Early or late 62?

[yamaha_mad]

So how do you tell a yamaha 62 sax apart.

If it were bikes or car's you'd go by VIN or chassis number but on a sax. There's on deffinate lists I can find to say when a sax was made or produced.

I've heard of the different logo on the sax :whistle: itself, so can anyone enlighten me further?

Cheers,

Yamaha mad.

 

[griff136]

Earlier 62's have a purple YAMAHA logo on the bell.

like this one here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Yamaha-YAS-62-Saxophone-Great-Cond-See-Pics-No-Reserve_W0QQitemZ260352526372QQihZ016QQcategoryZ16232QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[phil_edwards]

This thread suggests there's no correlation betwen number and year as you'd expect to find. No idea how true that is.

http://www.saxontheweb.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=13276

 

[Saxlicker]

I guess you're trying to determine how old yours are?
I have found yamaha themselves very helpful in the past when I needed a baritone neck brace and the badge that sat in it. All via e-mail.

If it's just out of curiosity and you don't need to do that then here is a very rough 62 history.

The 1st ones followed on from the 61 series don't know when buut the key gaurds and some key touchs are distinctly different. Initially the yamaha logo was engraved.
The next change added the purple logo, for what reason I do not know. It was hugely unpopular and many have been rubbed off deliberately.
At this point the saxes came in a dark brown rectangular cases with blue velvet crush inside, two clasps that locked and a leather carrying handle (or 2??). These cases at least on the alto version would comonly split in one corner fairly early on with little provocation but not necessarily deteriorate further.

These were certainly available in the late 80's but I think I once read that 'facelift' changes were made again before the introduction of a '62II'.
The 62II definately has a different neck and imitation mother of pearl key touches. It also says 62II on the sax by the serial number I believe.
So what we are looking for is the date of introduction of the 62II. Anything earlier than that date with an engraved logo, is a very early 62 or the facelift (either side of the purple logo version).

 

[Lockjaw]

Oh, the old old vs. new debate.

I have an early 62 alto (c. 1983) and a 2004 62 tenor.

The main difference? In my considered opinion the tenor is definitely bigger. :laugh:

 

[spike]

Yamaha uses non sequential serial numbers on their saxophones so there is no corrolation between age and number. You could call or contact Yamaha directly quoting the serial-number they may be able to help.

Pete Hale at saxpics.com used to have info but I notice he's rebuilding his site.

The Yamaha Golf Carts are numbered sequentially, though I'm not sure about the old Mashie-Niblicks.

gruss - spike

 

[yamaha_mad]

Mine don't have the purple log on but neither do they have 62II after them.

My alto just say YAS62 then below is a serial number.

Strange. So I'm guessing its a face lift version then.

Yamaha mad

 

[Lockjaw]

I don't think they actualy put '62II' on them, not on my newish tenor anyway. Just plain old 62, so I guess the II is an internal Yamaha designation. Not sure when the purple logos stopped (late '80s?), but it could be any time after that! Or else someone removed the purple...

 

[yamaha_mad]

Bought both of mine new and I haven't removed the purple.

Both of mine have a black yamaha log on the crook.

Yamaha mad

 

[spike]

For what it's worth. I played Yamaha in the mid-eighties, YTS & YAS both 62 series, neither had a purple logo, simply model stamp and serial number under the thumb rest. Bought new in Germany exact dates unknown. Could be that different versions for different countries were cosmetically different.
gruss - spike

 

[Linky Lee]

I phoned up Yamaha from their website. They got back to me the next day with the year, factory and month of manufacture.

I'd give that a go.

 

[Bobby G]

I have heard that serial numbers are not necessarily sequential in that Yamaha in effect didn't distinguish between different horns i.e. a run of altos may have been numbered, say, 10000 to 11000 then a run of tenors produced at the same time or just after would be numbered, say, 11000 to 12000, or put another way a combined run of altos tenors and anything else could be numbered sequentially without necessarily taking any regard of what model the serial number was being stamped on. Or something.

There, I think I've cleared that up quite succinctly, don't you? Eschew obfuscation, I always say.

 

[Lockjaw]

Actually, that's kind of logical Bobby - it means there aren't different saxes with the same no., each no. is unique irrespective of model.

So, my c.1983 horn is 11,xxx and my 2004 horn is 147,xxx - does that stack up with other folks' Yamahas?

 

[yamaha_mad]

My alto is 07*** bought in about 1995...

Yamaha mad.

 

[Thaumaturge]

My YTS-61 is 7*** and from what I have been able to determine dates from early to mid 1970s.

Thaumaturge

 

[Lockjaw]

Was yours new when you bought it, Yamaha? Odd it had a lower no. than my 1980's alto. If so then there is no logic!

 

[greg_strange]

My 62 series alto which I purchased new February 1986 has the serial no. 017XXX, i.e. 17,000 series.

I think Yamaha stopped using the 'purple logo' (actually mine is more of a crimson colour) approx. 1989 when the Yamaha Custom series were introduced. The later models also used the 'shorter' key guard arrangement for the bell keys. Mine been the earlier model has the longer bell key guard, real mother of pearl keys (later versions are some sort of plastic/polymor/synthetic keys), and the 62 series Mark II or whatever they are calling them has 'YAMAHA' on the neck/tenon screw arrangement like the Custom models and different necks - G1 or M1 (?)

Regards,
Greg Strange.

 

[yamaha_mad]

Yep, brand new from John Myatts in Hitchin. It sounded loverly.

I'I do a few photo's just in case people think I'm playing a game here.

Yamaha mad.

 

[Bobby G]

If there is any correlation between serial numbers and year of manufacture, my 62 alto must be a bit newer than Greg's, as it is 025xxx, but as it had the purple logo it is pre-89 if that info is correct. It also has the two-clasp, brown, blue-lined case which, as someone said earlier would happen, is indeed coming apart at one corner.

Just to confuse things though, I had a look at my YTS23 which I was informed at the time I bought it was about 30-odd years old, making it a mid-70's-ish horn; this has a serial number of 040xxx. Maybe student horns were numbered differently?

 

[Pete Thomas]

Bobby G wrote:
If there is any correlation between serial numbers and year of manufacture, my 62 alto must be a bit newer than Greg's, as it is 025xxx, but as it had the purple logo it is pre-89 if that info is correct. It also has the two-clasp, brown, blue-lined case which, as someone said earlier would happen, is indeed coming apart at one corner.

Hey, that sounds exactly like the one that was stolen from me.