Needle Springs

The springing on the saxophone is a very personal thing and many players ask that the saxophone undergo what repairmen call ‘customisation’ of the springs.

Yanagisawa provide the instrument with blued steel needle springs, (compare stainless steel in lesser saxophones) tempered to perfection to provide a uniformity of feel across the entire Yanagisawa range of the saxophones. This of course provides the Yanagisawa saxophone with the means to accommodate the most dexterous of players.

The blued steel in fact originates from the old days when sewing needles were used as the primary component of the needle spring (ouch! when you are pricked by one). Today of course Yanagisawa have the manufacture scrutinised by their stringent quality control personnel with the needle springs having their tension attended by the team of assemblers in the Yanagisawa factory. Each saxophone has the tensions set to provide for evenness of feel under the fingers.

Stainless steel is a material which ‘work hardens’ with use. The change in temper of the spring provides a changing temper in the spring with age, with the possibility of fracture should the work hardening process be carried too far.