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Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Musical instruments |
Founded | 1894[1] |
Founder | Tokutaro Yanagisawa |
Headquarters | |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Nobushige Yanagisawa, CEO [1] |
Products | Sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones |
Website | yanagisawasax.co.jp |
Yanagisawa Wind Instruments Co., Ltd. is a Japanese woodwind instrument manufacturing company known for its range of professional grade saxophones. Along with Yamaha, they are one of the leading manufacturers of saxophones in Japan. The company currently manufactures sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones
In the United States, Yanagisawa products are commercialized and distributed by Conn-Selmer, [2] a subsidiary of Steinway Musical Instruments.
The history of woodwind manufacturing in Japan has its origins in 1894 when Tokutaro Yanagisawa began repairing imported woodwinds for military band members. Tokutaro's repair shop soon evolved into an instrument factory—the first to build woodwind instruments on Japanese soil. Tokutaro's son Takanobu followed in his father's footsteps, choosing to pursue a career in the craft of instrument-making. Takanobu built his first prototype saxophone in 1951. [3]
Starting in the late 1960s, Yanagisawa exported saxophones sold under various distributor's names, providing a large portion of the instruments sold under the Vito (Japan) brand and representing Leblanc's Martin brand for saxophones starting in 1971.[ citation needed ] In 1978, the 800 series models were introduced, which became the first Yanagisawa saxophones exported under Yanagisawa's own name.[ citation needed ]
In 1980, the 500 series was introduced for sale under other brands in the student/intermediate market. With the growth of Yanagisawa's reputation, interest in finding Yanagisawa instruments sold under other brands has become heightened in the used instrument market.[ citation needed ]
The Yanagisawa soprano saxophone designs became influential throughout rest of the industry, comparable to the influence of Selmer (Paris) and Yamaha saxophones in other ranges.[ citation needed ] Yanagisawa introduced innovations including detachable straight and curved necks and a high G key for its 990 series soprano saxophones.[ citation needed ]
Product development timeline: [4]
1954
First tenor saxophone (the T-3 model) enters production.
1956–1966
First alto saxophone (A-3) is unveiled, and A-5 alto and T-5 tenor models are introduced. Development work is completed on a low-A baritone model (B-6).
1968
Japan's first soprano saxophone (S-6) is placed on the market. The SN-600 sopranino model with high-E key is finished and released.
1978–1985
The Elimona (Elite Monarch) series (800 series) is launched. Japan's first curved soprano model is unveiled. The world's first straight soprano model with detachable neck (S-880) is announced.
1990–1996
Yanagisawa's 900- and 990-series soprano and baritone models are introduced. The first Silver Sonic model (9930 series) is unveiled in soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone ranges in Japan. Alto and tenor models are added to the 900 and 990 series, which later evolve into the 900μ and 990μ series.
1999
The A-9937 alto model with sterling silver neck, body, bow, and bell is announced.
2000
The sterling T-9937 tenor model hits the market and Yanagisawa introduces its top baritone model, the B-9930BSB. Yanagisawa launches the bronze-bodied 992GP series with gold-plated finish.
2001
The bronze 992PGP series debuts with new pink-gold plated models.
2002
The 9937PGP series is born, rounding out the all-sterling lineup with pink-gold plated models. Yanagisawa unveils its bronze A-902 alto.
2003
Yanagisawa unveils the T-902, the tenor version of its bronze alto model.
2004
The SC-991 and SC-992 curved soprano models are announced.
2006
Yanagisawa builds the A-9914, the world's first alto saxophone with neck, body, bow, and bell crafted entirely in 14K gold. Reference prototypes are exhibited at the Frankfurt Musikmesse trade show.
2008
The SC-9937 curved soprano sax with all-sterling neck, body, bow, and bell is introduced
2012
The WO series Alto is launched.
2014
The WO series Tenor is launched.
The company is notable for making saxophones from materials other than standard brass (i.e., phosphor bronze and solid silver, and combinations thereof). [5] Their first solid silver saxophone was produced in 1972 and instruments made from phosphor bronze began to be produced in 1992.[ citation needed ] The 8830 model alto and tenor saxophones, introduced in 1988, combined silver necks and bells with a brass body tube, reminiscent of the King "Silversonic" instruments. Similar combinations are offered in current production, as illustrated by Yanagisawa's 2015 range of alto saxophone offerings:[ citation needed ]
The permutations are increased by the fact that it is possible to buy a solid brass, silver, or bronze neck from Yanagisawa and fit it to any of the nine instruments listed above (e.g., adding a solid silver neck to the AWO10 or AWO20 or a phosphor bronze neck to the AWO10, AWO32J, or AWO37).[ citation needed ]
Professional saxophonists performing on Yanagisawa instruments include Gary Bartz, Jay Beckenstein, Plas Johnson, Ed Wynne, Steve Slagle, Peter King, Vincent Herring, Snake Davis, Greg Osby, Antonio Hart, Jean Denis Michat, Paul Corn (Composer of the Paul Corn Jazz Collective), Pascal Bonnet, Jess Gillam, David Pons, Jeroen Vanbever, and another classical and jazz players. Arno Bornkamp has performed occasionally with a Yanagisawa Soprano. Raaf Hekkema uses a Elimona Soprano as his standard instrument.
