The YAS-480 is Yamaha's intermediate alto, the horn between the student YAS-280 or YAS-26 and the professional YAS-62. Howarth of London, the London woodwind dealer, calls it the successor to the YAS-475, with a new neck receiver modeled on the 62 series and a better low B to C# connection. That receiver matters more than it sounds. It lets a player fit Yamaha's Custom Z and Custom EX necks later, which the 280's octave mechanism doesn't allow, and the stock neck is annealed and built to the original YAS-62 design. The rest of the step up is in the hands and the look. You get a teardrop front F key, a left-hand seesaw key that makes the low pinky notes easier, separate key guards with adjustable stoppers and a hand-engraved bell. Underneath it keeps the drawn tone holes, two-piece bell and stainless steel springs of Yamaha's student horns. Dealer listings for used 480s show them stamped Made in Indonesia. For a player who has found their feet, it's a horn to settle on for years.
Made for the advancing student who's sure they'll keep playing, or an adult coming back to the sax. A complete beginner can start on one, but a YAS-280 or YAS-26 does the same first-year job.
Build and caseYAS-480
Yamaha doesn't publish a saxophone serial chart, so a serial won't give you a year on its own. For a horn Yamaha USA distributed, Kessler & Sons says Yamaha can sometimes look it up if you send the model and serial number.
The 480 shares the student horns' stainless steel springs and pad type, so dried or sticky pads are the usual wear on a used one. Because the receiver takes Yamaha's Custom necks, a listing may come with a different neck than the stock 62-style one, so ask which neck it is.
More on this in our saxophone buying guide.
Buying guide
We'd buy one of the US 480s from an established seller under the band, like the one at $1,795 with free shipping from a 100% seller, since most of the rest are Japan imports with shipping from free to $548. Most complete ones ask $1,925–2,525 delivered and there are at least 88 for sale, but new ones ask about $2,335 delivered at the median, so a used horn near the top of the band saves very little. Five of the eight US listings we found come from zero-feedback accounts, several sharing the title "Yamaha YAS-480 Intermediate Eb Alto Saxophone", and three Japan listings use the same photo, so skip those or pay only through eBay checkout. The 480 is a step-up horn for a student who's sticking with it, so ask which neck comes with it, since the receiver takes Yamaha's Custom necks, and ask for a video down to low B-flat to check the pads.
$1,699.00delivered
The lowest delivered 480 here from an established seller, $1,699 with free shipping from a 99.9% US seller, titled with a case. The title has no service claim or mouthpiece, so ask about the mouthpiece and plan on a shop check-up.
Yamaha YAS-480 Intermediate Saxophone W/Case
$1,795.00delivered
About $130 under the band at $1,795 with free shipping, from a 100% US seller, and the photo shows it in its case. The title says nothing else, so ask which neck and mouthpiece come with it.
Yamaha YAS480 Alto
$2,276.77est. delivered
Titled with the case, neck and mouthpiece from a 100% US seller, so a student moving up gets everything in one box. At $2,277 delivered it sits right at the median, and a video down to low B-flat will show the pads are sealing.
Yamaha YAS-480 Intermediate Alto Saxophone Gold Lacquer w/ Case Neck Mouthpiece
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 12, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Snapshot
Checked . Some may have sold.
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 12, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Used$1,699.00delivered
$1,699.00 · free shipping
Buy It Now$1,699.00
Good buy
In the US, titled with case. Free shipping.
Seller: scottscoolsocks
99.9% positive
Used$1,795.00delivered
$1,795.00 · free shipping
Buy It Now$1,795.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Good buy
In the US, free shipping. Bare title, and the photo shows a case.
Seller: donbart1
100% positive
Used$2,276.77est. delivered
$2,250.00 + $26.77 shipping
Buy It Now$2,250.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Good buy
Case, neck and mouthpiece titled. In the US, at the median.
Seller: gkeszo
100% positive
Serviced$2,830.07est. delivered
$2,397.07 + $433.00 shipping
Buy It Now$2,397.07
Our take
Titled serviced August 2025, but $433 shipping from Japan puts it over the band.
Seller: japan-good-goods
100% positive
Serviced$1,598.00delivered
$1,598.00 · free shipping
Buy It Now$1,598.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Check the seller
Titled serviced Aug 2026, but the same photo is on two other sellers' listings. Ships from Japan.
Seller: shuheie
100% positive
Serviced$1,809.00est. delivered
$1,569.00 + $240.00 shipping
Buy It Now$1,569.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Check the seller
Titled serviced Aug 2026, with the same photo as two other sellers. $240 shipping from Japan.
Seller: 365-shop-japan
99.8% positive
Used$2,249.69est. delivered
$2,199.00 + $50.69 shipping
Buy It Now$2,199.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Check the seller
Zero feedback, a title copied across accounts and $50.69 shipping. A known scam pattern.
Seller: mat-472686
No feedback yet
Used$2,280.00delivered
$2,280.00 · free shipping
Buy It Now$2,280.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Check the seller
Same photo as two other sellers' listings. Ships from Japan.
Seller: hd_popidol_jp
100% positive
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