companies) has and it is not unlikely what happens with cars or cameras.

This is a form of commerce known as “ grey market”


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_market


“ Grey market goods are legal, non-counterfeit goods sold outside normal distribution channels by entities which may have no relationship with the producer of the goods. This form of parallel import frequently occurs when the price of an item is significantly higher in one country than another. This commonly takes place with electronic equipment such as cameras. Entrepreneurs buy the product where it is available cheaply, often at retail but sometimes at wholesale, and import it legally to the target market. They then sell it at a price high enough to provide a profit but below the normal market price. "



In other words there are dealers who buy from other countries where Yamaha has cheaper prices than in their own region and resell locally or internationally on line (and this is particularly frowned upon by Yamaha ). I know of at least one incident involving a clarinet which led to a long litigation between Yamaha and one such shops.

As for the guarantee being valid only in Japan, this depends very much on the local situation.

https://in.yamaha.com/en/support/warranty/

Yamaha makes a specific mention of India in their guarantee agreement.

“

Yamaha provides warranty coverage for new Yamaha products originally sold by Yamaha Authorized Dealers located in India. Yamaha products purchased from retailers other than Yamaha Authorized Dealers ( Via the internet or otherwise) will NOT be covered by Yamaha's Warranties and Yamaha Authorized Service Centers will not repair such products under warranty. "

*Note: - In case of manufacturing defects company will be the sole decision maker whether the warranty is valid for the product or not. “

But makes no mention of other countries.

In Europe, despite what the shop would or would not say, they are responsible for the guarantee, whether they are or not official dealers. ANYONE selling with an invoice a product becomes bound by the trader guarantee.


If anyone is in EU , please read this (the UK had a special status opting out of the 2 years mandatory guarantee and who knows what will happen next!).

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/shopping/guarantees-returns/faq/index_en.htm

 

[Andy659]

The engraving on the bell, logo, etc, look real to me. The case is real, from what I can see in picture. Compare it to one Kessler sold (https://kesslermusic.com/auction/2014/kjames/usedyss82z/sax.htm), that should put your mind at ease.