Yanagisawa
Yanagisawa BWO2 Baritone Saxophone
Yanagisawa BWO2 Baritone Saxophone
Couldn't load pickup availability
Yanagisawa BWO2 Baritone Saxophone
The Warmth of Bronze, the Precision of Yanagisawa
The BWO2 is where Yanagisawa's legendary baritone craftsmanship meets the distinctive tonal character of bronze. Handcrafted from premium bronze entirely by hand in Japan, it plays flawlessly and sings with robust projection, opulent warmth, and a broad, colorful tonal palette. It is the upgraded successor to the beloved B902 series.
Yanagisawa is known for leveraging the unique tone qualities of different metals in its saxophone designs, and the mellower sound of bronze is particularly well suited to the tonal range of the baritone saxophone — adding depth and richness to an instrument that already commands every room it enters.
The Bronze Difference
The BWO2's defining characteristic is its all-bronze construction. The BWO2 features a bronze body, bow, bell, and neck — a material choice that profoundly shapes the instrument's voice. Bronze produces a warmer, darker, and more complex tone with greater depth and color. The effect is a full-bodied sound, while the instrument retains every bit of the precision and reliability that Yanagisawa is known for. As an added bonus, the contrast between the bronze body and brass key-work gives the BWO2 a striking visual character that is all its own.
Sound & Response
The BWO2 has a strong tonal core thanks to a re-engineered bore and tone holes, with a redesigned taper and repositioned tone holes allowing for clearer intonation across the full range. It is free-blowing with a resonant tone, delivering superb performance across all musical genres — from the deepest low A to a commanding high F#.
Its single-post-to-body construction allows the instrument to resonate freely, producing a sound that is open and responsive with excellent projection. For players who favor warmth alongside that characteristic baritone power, the BWO2 delivers it in abundance.
Key Mechanism & Ergonomics
The BWO2 shares all of the key-work refinements introduced across the WO Series baritone range, each designed to maximize speed, comfort, and consistency on an instrument of this scale.
Redesigned Right Hand Pinky Keys: The angle of the right-hand pinky keys has been revised for smoother, more natural fingering in fast passages.
Side Bb & C Key Feet: Additional feet have been added beneath the side Bb and C levers, along with mechanical optimizations for producing these notes with greater ease.
Fluororesin Octave Mechanism: Yanagisawa's fluororesin non-stick coating ensures a reliable octave-key action with no stickiness, even after years of heavy playing.
C# – Bb Rocking Key: The C# and Bb keys feature a rocking table/seesaw mechanism that allows for optimal speed and fluidity between keys.
Redesigned Low A Thumb Key: The low A thumb key has been newly designed for smoother, more comfortable fingering in the instrument's lowest register.
Sway-Free F-Auxiliary Key: This mechanism ensures a proper seal of the pads when playing in the low range of the saxophone, stabilizing tone production where baritone players need it most.
White Shell Key Touches: Indented mother-of-pearl key touches provide a natural fit and feel under the hand, and are less slippery than plastic.
Neck Pipe Plate: A new plate has been added to the front of the neck pipe, tightening the sound from the middle to high registers.
Repositioned Strap Ring: The strap ring has been repositioned for a more balanced, comfortable playing experience.
Newly Designed Right-Hand Key Guard : An exclusive addition to the baritone range, this guard protects the player during playing and prevents clothing from catching in the mechanics.
Construction Highlights
Single-Post-to-Body Construction: Posts are individually soldered directly to the body, resulting in a lighter instrument that resonates more freely for an open, responsive sound with a characteristic edge and projection.
Blue Steel Springs: Blue steel springs are more efficient and hold tension more effectively than stainless steel, enhancing key action throughout the instrument.
Redesigned Upper Bow Brace — The upper bow brace has been redesigned for improved structural integrity and resonance throughout the instrument.
Tri-Point Balanced Bell Brace: The bell and body are firmly linked by a three-point balanced brace, ensuring structural resilience and focused resonance even when playing fortissimo.
Metal Resonators: Metal resonators are an improvement from the standard plastic, adding clarity to the tone and improving response across the whole dynamic range.
Waterproof Air-Tight Pads: Yanagisawa's waterproof pads are airtight, providing complete confidence in the instrument's tonal integrity, while the waterproof material offers a greatly extended pad life.
Hand-Engraved Bell: Each Yanagisawa saxophone is hand-engraved by highly skilled craftsmen, lending the BWO1 a distinctive, artisanal character.
Who Is It For?
Who Is It For?
The BWO2 is ideal for players who want the full power and authority of a professional Yanagisawa baritone, with the added warmth and tonal complexity that only bronze can provide. Players will be find satisfaction in all performance settings thanks to the improved construction and ergonomic key design.
If the BWO1 is the benchmark for professional brass baritones, the BWO2 is its soulful, bronze-bodied counterpart — richer and deeper in tone color, and equally uncompromising in build quality.
Share
