Yanagisawa A-WO2 Alto Sax

I am going back to playing alto after struggling for 18 months trying to play tenor. I am so pleased I made the decision to do so, as the tenor is really too big for me, and I am delighted that I chose the Yanagisawa AWO-2. It is a really excellent saxophone in every respect. The build quality is first class, even down to the very nice case it comes in. It is supplied with an excellent Yani ebonite mouthpiece; I don't need to buy an new one yet. The key action is very slick and responsive. It is taking me a while to adjust , but it will be a huge benefit when I have become accustomed to it. The sound is wonderful - quite full and warm with a bit of edge when you need it. I took it to my saxophone lesson for the first time today and had the opportunity to compare it to my teacher's Selmer MK VI. To my ear the Yanagisawa sounded very good - different from the Selmer, but certainly not inferior.

If, like me, you are looking at the £400 price difference between Thomann and UK dealers, but are worried about buying an expensive instrument unseen, then don't be. I did a lot of research on the web and narrowed my search down to a Yamaha 82Z or a Yanagisawa and concluded I would be happy with either. I chose the Yani because everything I read said it would be suitable for an intermediate player, whereas I know from experience with my tenor that Yamaha have, with their G1 neck, achieved a great sound at the expense of difficult intonation at the higher notes. Further research told me that the bronze model sounds warmer than the brass model and that it was better for me, as an inexperienced player, to stick with the AWO-1 or AWO-2 rather than go for one of the elite models. That just left my confidence in dealing with Thomann. No problem, I have dealt with them before and they are very good. They allayed my fears about whether they could service the instrument if there was a problem - they can - and answered my questions about prices / exchange rates.

Buy one! You won't regret it.

I’ve been playing alto saxophone for 2.5 years using a rental student saxophone and I wanted to upgrade. I perform mostly in concert bands with indoor and outdoor performances. After looking through many reviews online, I decided on this Yani. This saxophone didnt let me down. I’ve had solos performed indoors and outdoors and the sound is bold enough to carry me against the full 20-25 piece band. Comparing it to my student sax, this saxophone really sings and has such a beautiful clear tone. I have had many compliments on it. I use a Meyer 5M mouth piece and Select Jazz 2H reed. The set up for me suits both concert bands and also playing a bit of jazz in my free time.

Ich habe das Saxophon etwas länger als ein Jahr und bin mit dem Instrument sehr zufrieden. Habe bei Thoman im Geschäft viele Saxophone, auch der anderen namhaften Hersteller, ausprobiert und letztendlich bei dem WO2 gelandet.
Die Intonation ist sehr gut, ebenso die Verarbeitung. Ich verwende ein Vandoren AL5 Mundstück mit 2,5er Vandoren Blätter. Zur Zeit ist das Instrument im Blasorchester im Einsatz. Zusammen mit dem Übungsbuch von Jim Snidero "The Essence of the Blues" eine super Kombination.