High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Yanagisawa Wind Instruments is a Japanese woodwind company known for its range of student, intermediate and professional grade saxophones. Along with Yamaha they are one of the leading manufacturers of saxophones in Japan. A family company, they started production in 1896 but became more widely known after the release in 1954 of their T3 silver-plated tenor saxophone. This was followed in 1956 by the A3, their first alto saxophone. The T3 model Tenor and the A3 model Alto were based on a Martin Committee design and later models were based more on a Selmer Mark VI design. There has been continuous development of their saxophone technology ever since. Their first solid silver saxophone was produced in 1972 and instruments made from phosphor bronze began to be produced in 1992. The company currently manufactures sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones. The company is notable for making saxophones from materials other than the standard brass i.e. phosphor bronze and solid silver, and combinations thereof.