 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Melissa
Date: 2003-12-11 00:33
What model is the professional Yamaha? For example for buffets you have R 13's. Also does anyone have any experience on professional yamaha's? How do they sound? Do they play nicely for you?
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2003-12-11 00:46
Yamaha Clarinet Models
I haven't personally played on any but everyone says good things. Do a search on "Yamaha 650" or "ycl-650" or "yamaha custom" and that should bring up a few posts here and there with some people that have played them.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Heidi
Date: 2003-12-11 03:00
Hi Melissa,
Yes, I play the Yamaha Custom SE-V (Bb) and the Custom SE (A). I find them to be wonderful horns that match sound quality very well. The scale is very even and tuning is simply not an issue. I really enjoy playing on these horns and wouldn't trade them for the world at this point. They are the professional grade for Yamaha and are not terribly expensive relatively speaking. My Yam's give me a good rich sound and the keywork is excellent. I would recommend them to anyone. Good luck!
Heid
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Author: icecoke12
Date: 2003-12-11 03:51
Hi,
The custom SEV and CSV are the higher end professional instruments Yamaha are offering. However, the price tags are comparable to the Prestige range of buffet instruments.
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Author: David Peacham
Date: 2003-12-11 08:23
icecoke12: I don't know about Yamaha prices in Singapore, but that's not the case in England. Over here the Yamaha SEV and CSV "custom" instruments are only slightly more expensive than an R13 or RC. The Yamaha "professional" clarinet, the 650, is cheaper than an E13.
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If there are so many people on this board unwilling or unable to have a civil and balanced discussion about important issues, then I shan't bother to post here any more.
To the great relief of many of you, no doubt.
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Author: icecoke12
Date: 2003-12-11 13:52
I guess maybe the Yamaha instruments are a bit more expensive than buffets here... but nice instruments they are... you can tell that a lot of care was put into making the instruments by just looking at the cutting of the tone holes and wood...
The Leblanc instrument I own plays beautifully, but somehow i feel that the workmanship is a bit sloppy in terms of finishing and the tone hole edges are a bit rough at the edges.. upper segment of the bore is also unpolished.
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-12-11 16:39
I have not cared for the tone and tuning of the Yamaha clarinet...
I had a set of Custom II models that were a quarter tone flat on some notes...
the A I found hooty and therefore returned to Selmer clarinets...
others may have been more fortunate than I.
David Dow
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Author: coasten1
Date: 2003-12-11 17:19
I have a Yamaha Allegro model YCL-550AL purchased in 2000. At the time, only authorized Yamaha dealers could sell it. According to the comparison chart I got with it, it eluded to most all the features of the YCL-650.
http://www.yamaha.com
Post Edited (2003-12-11 17:22)
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Author: Mohammeddisto
Date: 2003-12-23 00:09
I would love to try some...and spend some of my Christmas money BEFORE I got back to LA for school...
Any of you know where I can try some out? I'm in boston, but i'm willing to drive 3-4 hours if I have to. I have about 3 weeks left...
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Author: Ed
Date: 2003-12-23 00:57
Go to the Yamaha web site at
www.yamaha.com/band and then go to the dealer locator. You can find any authorized delaers in your area. Call them and see what they have available.
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Author: LeOpus1190s
Date: 2003-12-23 02:45
I played those V series at Midwest, i thought they were the most aweful clarinets i tried all day.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2003-12-23 13:45
That is interesting, because for the most part, I have thought Yamaha made a very good instrument. The ones I have played have been very even, in tune and great sound, a well designed instrument.
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Author: jbutler ★2017
Date: 2003-12-23 17:02
I have a Yamaha SE=A for personal use that is wonderful. I think it plays very evenly with good focused sound and even intonation.
jbutler
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Author: donald
Date: 2003-12-23 21:53
like any brand there are good ones and bad ones...
my old teacher, Dr Dave Etheridge, had a lovely pair of Yamaha clarinets (prototypes from the factory) that sounded were pretty darn good, i played them once and made him swear to let me have them when he was finished with them, but Yamaha eventually wanted them back....
the old "Yamaha Custom YCL 85" A clarinets (top of the range in the early/mid 1980s) really did play very well, and had a much more "R13 like sound" than later Yamaha clarinets (subjective assesment, ignore at will). My Custom 85 was sold to someone who now virtually never plays... i meet her every so often and consider buying it back, actually.
donald..
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Author: diz
Date: 2003-12-24 00:28
I've only ever had dealings with their student instruments, a Yamaha was my first clarinet ... I have fond memories of it and certainly would consider their pro range if I were upgrading. I'd rather support Stephen Fox, on my next purchase, however.
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Author: Rick Williams
Date: 2003-12-24 05:37
My teacher has a set of Yamahas and they are very nice instruments. I play tested several last year and was generally impressed by the consistancy and quality of the instruments. Sound wise, with excellent players they sound...well excellent. She plays in a philharmonic orchestra next to a Buffet and they general agree among themselves there is no noticable difference.
Best
Rick
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-12-24 11:00
I'm sure I encounter less splitting with Yamaha than for both Buffet and Selmer, making allowances for servicing fewer of them.
I often encounter shoddy manufacture with both Buffet and Selmer, but I don't recall ever finding it with Yamaha.
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2003-12-24 11:35
Hi,
I had a new Yamaha YTS 62 Tenor many years ago between Selmers. That sax was Yamaha's first attempt at a professional instrument and it was excellent with a huge sound. I did pick up another Mark VI for peanuts and ended up selling the Yamaha off; big mistake but I really needed the money.
