YANAGISAWA BRAND PROFILE
sax
pursuit for perfection in just about everything it does, it would be hard to argue against the Japanese coming top of the list. Unrivalled in areas such as audio-visual
I
technology, one look at a Yanagisawa saxophone makes it obvious, even to the untrained eye, that the above qualities have undoubtedly been passed on to Japan’s ability to manufacture instruments. And if there’s one man that knows everything there is to know about this brand, it’s Wally Evans, Barnes & Mullins’ Yanagisawa product manager. “A lot of the history and manufacturing of
brass started with Yanagisawa in Japan,” he says. “Everything is hand made all the way through, as manufacturing by hand is part of the very nature of saxophones. Every component is made for that saxophone and every part filed down for each instrument.” Established way back in 1893, it was actually not until 1954 that the first saxophone was made – up until that point the company was a maker of other wind instruments. Up to the present day, the company – adopting another approach common with the Japanese – has been passed down through the generations to keep it in the family – an attitude that is becoming less common in modern times. The amount of effort that goes into making one of these instruments is staggering. As many as 300 parts are used for some saxes and the manufacturer uses a variety of metal combinations depending on the model, with each metal type treated differently in the bell welding process. And that’s just one tiny part of the whole job. One could fill this page, and more, with details on the instrument build. Further proof of the quality is that when
leaving the factory, they are ready to go straight on display and don’t require any tweaking, and this hasn’t gone unnoticed by brass specialists and repairers the world over. Ask any repairer which is the best and they will
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f you were asked to think of a country that is known for offering the greatest precision, dedication, attention to detail and an endless
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In terms of desirability, Yanagisawa is at the very top of the saxophone league. Adam Savage speaks to Barnes & Mullins’ Wally Evans to find out why they’re such a must- have for serious saxophonists…
likely say Yanagisawa. We don’t have to do anything to them when they come in – other saxes need to be set up before they go on sale,” states Evans. It also seems that as well as
offering superior levels of quality, this manufacturer is also known for being one step ahead of the game in other areas, such as experimenting with new ideas and generally advancing the way saxophones are made. “Yanagisawa is in the top three
saxophone brands in the world, but I would say it is the most advanced and the one that everyone seems to want to copy,” Evans added. “It’s also probably the most innovative and was the first to experiment with different types of material, as well as the mouth pieces and neck used.” And that’s another significant part of the business – the making of specially crafted metal or ebonite mouthpieces and intricately made bocals (necks), which can be used with saxophones from other brands as well. So how does a company like this maintain its status among the global brass elite? Unlike other sectors, releasing a steady stream of new products is just not necessary – instead making little tweaks and changes here and there seems to be the preferred way of adding to what is already a truly top-end range of instruments. “Saxophones are not like guitars. They
simply require regular small improvements and new models don’t come around very often. Yanagisawa does like to try out different metals, though. There are intermediate and professional level saxophones made from brass, bronze, silver, a mixture of these and there was even a solid gold model. This was obviously very expensive, but the reason was just to see whether it could be done.” explained Evans.
Photo: Glen Pearson Photogrpahy Although to get your hands on a
Top artists, such as Laura Fowles (above) seek Yanagisawa’s perfcetion in everything from the saxes to the custom ebonite mouthpieces
Yanagisawa you will be required to fork out a fair amount for it, there’s no doubt that you definitely get what you pay for. When you consider the amount of care that has gone into their construction, the quality of the materials used and the sheer prestige that comes with owning a Yanagisawa, it’s not surprising that these instruments are more often than not at the very top of the true sax players’ wanted list. In the same way that you would expect your Honda never to break down, the Japanese have certainly made sure that they’ve done everything they can to create a saxophone as near to perfect as possible. “It’s part of their whole ethos:
perfection in all things – and the Japanese always make sure that everything is right,” concludes Evans. Perfection is perhaps a term too often used when you consider its definition, but just to look at one of these instruments, let alone play it, gives you the impression that
Yanagisawa is probably the most worthy of the description.
miPRO MARCH 2011 39
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