Klarinet Archive - Posting 000058.txt from 2001/09

From: Bilwright@-----.net (William Wright)
Subj: Re: [kl] Dating a Noblet
Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2001 13:19:12 -0400

<><> Marina Garrison wrote:
no one responded to my last post [snip....my budget is] $400US

<><> Dee Hayes wrote:
have never tried a Yamaha. Both have fine reputations.

Marina, my comments are:

(1) An instrument's age is not relevant. If a competent technician
says that an instrument is in good condition and you like the way it
plays, then it's a good instrument by definition. Some people are
willing to buy instruments without playing them first, but I believe
that this approach is only for those who can afford to gamble and who
are willing to take a loss if they lose the gamble.

(2) I started out with a Yamaha YCL-20, which you can buy new for $400
and used in good condition for $200. It is plastic, and now I own a
wood instrument; but to this day, I still pick up my YCL-20 and I play
it with pleasure. My one complaint is that the right-hand little
finger keys don't feel quite right to me even after my favorite
technician did his best to bend them to fit my hand.

In fact, I take my YCL-20 with me when I travel -- I don't want to crack
my wood instrument. I have listened to my teacher play my YCL-20, and
she sounds as professional as ever on it. I know nothing about
"Corton", but if it is a junky instrument and your budget is limited,
you may be doing yourself a favor to give the YCL-20 a trial.

(3) I've been off the list for a while, and therefore I don't know if
you have tried an assortment of mouthpieces yet. In most people's
opinion, it's much more important to find a mouthpiece that suits you
than it is to buy an expensive instrument. The mouthpiece that comes
with most clarinets is not a good one. I've never figured out why this
is. Shouldn't a clarinet manufacturer know what is required to make a
good mouthpiece? But if you asked all the clarinetists on this list
whether they play the mouthpiece that came with their instrument, I
suspect that 90% of them would say, "NO!!!" My YCL-20, for example,
sounds miserable with Yamaha's mouthpiece. But when I put my Fobes
mouthpiece on it instead, playing s a pleasure again.

Cheers, and don't let the humor bother you. In fact I almost posted
the same 'witticism'.

-Bill

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