Here's a vintage Yanagisawa S6 straight soprano sax, serial 00135479, which dates it to about 1987. The S6 is Yanagisawa's classic one-piece soprano. It's known for its warm, full tone, very good intonation and a key layout that Mark VI soprano players will find familiar. This one has the mother-of-pearl key touches and an engraved bell.

It just came back from our repair technician with a full adjustment plus a few new pads and it plays great from low Bb to high F#. It appears to be a one-owner sax: an older gentleman who played it in church on Sundays. It includes the original brown case with the "Ps.23" sticker, a formal "saxophone blessing document" and other case decorations.

The gold lacquer has heavy wear. There are spots on the body and neck area. These marks are cosmetic and don't affect how it plays - and the price reflects them. If you want a sweet-sounding Yanagisawa soprano that's ready for the stage, this one is a great value.