Yanagisawa 880 tenor
This Yanagisawa 880 tenor saxophone was a fortuitous find. I was always curious about a Yanagiawa 880, as it is considered an absolute competitor to a Selmer MK6 by professional saxophonists. I have had several Yanagisawa saxophones here, including the 500, 900, 901 series and the older series 5 and 6, but no 880 yet. I myself play on a Selmer MK7, which sounds really fantastic and is in very good condition. This Yani 880 tenor is in almost new condition. From first owner: bought new in 1986 and only used sporadically during the first two years. Owner probably had no talent or patience and the sax disappeared in its case in the attic. Even after all these years, the sax played immediately in all registers, with fantastic sound and very smooth mechanism.
After that, I intensively compared the sax with my Selmer MK7 several times. It is impossible to say which sax is better, honestly.... Both are professional instruments of the absolute top class. The Yanagisawa 880 plays smoother and has better ergonomics. Sound is very homey. The Selmer MK7 has more ´bite´ and is better suited for light music (this is exclusively my personal opinion!). Both saxes were also compared by a local professional saxophonist. He came to the same conclusion and confirmed the excellent sound of my MK7 tenor.
It makes no sense for me to keep two professional tenor saxophones: I don't play that much anymore. I keep my collection of Selmer instruments, also because of their long-term value. So this fantastiche Yanagisawa 880 tenor is at my disposal. A lot of info about this saxophone can be found online.