Yanagisawa SC9937 Solid Silver Soprano Sax

Yanagisawa SC9937 Curved Soprano Sax – Solid Silver Series

Discontinued
The SC99x series saxophones have been discontinued and replaced with thew WO Series Curved Sopranos. The replacement model is the SCWO37 and can be found by clicking here.

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Yanagisawa SC9937 Curved Soprano Sax
Solid Silver Neck, Body, Bell & Bow

Yanagisawa makes the highest quality professional saxophones on the market today! They are a specialty manufacture of professional handmade saxophones. They are a small factory blending old world craftsmanship with modern design and performance. The only true professional maker of curved sopranos, the Yanagisawa SC9937 is the epitome of perfection. Impeccable intonation, excellent response and marvelous ergonomics!

Additional Information

Curved vs. Straight Soprano – Pros & Cons
There are many opinions on this topic and in the end, some of the differences will rely on the individual player. So these opinions on this subject are that of Dave Kessler:

Frist, the biggest difference is the feel. The horn is much closer to the player than any straight soprano would be. For some this is good but for others this is bad as it can lead to an overall cramped feel. However, for the soprano player who needs to rely on the assistance of a neck strap, the curved soprano sits in a way that allows for more weight to be handled by a strap than a traditional straight soprano would allow.

Second, there is a sound difference to the player – but not so much so to the audience or anyone listening to you play. This is due to where you sit in relationship to the toneholes of the saxophone. Since the sound of a saxophone is the vibration of the air column exiting the open tone holes, the curved soprano will “sound” much different to the player as they have more open tone holes closer to their ears due to the upturned bell! However, someone listening 10 feet away, will not have this same perception.

Lastly, the curved soprano generally offers more resistance than a straight model. Resistance is not a good or a bad thing, but a necessary feature in any musical instrument in order to perform. However, the level of resistance that is best is relative to the player and the mouthpiece. A curved soprano is more resistant due to the curvature of the bow of the sax. For players who like to push and project, they will generally find this to be a negative trait. For players that want to play more melodically sweet at lower dynamics; players who are not concerned as much with volume, they will find this to be a beneficial trait.

Solid Sterling Silver
Yanagisawa’s SC9937 uses Solid Sterling Silver (92.5% pure silver, 7.5% copper) in lieu of traditional brass. Solid Silver is a heavy alloy but also vibrates & responds exceptionally well. This helps the SC9937 to be a more resonant instrument that offers more tonal presence and versatility. This effectively amplifies whatever is put in to the horn by the player and mouthpiece. So mouthpieces that are dark by nature will be darker, richer & bigger on the SC9937. Mouthpieces that are brighter will be edgier, more brilliant and more powerful on the SC9937. The basic math is simple, the more Solid Silver used in the horn, the bigger the performance enhancement.

The SC9937 uses Sterling Silver for all of the body tubing of the saxophone – Solid Silver neck, body, bow & bell!

Soprano Saxophones are very misunderstood instruments. They are commonly considered more difficult to play than an alto or tenor saxophone.

In reality, the problem with soprano saxophone has more to do with how they are played rather than the soprano sax itself. Plainly put, you cannot play a soprano sax the same way you would an alto sax as they are not the same instrument! Dave Kessler wrote an article about this very issue and details:

Why is soprano harder to play?
How to choose a soprano
How best to approach playing soprano

Take a moment and read the article here: Dave Kessler’s Music Blog – Choosing a Soprano Sax

Every soprano sax that we send out includes a copy of our “Soprano Sax Playing Tips Guide” that will help players achieve the best performance out of their soprano sax. You can also download a PDF copy of that guide by clicking here.

Every SC9937 soprano we send out to a customer is not released from us unless it has been completely setup in our shop first. This is because the setup on the horn is of the utmost importance! Sometimes, a saxophone (regardless of who the manufacturer) comes in needing 20 minutes of adjustments and then the very next one can require 2 hours! So if you were to get 5 of the same model right out of the box, they will all play different. This leads players to believe that they are “good” or “bad” saxes. The reality is that the one that was the best out of the 5 was likely the one that needed the least amount of work and the “bad” sax was the one that needed 2 hours worth of adjustments!

Once the same 5 saxophones are properly regulated and adjusted to perfection, they become near identical saxophones. Even the pickiest of players would be challenged to pick a true “favorite” horn. However, since most stores do not or even can not perform this setup, the player never knows this and is simply relying on the luck of the draw. This is why we perform our setup (in our www.SaxophoneRepairs.com ProShop) on them before delivering your new sax to you. You trust us with your purchase and we want to make sure that you are rewarded by giving you your ideal saxophone setup flawlessly!

Yanagisawa SC9937 Specifications

Neck Material	Solid Silver, Clear Lacquered
Body Material	Solid Silver, Clear Lacquered
Bow Material	Solid Silver, Clear Lacquered
Bell Material	Solid Silver, Clear Lacquered
Body/Neck Style	Curved Body with new SC99x Curved Neck Design
Construction Style	Ribbed Body Construction
Range	Low Bb to High F#
Pads	Premium Leather with Domed Metal Resonators
Mouthpiece	Yanagisawa Ebonite 5
Case	Yanagisawa Deluxe Case
Country of Manufacture	Handmade in Japan