1988 Yanagisawa T-880 tenor saxophone, s/n 154032. This was Yanagisawa’s top of the line professional tenor saxophone in the 1980s, and this is a great playing example. It has all the things people love about Yanagisawa horns: excellent intonation, a very even and responsive scale, and comfortable modern ergonomics. What makes this model especially appealing to me is that the tone has a little more complexity and character than I typically associate with modern Yanis. The sound is big, full, colorful, and somewhat spread, with a bit of a Keilwerth like quality to the tone.
This saxophone is in excellent physical and playing condition. My repairman just serviced the horn, so it plays effortlessly in all registers. The pads are in excellent shape and seal well, and it appears that the previous owner had the sax repadded fairly recently. The action feels smooth, quiet, and comfortable under the fingers. The neck is original to the horn and has never been bent down. The sax comes in its original case.
Here's a video of another Yanagisawa 880 that recently came through the shop. It gives you a great idea of what this model sounds like.
