Yanagisawa SC991 Soprano Saxophone Curved

YANAGISAWA SC991 Details ^top

"The SC901 is one of the best and most highly regarded professional curved sops, so I thought it would be hard to surpass, but the SC991 certainly does and shows why Yanagisawa are world leaders in the soprano market. They have taken all that is good on the 901 and improved it. I must admit that I am a bit of a straight-sop man but this curvy sax is very tempting! For a small curved soprano there's loads of power through out the range, especially in the lower register. The tone is cutting, bright, with a definite sweetness at the top. It creates a modern sound which is very versatile with plenty of body.

The LH table keys are a real feature. Yanagisawa have switched the B and Bb pads to the other side of the bell and this has created extra space to develop the LH table keys. It is more like an alto set up, indeed the SC991 looks like a shrunken alto! It has the custom connected table keys which makes for smooth playing. Overall the action is just great, incredibly fluid, slick and instantly responsive. As always with Yanagisawa, the intonation is excellent. I found it a little inaccurate in the middle range, but it is still way ahead of the competition.  The crook/neck has more of a curve than the SC901 which made the positioning of the sax a bit uncomfortable for me but maybe this is because I’m quite tall. I've already had a 901 owner tell me he finds this new design more comfortable for him. Anyway, overall I was very impressed and once again Yanagisawa are pushing the boundaries of technology and innovation. I can't wait to get my fingers on the bronze SC992, I have a feeling it's going to be good!"