Step Up to a Yanagisawa Professional Alto Sax
Yanagisawa saxophones stand apart with innovative designs and unique features that add to the pure joy of creating music on an exquisite instrument. From the beautiful hand engraving and sleek overslung octave mechanism to the inventive seesaw linkage between the C# and Bb table keys, there is beauty and inspiration in the AWO1, an instrument handcrafted to an impressively high level of precision and overall excellence. The Yanagisawa Wind Instrument Company represents a tradition of Japanese artistry that produces handmade saxophones designed to exceed the expectations of even the most demanding professional players. Indeed, many pro saxophonists have adopted the Yanagisawa AWO1 as their main alto, and cherish its world-class build quality, flawless playability, crisp intonation, and rich, precise sound that reflects every expressive nuance of your playing. Your entrée into Yanagisawa’s line of professional saxophones, the WO1 is equally at home in jazz, fusion, classical, and pop settings, and it will elevate your technique and open up new worlds of musical expression. Ready to step up to a truly professional alto saxophone? The Yanagisawa AWO1 should be on your short list.
A pro saxophone that brings out your individuality
Professional saxophones should emphasize the individuality of the player, enhancing the myriad of playing techniques, from embouchure to fingering, that collectively produce your inimitable sound and define who you are as an artist. As accessible as it is exceptional, the Yanagisawa AWO1 is an ideal entry-level professional alto saxophone. Its single-post-to-body construction gives you quicker response with lighter overall weight and less initial resistance, resonating more immediately as compared with heavier ribbed-construction saxophones that generally require more effort from the player. Indeed, many seasoned pros find everything they need in this superb saxophone.
Well-designed mechanisms working together harmoniously
On a complex instrument like a saxophone, many mechanisms have to work together harmoniously to deliver superior tone, ergonomics, and versatility. To that end, the WO1 incorporates proprietary Yanagisawa innovations such as a Fluororesin-sleeved octave rocker, which eliminates extraneous motion with rounded rocker ends and a Fluororesin coating on the receiving sleeves they contact. This high-tech, non-stick coating delivers reliable action without the excessive stickiness buildup over time that plagues standard octave key mechanisms. As soon as your fingers alight on the keys, another thing you’ll notice is the innovative seesaw linkage between the C# and Bb table keys, which enables faster, smoother fingering technique.
Enhanced performance, precision, and reliability
The AWO1 is packed with Yanagisawa innovations that enhance performance, precision, and reliability. An adjustable vibration-damping bar reduces sympathetic vibrations in the right-hand F# key to stabilize lower-register note production. A hidden advantage of the WO1 is its pointed pivot screws, which increase precision and reliability by ensuring an accurate fit for center arms and hinge rods. The WO1’s sealed, waterproof pads provide a leak-free, airtight fit while facilitating balanced action and extended service life. Blue-steel needle springs are more elastic than the stainless steel variety, offering faster action and offer better control over challenging passages.
A design as beautiful as it is masterful
Aside from the delicately hand-engraved bell, other apparent high-end features of the Yanagisawa AWO1 include its key touches, which are concavely shaped for a more natural finger fit. They’re made of genuine mother-of-pearl, which looks amazing and wicks away moisture more effectively than commonly used plastic — something you’ll definitely appreciate toward the end of a long set under hot stage lights. Also readily noticeable is Yanagisawa’s exclusive tri-point bell-bow brace, which improves structural stability while enriching resonance, even when you’re playing fortissimo. More utilitarian, but nevertheless performance critical, are the metal thumb hook and brass thumb rest, which are designed to make minimal point contact with the body to enhance resonance while allowing for smoother response and optimized tonal balance.
Handcrafted in Japan
Based in Tokyo, the Yanagisawa Wind Instrument Company is a boutique shop specializing in one product: handmade professional saxophones designed to exceed the expectations of the most demanding players. Combining old-world craftsmanship with cutting-edge design and performance features, Yanagisawa instruments are among the highest-quality professional saxophones available today, and Sweetwater is proud to offer you their distinguished line of fine musical instruments. If you’re a saxophonist looking to upgrade to a world-class professional instrument, you can feel confident in your step up to Yanagisawa quality.
Yanagisawa AWO1 Professional Alto Saxophone Features:
- Eb alto saxophone with single-post-to-body construction
- Brass body tubing; uniquely styled hand engraving
- High F# key; overslung octave mechanism
- Fluororesin-sleeved octave rocker
- Seesaw C#–Bb table key linkage
- Adjustable vibration-damping bar
- Concavely shaped mother-of-pearl key touches
- Pointed pivot screws
- Metal thumb hook and rest
- Tri-point bell-bow brace
- Sealed, waterproof pads
- Blue-steel needle springs
- Ebonite mouthpiece and case included
