 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: BassClarinetGirl
Date: 2004-11-29 13:38
Hi there!
I'm currently a Junior in HS, and I'm looking into buying my own bass clarinet for college. I am currently looking at a YCL221, and can anyone who has played this model or heard someone else talking about it please tell me what they thought of it? I have heard of one instrument that was very sharp at clarion B. I'm very interested in knowing how well it hits upper clarion and altissimo.
Also- does anyone recommend an extended range instrument for college? Because I'm hoping I can stick with a low Eb for awhile... (and I don't have the extra $$ to fork over)
Thanks!
Becca
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Author: Igloo Bob
Date: 2004-11-29 22:56
I recently tried out a fellow HS student's YCL221. I liked it quite a bit, especially for a student model. Almost effortless upper clarion, though the lower altissimo required a bit of embouchure adjustment, for me. What do you usually play on? My comparison came from a school-"maintained" hunk-a-junk Bass, so I suppose I was much more likely to be impressed than someone who regularly plays on higher quality instruments.
I also got the chance to try someone's Buffet 1193 (Low-C) at All-State a few weeks ago. Also a very nice instrument.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2004-11-30 14:54
Becca -
The Yamaha YCL221 has a plastic body and sells for around $1500. See http://www.wwbw.com/Yamaha-YCL221-Bass-Clarinet-i70696.music.
While it's a decent instrument, the Ridenour BC147 goes for only $1010. See http://www.brookmays.com/prod_disp.aspx?itemnum=BC147. I haven't played one, but they've gotten good reviews here, which you can find with the Search function.
Remember that any college you go to will almost certainly have a bass for you to play, so there's no urgency to buy one now. If you have professional ambitions, you will want a top quality wood instrument. The new ones (particularly low C models) go for $5-6,000, which is probably more than you want to spend now.
If Mark will bear the mention, there's a bass (not mine) listed in the classifieds, which you might consider. It's only to Eb, but the Buffet basses from that period were very good, though the register mechanism was delicate.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: allencole
Date: 2004-11-30 15:47
I am renting a YCL-221 with an eye to possible purchase. Its sound and response are marvelous, but there are some difficult tuning issues also.
I suggest that you wait and see what your college has for you to play. Getting some experience on a top-of-the-line, brand name instrument will help you a lot in evaluating other instruments for your own purchase. Let your college provide you with that opportunity.
Allen Cole
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Author: akronclarinet
Date: 2004-12-07 18:41
I currently play bass clarinet in a college band, and I do use the extended notes to low C quite a bit. It all depends on the music though.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2004-12-07 18:48
Give Tom Ridenour's new low-C bass clarinet (labelled "Arioso") a try. I can't give a full review of it now but hope to do that soon. His retail price is around $2500.
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Author: kal
Date: 2004-12-07 21:23
I played a YCL-221 in high school and absolutely loved it. The school also had a Vito 7166 or some equivalent. In my opinion, the Yamaha was a far superior instrument in every way. It was very free-blowing, and the keywork was well-suited to my small hands. The floor peg was also much sturdier (thicker) than that on the Vito. Mine did have some intonation issues in the altissimo, but really, what's the point of playng that high on a bass?
/switched to contra because the bass just wasn't low enough...
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