Custom Saxophone Finishes

Buena Park, CA (October 18, 2004) — Yamaha Custom Saxophones are available in various different lacquers or plating options. If you want an 82Z, you can choose from gold lacquer, black lacquer, silver-plated, gold-plated or even unlacquered. For the 875 (including EX) you can choose from gold lacquer, black lacquer, silver-plated or gold-plated. But how do you know which one is right for you? The following should help to provide some descriptions as to how each one sounds and plays.

The most popular to date is the standard gold lacquer version. The lacquer adds a bit of resistance to the vibrations of the horn and provides a dark, centered tone. The silver-plating by nature adds some weight to the instrument because of the addition of the extra metal. This additional weight does not actually make the tone darker but adds brilliance and projection. The black lacquer process differs from the standard lacquer process only in the actual color of lacquer applied to the instrument. This model sounds very similar to the gold lacquer version but contains a more subtle, dark tone. One version not pictured here is the unlacquered version (only available on the Z series saxophones). The absence of lacquer and/or plating allows the saxophone to vibrate more freely and overall sounds brighter and louder than gold lacquer while still maintaining a warm overall tone. The last option available is gold-plated. The saxophone is first silver-plated then finally gold-plated. The addition of two layers of plating creates a very dark, lush and warm tone.

For more information on Yamaha Saxophones, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Band & Orchestral Division, 6600 Orangethorpe Ave., Buena Park, CA 90620; telephone (714) 522-9011; e-mail infostation@yamaha.com; or visit www.yamaha.com/band.

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