If I was to begin playing club gigs again (fat channce at my age that I'll ever go back), I'd pick up both a used Yamaha professional alto and tenor as my backups. I could get both instruments for the much less than the price of a new Selmer and for what I'd want them to do, the instruments would be great.
While I have not played their professional clarinets, my "street sense" tells me that they would be just as outstanding (perhaps the poorman's R-13???). This approach to purchasing might be kind of like driving an Acura after having a Lexus; good value and most of the whistles and bells at a much cheaper price.
HRL
Post Edited (2003-12-24 13:21)
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2003-12-24 18:02
Or driving an Acura NSX instead of a Ferrari. Same performance and good looks, but MUCH less!
Alexi
(PS - I thought you all might want to know that being 21 years old, I've thought long and hard and made a decision that an NSX will be my midlife crisis car. I can't wait to get to my crisis!)
US Army Japan Band
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Author: tony jones
Date: 2003-12-24 20:56
Hi
I've been playing clarinet for about 3 years and until a couple of days ago
had a plastic Yamaha ycl 26, which is the basic student model.
I decided it was time to try out some wooden ones with a view to buying one so I went to my local musical instrument shop in Harrogate to try some out.
I tried sevaral Buffets and Yamaha's, the one which I liked the most was the Yamaha YCL-CS V . I found that of all the clarinets it had the most even tone throughout the range best key work and it just felt right to me.
I hadn't intended spending that much, but it was, to me so much better than all the others I new that was the one I wanted so it was my christmas present to myself.
It certainly pays to spend as much time as possible trying them out because, as I found out there is even a difference between clarinets of the same model, not a huge difference but it's there.
So far I am very happy with it and can thoroughly recommend any prospective buyer to try one.
The colour of the instrument is actually dark brown rather than black is this usual for wooden clarinets? Are their any other YCL-CS V owners out there who can comment?
I must just take this opportunity to thank Andrew at Music House in Harrogate North Yorkshire UK for there great service, and can recommend anyone in the area to give them a try.
Tony Jones
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Author: Mohammeddisto
Date: 2003-12-25 01:34
The natural colour of grenadilla is dark brown. i've been told that most of the new clarinets these days must be stained black to hide some very obvious imperfections (DEFECTS?) in the wood. For some reason, customers are hesitant to buy clarinets that are likely to crack. If you stain it black and make it pretty, however, no one will notice. Companies like buffet have a very limited supply of decent grenadilla, so they only use it on their higher-line instruments ($3000 and up).
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2003-12-25 02:55
There was just a thread on the color of clarinets a little while ago. Another reason they turn black has to do with the oil on a clarinet and how it reacts with the air. Go a few pages back and you'll see it.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2003-12-25 04:05
Mohammeddisto wrote:
> i've been told
> that most of the new clarinets these days must be stained
> black to hide some very obvious imperfections (DEFECTS?) in
> the wood.
Someone's been telling you strange things. Grenadilla has been dyed black for clarinets for over a century now.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-12-25 12:51
I don't think that alters the veracity of Mohammeddisto's statement though.
Not all instruments have something to hide in the appearance of the natural timber, and not all instruments are, or ever have been stained black.
I think it is quite likely true, that more blemished timber is now being used, especially by volume producers such as Buffet, so there is now more to hide, in a higher proportion of new instruments.
Selmer offer some higher models with an option of the timber being natural or dyed.
Another point is that there is a big difference between dying a high quality piece of timber for a cosmetic colour change, and filling significant surface blemishes with a thick, black, filling material, a practice that now seems a lot more common than it used to be.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2003-12-25 14:54
Gordon (NZ) wrote:
> I think it is quite likely true, that more blemished timber is
> now being used, especially by volume producers such as Buffet,
> so there is now more to hide, in a higher proportion of new
> instruments.
...
> Another point is that there is a big difference between dying a
> high quality piece of timber for a cosmetic colour change, and
> filling significant surface blemishes with a thick, black,
> filling material, a practice that now seems a lot more common
> than it used to be.
We would probably part company on the assumption that wood quality today is worse than what it was "in the past:. I had the opportunity to catalog a reasonably large collection of historical instruments, and found both stained and unstained, blemished and unblemished, to be about what I see coming from factories today. Some of the unstained I saw would not have passed muster at all today for an unstained clarinet.
I did notice that the quality of repairs today seem to exceed the quality of yesteryears.
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2003-12-25 22:29
They get my vote. I play a Yamaha Oehler, slightly customised, and can't fault it for what it is and the price range. I have also worked on, servicing, re-padding and voicing, most of the Yamaha wooden models from the 34 up to the various Custom models. Last week alone I serviced 1 YCL34 and a pair of older CX's. The 34 is a step up horn and I would recommend them, mechanically at least, over an E11 or 13. They have more sturdy key work and from experience have less voicing problems when new. The more expensive models also offer value for money and mechanical reliability. Anything else is personal preference. One observation, however, is that in our climate the wood dries a little more rapidly than other brands. The wood responds well, as opposed to Buffet who don't recommend oiling anyway, to oiling. I base the majority of this post on workshop experience. I can't be as convinced on their flutes and piccolos however. They have made quite substantial improvements in saxophone manufacture, especially in the last 5 or so years, but at a cost. The 875's are up there in price with Selmer. Their bassoons are superb! I wish I could afford one.
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