Yanagisawa has been making great saxophones since the 1970's. Their first soprano was the model S6. "S" for Soprano, "6" for "Mark 6", of which this horn is an exact copy. This is most apparent in the design of the left hand palm keys, which are all on the same lateral plane, exactly like the Mark VI. This can take some time to get used to, but many of the greatest soprano players made the adjustment. These early Yanagisawas are great instruments for someone on a budget who wants a real saxophone, not one of those cheap imports.