A brass instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips. Brass instruments are also called labrosones or labrophones, from Latin and Greek elements meaning 'lip' and 'sound'.
The saxophone is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to produce a sound wave inside the instrument's body. The pitch is controlled by opening and closing holes in the body to change the effective length of the tube. The holes are closed by leather pads attached to keys operated by the player. Saxophones are made in various sizes and are almost always treated as transposing instruments. A person who plays the saxophone is called a saxophonist or saxist.
Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and reed instruments. The main distinction between these instruments and other wind instruments is the way in which they produce sound. All woodwinds produce sound by splitting the air blown into them on a sharp edge, such as a reed or a fipple. Despite the name, a woodwind may be made of any material, not just wood. Common examples of other materials include brass, silver, cane, and other metals such as gold and platinum. The saxophone, for example, though made of brass, is considered a woodwind because it requires a reed to produce sound. Occasionally, woodwinds are made of earthen materials, especially ocarinas.
In organology, the study of musical instruments, many methods of classifying instruments exist. Most methods are specific to a particular cultural group and were developed to serve that culture's musical needs. Culture-based classification methods sometimes break down when applied outside that culture. For example, a classification based on instrument use may fail when applied to another culture that uses the same instrument differently.
The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in the key of E♭, smaller than the B♭ tenor but larger than the B♭ soprano. It is the most common saxophone and is used in popular music, concert bands, chamber music, solo repertoire, military bands, marching bands, pep bands, carnatic music, and jazz.
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B♭ (while the alto is pitched in the key of E♭), and written as a transposing instrument in the treble clef, sounding an octave and a major second lower than the written pitch. Modern tenor saxophones which have a high F♯ key have a range from A♭2 to E5 (concert) and are therefore pitched one octave below the soprano saxophone. People who play the tenor saxophone are known as "tenor saxophonists", "tenor sax players", or "saxophonists".
The baritone saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of instruments, larger than the tenor saxophone, but smaller than the bass. It is the lowest-pitched saxophone in common use — the bass, contrabass and subcontrabass saxophones are relatively uncommon. Like all saxophones, it is a single-reed instrument. It is commonly used in concert bands, chamber music, military bands, big bands, and jazz combos. It can also be found in other ensembles such as rock bands and marching bands. Modern baritone saxophones are pitched in E♭.
The soprano saxophone is a higher-register variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument invented in the 1840s. The soprano is the third-smallest member of the saxophone family, which consists of the sopranissimo, sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, contrabass saxophone. Soprano saxophones are the smallest and thus highest-pitched saxophone in common use.
C. G. Conn Ltd., Conn Instruments or commonly just Conn, is a former American manufacturer of musical instruments incorporated in 1915. It bought the production facilities owned by Charles Gerard Conn, a major figure in early manufacture of brasswinds and saxophones in the USA. Its early business was based primarily on brass instruments, which were manufactured in Elkhart, Indiana. During the 1950s the bulk of its sales revenue shifted to electric organs. In 1969 the company was sold in bankruptcy to the Crowell-Collier-MacMillan publishing company. Conn was divested of its Elkhart production facilities in 1970, leaving remaining production in satellite facilities and contractor sources.
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The C melody saxophone, also known as the C tenor saxophone, is a saxophone pitched in the key of C one whole tone above the common B-flat tenor saxophone. The C melody was part of the series of saxophones pitched in C and F intended by the instrument's inventor, Adolphe Sax, for orchestral use. The instrument enjoyed popularity in the early 1900s, perhaps most prominently used by Rudy Wiedoeft and Frankie Trumbauer, but is now uncommon.
The Buescher Band Instrument Company was a manufacturer of musical instruments in Elkhart, Indiana, from 1894 to 1963. The company was acquired by the H&A Selmer Company in 1963. Selmer retired the Buescher brand in 1983.
Leblanc, Inc. was a musical instruments manufacturing company based in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The company was a woodwind instrument manufacturer known mainly for its clarinets. In 2004 the firm was sold to Conn-Selmer, a division of Steinway Musical Instruments. As a result, Leblanc ceased to exist as an independent operation, becoming a brand.
The Selmer Mark VI is a saxophone produced from 1954 to 1981. Production shifted to the Mark VII for the tenor and alto in the mid-1970s, and to the Super Action 80 for the soprano and baritone saxophones in 1981. The sopranino saw limited production until about 1985.
Vito is a brand name of Leblanc, started in 1951.
Cannonball Musical Instruments is a manufacturer of saxophones, clarinets, trumpets, flutes, trombones, and musical instrument accessories. The company was founded in 1996 by musicians Tevis and Sheryl Laukat, and is based in Sandy, Utah. Cannonball specializes in professional, handmade, and uniquely "acoustically hand customized" instruments.
King Musical Instruments is a former musical instrument manufacturing company located in Cleveland, Ohio, that used the trade name King for its instruments. In 1965 the company was acquired by the Seeburg Corporation of Eastlake, Ohio, and the name changed to "King Musical Instruments".
Herbert Couf was an American clarinetist, saxophonist, composer, music store owner, music instrument manufacturer executive, and an importer of music instruments. Couf had been the principal clarinetist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra under Paul Paray until he retired to open Royal Music Center and commit his full attention to the business of music.
Vibratosax is the product name of the saxophones made from plastic, designed and built by the Thai company Vibrato.