With all of Yanagisawa's curved sopranos sharing the same design, the 992 features a Bronze body and neck. We find the bronze body and neck lend themselves to an enhanced quality of sound with a little extra darkness and warmth.There is a very player friendly ergonomic aspect to these curved sopranos, making them easy to move around on, with a maximum comfort level. The curved design offers the player "in your face" feedback.... No need to over blow.