 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: bennybadman
Date: 2005-01-16 17:38
Hello.
I've read the archives regarding the buffet B12 and Yamaha YCL 250, but they are a bit old. They are in the same price range in many of the posts. Though at ww&bw the YCL 250 is $323.00 more. Have they made a change to the instrument to warrant the rise in price... is it worth the dif. The YCL is more expensive than a Buffet E11.
I'm a sax player... Alto/Sop. I will play test all three, but would love any comments on recent tests on tone, construction, and durability. I can then have a somewhat educated and more discernable ear and eye. I’ll know a bit more what to hear and for.
Thanks so much for any help
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2005-01-16 18:01
(Disclaimer - I am the maker of the Forte' clarinet)
I have made a thorough study - to the extent of my abilities - of all of the major student model clarinets as a comparison to our own.
The YCL-250 has significant improvements over Yamaha's old "20" the primary one being the adaptation of the SEV series barrel to add better tone. The ergonomics of the keys seems better but it is designed for slightly smaller hands than mine. In the 3 or 4 that I have played the intonation by tuner was pretty good but there were several notes - the throat G and A which were out of tune and the altissimo was slightly sharp. From my experimentation this may have to do with the adaptation, without some modification, of the new barrel. The fit and finish of the YCL 250 is very good and IMHO it is a much better student horn than the B-10 and B-12 which suffers from more severe intonation problems in the 3 that I have tested. This is of course not a scientific study because the "n" is too small.
L. Omar Henderson
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-01-16 22:53
Here's the real story.
First, consider getting Omar's Clarinet as his is better than both. (the Forte Clarinet which is a sponsor)
Secondly, it's actually Yamaha's stupidity which has the price listed that high, not the actual selling price.
Yamaha forces their onlin distributors to put ONLY the retail price which nobody (at least nobody who knows better) pays.
So that Clarinet if you ask them what their lowest price is, you would find that it costs around $400 or even a bit less.
But the Forte is better anyway!
Check online the price of a student Yamaha Alto Sax and you will see it listed at around $1700!!!!!!!!!!!!
To me it's dumb marketing by a dumb company, and it isn't the online distributors call at all - their hands are completely tied.
Post Edited (2005-01-16 22:54)
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-01-17 01:27
btw, Yamaha forbids them from stating that they have a lower price too. So a buyer wouldn't know to ask unless told. I can't believe that it hasn't totally killed Yamaha's online business but maybe that's what they want to happen.
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