Klarinet Archive - Posting 000271.txt from 2001/05
From: <rkabear@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Re: [Re: [kl] Which clarinet to purchase for schools]
Date: Thu, 10 May 2001 10:37:36 -0400
I'd like to put my $0.02 in on Yamaha. =
The saxophones have always been good. I have had really good results
(performance and reliability) from the Yamaha saxes, professional and stu=
dent
models. I think they are really world class. =
The custom clarinets in the Yamaha line are really professional quality. =
I am
not fond of the color and feel, but that is my preference; I'm not fond o=
f
Buffet R13s either. The Yamaha custom line has a consistent feel and have=
a
nice dynamic range.
The Yamaha custom oboe that I just purchased has all of my Loree playing
friends (professional oboists) salivating at the tone, the response and t=
he
fact that a Yamaha custom oboe is $2300 LESS than a Loree Royal or $1100 =
less
than a regular or AK Loree. How's that for taking over on the professiona=
l
woodwind front?
My complaint would be on the *entry level clarinets* in the Yamaha line. =
These
instruments to me are not very reliable. I'll tell you why (before I get
flamed.)
The students I have had using yamaha entry level clarinets through the ye=
ars
have had similar results as I have with the entry level clarinets in the =
line.
Keywork felt out of adjustment. Different MAJR student mouthpieces caused=
even
more pitch and resistance problems.
I recently went to help purchase a clarinet for a beginner student. We tr=
ied
all the major brands. The results I have after trying at least 5 of each =
of
the following brands was as follows:
Buffet B12 @-----. Finicky about mouthpieces (not a good =
thing
with a beginning student trying to find his/her own sound.) Tone rather d=
ull
and lifeless (again, bad for a beginner.)
Selmer Bundy 1400 =3D keywork felt strange (off-center, not where I expec=
ted the
keys to lie.) Blowing resistance varied greatly on different notes up the=
scale. Traditionally sharp and flat notes were exaggerated in how sharp o=
r
flat they were (as if a beginner needs help playing out of tune.)
Yamaha YCL20 @-----. Even after taking the
instruments back to the repairman in the stores to have him work on the
instruments, the instruments still felt like they were just out of adjust=
ment.
The resistance was great in all of these that I tried (which probably had=
something to do with the keywork too.) Traditionally sharp and flat notes=
were
exaggerated in how sharp or flat they were. (Difficult to play this line =
of
clarinets for me, imagine a beginner and how they would be hampered by a
non-responsive, quirky clarinet to start their musical journey on.)
I almost purchased a YCL20 before trying it out because of rave reviews f=
rom
some friends who teach. I tried *their* students' instruments afterward, =
and
found them to have much the same problems as the ones I tried in the stor=
e.
Mouthpiece selection for this instrument is crucial too, as it is difficu=
lt to
find mouthpieces that don't exaggerate resistance problems for the studen=
t.
Leblanc Vito 7212 =3D I was blown away by EVERY Vito that I tried that da=
y. I
tried 6 different mouthpieces with these instruments, and the Vito played=
like
a champ with ALL 6! Since you can't always choose the mouthpiece your stu=
dent
plays on, at least you can get them to pick and instrument that doesn't F=
ORCE
them to use a particular mouthpiece. The student (without me saying which=
one
of the clarinet I preferred chose the Vito and the Clark Fobes Debut
mouthpiece as easiest to play. It was the same setup I would have chosen =
for
him.
I think the Yamaha YCL20 needs to evolve before I would put it on a list =
for
beginning students. I would also rank the Bundy down the list. The Buffet=
B12
is a little pricey for what you are getting, although the horn is pretty,=
and
has a nice case. If I was to select a horn for students, it would be the =
Vito
hands down. If I was suggesting a pro horn to someone, I would tell them =
that
they SHOULD try the Yamaha custom clarinets. It may take the student line=
a
while to catch up to the level needed for a beginner.
Kelly Abraham
Woodwinds/Computer Geek
New York City
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.com> wrote:
> At 02:52 AM 5/10/2001 -0400, A4ACHESON wrote:
> =
> >In a message dated 9/5/01 10:47:17 pm, kevinfay@-----.com writes:
> >
> ><< I have always been impressed with the products I've purchased made =
by
> >the Yamaha folks, be it clarinets, saxophones >>
> >
> >As I was in charge of woodwind purchasing for 40 years and having boug=
ht
many
> >hundreds of clarinets involving many makers, I have to agree with the
above
> >comments.
> =
> The flat intonation problems that one band director customer of ours is=
=
> having notwithstanding (and he IS a professional clarinetist himself =
> (Buffet RC), as is his wife), in general you cannot go too far wrong wi=
th =
> any instrument Yamaha makes.
> =
Get free email and a permanent address at http://www.netaddress.com/?N=3D=
1
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