Yanagisawa BWO1 Bari Sax

So what IS the difference between the Yanagisawa BWO1& the more expensive BWO10?
The primary difference is in the weight of the construction. The Yanagisawa BWO1uses “Single Post to Body” construction whereas the BWO10 uses a heavier “Ribbed Body” construction. What this translates to is that the posts that suspend the keys up from the body are individually soldered directly to the body tube on the BWO1. On the ribbed body BWO1, large groups of posts are first silver soldered on to a brass plate, or “rib”, and then that entire rib is soldered on to the body tube.

The end result is that the body tubes of the Yanagisawa BWO1 have less weight attached to them and this give quicker response. The heavier construction BWO10 has a thicker “core” to its sound due to the extra weight, but it also requires more effort and power from the player in order to get quick response.

So which is better?
Neither is truly “better” than the other but rather depends on the player. The Yanagisawa BWO1 is the least resistant and easiest model to play. One of the biggest issues that people have with modern low A bari saxes is the slower response compared to older Bb bell baris. This is due to the extra weight that low A models have from the extended bell.

So for many players, the Yanagisawa BWO1 offers a quicker response like the older Bb bell baris but all of the design aspects of the modern horn (intonation, build quality, ergonomics). Plainly put for many players (students, hobbyist & jazz players), the lighter weight Yanagisawa BWO1 offers an exceptional combination of performance, quality and price value. There are of course other smaller differences in the BWO10 but the core difference between the horns is the construction.