YAMAHAYAS-62 Professional Alto Saxophone Lacquered

First, my wife has the Amazon account, which we share, but myself (husband) is writing the review.I vetted this instrument as much as possible before purchase. I looked at all of the reviews on Amazon and searched social media for mentions and reviews as well.I've been a band director for over 20 years. I even went to college near a Yamaha music instrument distribution center and regularly had to go pick up instruments for our music department. As soon as I saw the box I knew the instrument was legit. The box, the way it was sealed, opening the box and seeing how the saxophone was packaged I knew it was all from the factory- albeit a factory in Japan. Some of the reviews I read talked about a knock off instrument or a used instrument being shipped (I ordered a new instrument). I did not see any kind of tampering with the instrument. The shipping corks were all there and in the correct places. The serial number and fonts used for the make, model and serial number on the saxophone all matched pictures I've seen of instruments that were verified to be Yamaha 62s (I used Yamahas website to verify font and placement of the script.)The instrument came with the standard Yamaha ligature and nylon neckstrap and small vile of cork grease. A person buying an instrument such as this would want a more advanced ligature, neckstrap and (most likely) cork grease that doesn't have to touch your finger and get under your fingernails.I would not recommend this instrument for a beginner. There are "student model" alto saxophones sold by Yamaha and many other companies that will do as good of job for a cheaper price and be much more cost effective should a repair be needed. (Jean Paul AS-400 is my current recommendation for my beginning alto saxophone students.)The instrument shipped on time and arrived on the time displayed on Amazon. No duty charge was required. (I had seen someone complain about having to pay a duty charge). Initially the seller had put for the package to be signed for, but that was removed sometime during shipping. If you want to sign for your package I'd make that request.Overall my experience was great. The only problem (if you want to call it that) was not from the seller but from our bank. We get fraud alerts when making purchases over a certain dollar amount. Once we verified with our bank we were making this purchase they released the money and all was fine. My advice would be to notify your bank BEFORE you make the purchase, and not after, if you have this same fraud alert system. This will save you from the headache we had to deal with.

The media could not be loaded. This Yamaha Saxophone is beautifully crafted and sounds amazing. It even has a unique floral design engraved into the metal. My son started on a beginner level saxophone. It was affordable at the time, but very cheaply made and got worn down quickly after a couple years of marching band and jazz band. Once he took a liking to playing saxophone, he got very good, and we upgraded him to this higher quality saxophone. He loves it! He says the finger keys feel so smooth, and the instrument produces a bold, bright-sounding tone. No squeals and hisses like his old saxophone. The quality is apparent, and the price is fair. You may pay up to a thousand dollars more at a local music shop. This is a very good quality saxophone. Not the ultimate best one out there, but still among the top tier and it is worth the price! It comes with a very nice case that fits everything you’ll need. If you or your loved one has taken a liking to playing sax and is ready for an instrument upgrade, I would highly recommend getting this Yamaha!

This item was shipped from the marketplace supplier in Korea. The packaging for shipping was absolutely awesome! The original box was wrapped with several layers of bubble wrap and then labeled for shipping. The sax was packaged in original manufacturer box and was very secure. The sax is beautiful and played great right out of the box. Tricky part was finding all the cork wedges that secured the buttons and pads. Neck strap isn't much use. But that is the only negative thing I can say about it. From time of order placement and receiving the sax was less than 1 week. And the price point for this quality instrument was excellent compared to local pricing for exactly the same sax. This is a great, Yamaha sax made with quality detailing in Japan.

I'm a music major that has played saxophone professionally for over 40 years... I own several Selmers, mark 6's and marks 7's. My twelve year old son started playing about two years ago and has been using an old Bundy I own. then this year he has been playing my Mark VI alto. These older horns are very sensitive to bumping around and are somewhat temperamental, aside from being worth a multiple of what this horn costs. I find this horn VERY playable and VERY well built. Saxophone is a difficult instrument to master, If you want your child to have a chance at success he will need the best horn you can afford, after you establish that he or she is not clumsy or accident prone. These woodwind instruments if bumped or dropped will become difficult to play. The advantage I have since I play is that I can check the instrument regularly for leaks. If you can't do this then you MUST take the instrument in for regular checkups at least once a month. An instrument that doesn't respond will frustrate your kid and they will inevitably give up. I have seen saxes for $200 - $400 bucks... you can trust me here, you get what you pay for. Cheep construction and materials make the instrument impossible to keep aligned. To be playable the pads must be seated correctly... cheep pads will swell up and contract and will not seal the tone hole causing squeaks and squawks. Also cheep horns come with cheep mouthpieces which is a key proponent to producing successful results. I have mouthpieces that cost $300 ! and they are worth every penny. Don't get a used horn unless you know a Great repair man. However there is a guy in Chicago ([...]) who can put any horn back in service....however for you young student, get a new horn.... they will appreciate a shiny new axe............rather than that old Stradivarius that's probably worth thousands......

After reading reviews, I was concerned about my purchase but I'm glad I made it! This instrument came quickly and packaged with care. It is beautiful, authentic and the sound quality is everything you'd expect and more.

Sounds good and plays good, case very flimsy