YAMAHA Intermediate Eb Alto Saxophone, Gold Finish

I just started playing sax 5 months ago. I started with the $300 sax from Amazon, then returned it before the 30 days was up after learning on it. It was a horrible sax lol. This is so much easier to play on and I just upgraded to a $400 mp that will change my sound more than a new sax. I will have this sax for years to come

Yamaha YAS-480 doesn’t disappoint. When the package arrived, I was eager yet apprehensive about opening the package. I had read online that other buyers received Yamaha’s made in Indonesia and not Japan. I suppose it doesn’t matter where it’s made, as long as they adhere to Yamaha’s standards. However, I was pleased to see that my horn was made in Japan. Wonderful! I once owned a Yamaha intermediate tenor sax and a Yamaha intermediate soprano sax. Both horns performed extremely well. The sound quality was like, well…imagine a cheap horn’s voice sounding like Van Morrison. The Yamaha’s sounded like Whitney Houston hitting the highs and Luther Vandross hitting the lows. It broke my heart to have to sell those horns. Well, I decided to give it another go. This time I purchased a Yamaha intermediate alto sax. I compared it to the Seller equivalent which costs $350 more. When I first opened the package, I knew I had made the right choice. The case is a leather composite around a hard exterior. It’s sleek and professional looking. The horn is beautiful. Simply beautiful. I must have stared at it for it’s elegant beauty. After shaking the stars from my eyes, I decided to play it. The horn comes with a Yamaha 4 C mouthpiece and a box of 10 reeds made in China. I tried the Chinese reeds on the 4 C mouthpiece. The sound was bright and loud. I replaced the reed with a Rico 3.0 and the sound became warmer, more nuanced. When I tried a synthetic reed (Venn 3.0), I started to sound like Dave Coz. (Not kidding!) I can’t wait to experiment with a better mouth piece, but this one holds it’s own. The keys allow for easy access to low notes. Plus the F# key allows for easy access to high F#. I was even able to reach high G! I feel like I’m just scratching the surface of the potential this horn has to offer. This horn would serve a beginner very well. However, it would better serve a professional or an avid player who knows how to appreciate a finely crafted instrument. The company who fulfilled the order, “Are you not entertained”, fulfilled the order the next day after ordering. Great service! I hope this helps with your buying decision.

This is saxophone look likes fake! the logo on the neck of octave is different to the picture and with official YAMAHA. Also not look likes brand new, the connection of neck was a little rusty.

音が小さいのは、自分の力かな？

I will admit that I was a little worried about this purchase. There are many counterfeit Yamaha instruments out there and it is not clear that this seller is an authorized Yamaha dealer.

However, when the sax arrived all my fears vanished. The packaging matched exactly with unboxing videos on Youtube down to the king sized oxygen absorber in the plastic wrapping around the case. The paperwork was all in order and the serial number was accepted immediately by the Yamaha product registration site. The sax itself is beautiful, hand engraved bell and flawless action. Upon first playing, it sounds great. This is a genuine Yamaha YAS-480.

It did come from Busan, Korea and appears to have been packaged for the Korean market (see the warranty sticker photograph). It was made in Indonesia where Yamaha has production plants. My understanding is that all the Yamaha student and intermediate instruments are made outside of Japan these days. When I looked at the same instrument at a Yamaha dealer in the United States it was made in Indonesia as well. And it cost $1000 more.

So if you are looking to upgrade as we were, this is a good choice. For the price of a YAS-280 from a Yamaha dealer in the states can get the 480, which is a better instrument. For us, the beginner sax that our teen has used for the last 4 years will now be used for marching band and this will be the concert instrument for at least the next 4 years. From there it could definitely go on or be sold off as Yamaha instruments tend to hold their value.

Arrival: (1 week, with approx $50 freight) the saxophone was packaged well.
Quality: as desired. YAS 480 model made in Indonesia stamped on instrument. I’m told by my student/child it has great sound.
Contains: one saxophone, one neck piece, one mouth piece with ligature, one 2.5 reed, one quality zipper cloth case with formed inlay (as you would find in a hard sided case to hold a saxophone) one no frills neck strap, cork grease, and manual.