Rolls of metal sheet stock are sorted by brass, bronze, and silver alloy and utilized in different combinations depending on the saxophone model being made. Each roll is about 30 meters long.

The connecting edges are lined up and seamlessly welded together with a 1000 C torch.

Any bumps or pits that remain after the welding stage are hammered and smoothed out to hide the joint seam.

A metal mold is used to shape the body . An inserted tool forces the body through a slightly smaller-diameter hole in a metal plate. The hole in the plate is adjusted for changes in body taper.

Sections of the bell that cannot be shaped by machine are spun on a lathe and shaped with a variety of handheld spatula tools.

Tone hole locations are drilled into the shaped and polished body components after they are placed in a special die.

When the handle is turned, a round piece is pulled through to form and draw out the tone hole from the wall of the body tubing. Special care is the rule when fabricating tone holes because they have the most significant influence on the saxophone's scale.

Sax key parts and certain body components are punched out on press machinery. Over 10 variations in thickness are used for such punched-out parts.

Parts initially punched out with press machinery also go through fabrication stages that involve drilling, bending, and shaping operations.

Many parts created with press machinery eventually reach their final shape after further processing with a wide array of cutting tools.

An assortment of press dies used to make various parts. Multiple dies are used in the production of each individual part. The factory uses over 2,000 dies in all.

Sax posts of different sizes and shapes are cut to precision dimensions on CNC lathes.

Over 120 different types of parts are created by silver-soldering key cups and other components to sax hinge rods and hinge tubing.

Our materials stockroom has inventory in approx. 400 different types of finished saxophone parts.

Post assemblies are soldered to the body with a 400 C torch.

The bell and bow are soldered together, giving the sax its basic form.

Preliminary key fitting is performed to enhance the precision fit of the key mechanism in the final assembly stage. The sax is also checked for silver-solder residues and flaws in the key mechanism.

Each saxophone is hand-engraved by a devoted artisan.

The body and all keys are buffed and polished prior to lacquering.

The body is polished in several steps with each pass utilizing a softer abrasive compound or buffing wheel.

Prior to lacquering, everything is given an ultrasonic bath. This cleaning process completely removes all oils and buffing compound residues.

All parts are sprayed with a lacquer coat and then placed in an oven to heat-cure the lacquer.

Pads and cork materials are installed on already-lacquered keys. We use three types of pad adhesive that vary by melting temperature. Also, to minimize the need for post-assembly adjustments, we use a composite pressed cork that maintains its shape and firmness.

During assembly we apply a tape film to protect each instrument from scratches. Assembly proceeds with installation of the right-hand keys followed by the left-hand keys and then the side keys.

Using a leak light, each pad seat is checked for air leaks and adjusted as necessary.

The assembly process is complete when the bell is attached to the instrument and the low-note bell keys controlled by the left-hand little finger are finally installed and regulated.

The instrument-making process concludes with a final, meticulous inspection of each fully assembled instrument. This inspection includes balancing the keys, tensioning the springs, and precision-fitting the neck.

Following final inspection, the protective tape is removed and the sax is polished with a cleaning cloth to remove any fingerprints and smudges from the preceding work stages. Additionally, it will be checked over one last time for scratches or other blemishes.

Once cleaned and polished, the sax is carefully placed inside its case.

Each and every cased instrument is then packed in a sturdy cardboard shipping container.

Packed instruments are loaded onto a truck at the warehouse and shipped to domestic distributors or to port facilities for export. Yanagisawa saxophones are supplied to the domestic Japanese market and exported to more than 20 national markets around the globe.