What a beautiful TIME CAPSULE of Yamaha saxophone history! The 61 model marked the beginning of professional saxophone manufacturing for Yamaha in 1967. Notice the beautiful Art Deco-style J-shaped key guard and gorgeous Purple Logo.
This particular example includes its original TS-31 mouthpiece, ligature, mouthpiece cap, inspection certificate, key to the case, and original Yamaha neck strap! You'll notice the name "Arata Sakaguchi" on the inspection certificate next to "blowing inspection." Arata Sakaguchi is a highly respected classical saxophonist known for pioneering saxophone playing in Japan. What a cool piece of history that comes with this horn!
This tenor just received a COA, which includes a full disassembly, cleaning, oiling, and adjustments. The B key, palm keys, and high F# key pads were all replaced with Yamaha-style nylon resonator pads. The horn plays AMAZINGLY and will really serve someone well. It is in nearly mint condition, with a minor blemish under the thumb rest and a small scratch near the Yamaha logo.
An exact date of production for this model cannot be determined, as Yamaha did not correlate their serial numbers to the year of production. However, it can be assumed this is roughly a 50-year-old saxophone. These are not easy to find in this GREAT of condition, not to forget most are in Japan and the heavy tarrifs really force you to take a gamble if you decide to import... This is a great opportunity to acquire a 61 in near perfect condition with a fresh COA and own a horn you KNOW will deliver superb playability.
If you have any questions about this instrument, please feel free to reach out.
