Yanagisawa TWO2 Tenor Saxophone

Yanagisawa AWO2 Tenor Saxophone

The Warmth of Bronze, the Precision of Yanagisawa

The TWO2 is where Yanagisawa's legendary craftsmanship meets the distinctive tonal character of bronze. The TWO2 offers an amazing combination of tonal depth and color with unparalleled response and ease of play. It is the upgraded successor to the beloved T902 series, and like everything that bears the Yanagisawa name, it is handmade in Japan to the highest standards.

Following the release of the WO Series altos in 2014, Yanagisawa continued the WO Series with new tenor saxophones in 2015 — the first major redesign of the Yanagisawa tenor saxophone in over 20 years. Building on the outstanding platform of the T9 series, the WO Series bore has been further refined for a richer tone with several enhancements to mechanical precision.

The Bronze Difference

The TWO2's defining characteristic is its all-bronze construction. The AWO2 features a bronze body, bow, bell, and neck. Bronze produces a warmer, darker, and more complex tone with greater depth and color, making it a favorite among players who want their sound to stand apart. The effect is often described as organic and vintage in character, while retaining the precision and consistency of a modern professional instrument.

Sound & Response

The TWO2 tenor saxophone benefits from a newly designed, newly engineered, and specially sourced bronze material for improved sound. It has a strong tonal core thanks to a re-engineered bore and tone holes, with a redesign of the taper and position of the tone holes allowing for more precise intonation. The TWO2 is free-blowing with a resonant tone, delivering superb performance no matter the genre.

Key Mechanism & Ergonomics

The TWO2 shares the full suite of WO Series keywork refinements, each designed to maximize speed, comfort, and consistency.

Redesigned Front F & Side Keys: The front F key has been redesigned for a better feel, with additional feet under the right side key levers (B, C, and high E) for improved touch and response.

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 Connected Table Keys: A seesaw link between the C# and Bb table keys facilitates faster, smoother fingering technique.

Sway-Free F-Auxiliary Key: This mechanism dampens vibrations in the right-hand F# key, stabilizing notes in the lower register.

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.

Construction Highlights

Single-Post-to-Body Construction: The TWO2 features single-post-to-body construction, reducing weight significantly for quicker response.

Palm Key Plate: Previously only available on the 99-series saxophones, the WO Series addition of the palm key plate delivers high-range resonance, acoustic depth, more projection, and improved intonation stability.

Metal Reflectors: Metal reflectors are an improvement from the standard plastic reflectors, adding clarity to the tone and improving playing 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, and the waterproof material offers a greatly extended pad life.

Metal Adjustable Bell Key Buffers: The buffers used on the bell keys are metal, offering increased longevity and accuracy over plastic, and are fully adjustable.

Hand-Engraved Bell: WO2 series saxophones feature a uniquely styled, hand-engraved pattern on the bell, lending the instrument a distinctive, artisanal character.

Tri-Point Balanced Bell Brace: The bell and body of the saxophone are firmly connected by a tri-point balanced bell brace for added stability and resonance.

Who Is It For?

The TWO2 is a professional-level instrument that will allow players to count on a superior tone worthy of any stage and find ease playing in many styles thanks to the improved construction and ergonomic key design.