OverallĬompared to my 991, the Yanagisawa 992 tenor saxophone would work well for classical as well as jazz musicians due to its warm tone. The 992 I believe has a warmer tone due to the bronze finish and I found a bit easier to play in tune than my 991. I do have to say that on my 991, I found that, since it’s a brighter horn, I had to adjust to the brighter sound when fine tuning in the upper register. I went through my overtone workout smoothly and could not find any notes in particular that were excessively sharp. I believe the attention to detail with regards to fine-tuning is the reason these horns play so well out of the case and require essentially no adjustments. The Yanagisawa 992 was well-constructed and was very easy to get around, especially in the palm keys. I would say the Yanagisawa embodies the free-blowing-ness of a Yamaha, but with the action more in-line with a modern Selmer. I found while moving into the altissimo register it was almost too easy and this was something that I have to practice more on my Mark VI tenor. I played this horn right out of the box, and had no difficulty playing from low Bb to High F#. I felt that the metal resonators really enhanced the core sound of the 992 and did not take away from the dark lush tone.
Overall, my Yanagisawa 991 tends to be on the brighter side througout the horn but while trying out the 992, the bronze finish gave this horn a darker sound and with the metal resonators (on the 992 not on the 991) this tenor had a bigger, punchier sound. The 992 has some nice features such as metal resonators, which I would definitely consider in my next horn purchase. I personally own a Yanagisawa 991 tenor which I absolutely think is a great modern tenor. The Yanagisawa 992 saxophone looks great with its bronze body and gold lacquer keys. It's unique and you'll either love it or hate it.Yanagisawa 992 Tenor Yanagisawa 992 Tenor Appearance Overall the 54 has an antiqued appearance. Result leaves dark places in corners and less accessible places and creates a faux patina over the entire body. This process is followed with a bronze color matte surfaced lacquer. Then it isīrushed (not polished), intentionally leaving parts of the horn dark. The entire saxophone is antiqued with a process that darkens the entire body to a dark brown. Body to bell brace made of circular cross-section material.Adjustment is performed by bending the metal tab under the key as has been done for decades. Low B-flat sliding screw adjustment not present.High D and E, left hand palm keys are closer to the body of the instrument.Alternate high F left hand key in mother of pearl versus metal.The small changes that are made to the Référence horns are mostly for sentimental reasons. The fact that Selmer has decided to stick with modern Serie III keywork tells you somethingĪbout the reliability of it. The Référence 54 employs modern Serie III keywork except for certain modified keys that mimic the Mark VI classic horns. Both Référence horns are very different from the brighter, punchier Serie III tenor. The 54 is identical to the 36 in overall tonal quality. And this specific characteristic is what sets the Référence saxophones apart fromĪll other horns, present or past. Power and playing ease typified by both new Référence horns. It delivers the surprising combination of While not identical to any specific vintage horn, the Référence 54 speaks with its own wonderful complex voice. Please anyone looking for the sound of a vintage horn. Selmer have acheived the darker, richer tone they were after and it should Identical to that of the Mark VI and is different form the Serie III which terminates higher. The metal responators on the Serie III are swapped for plastic resonators on the Référence 54. The Référence 54 uses a Serie III body and bow, with a larger volume bell.
The Mark VI tenor was produced between 19, hence the "54" in the name. The Référence 54 body geometry was designed to mirror that of the Mark VI, yet Selmer haveĪctually produced a saxophone which outshines the fabled Mark VI.
The Référence 54 was released in the fall of 2000.